Nashville Religion Communicators Learns About the Ministry of Broadcasting

 

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

 

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly at rotating locations to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities.

 

The March meeting will take place virtually, as has been the common meeting ground for nearly all events since April 2020.

 

RCC members will hear from Jeffrey Anderson, who has been in international Christian broadcasting since 1982. He was with The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. for 12 years, including a position as Programming and Operations Manager of Middle East Television for five years. Since 1994, he has had a consulting business - Jeffrey P. Anderson and Associates: International Television Start-Ups, Programming, and Productions. His clients have been worldwide, but especially in Asia. Mr. Anderson, his wife Beverly, and two children, were Presbyterian missionaries to Japan in the latter part of the 1980s. Between 1993 and 2015, the Andersons were involved in a total of 25 summer mission trips among the four of them. Since 2016, Mr. Anderson and his wife have been missionaries with Far East Broadcasting Company.

 

During the RCC meeting, Mr. Anderson will be talking on: Pivoting in a World-Wide Crisis - The Need for Readiness, Yet Expecting the Unexpected.

 

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development.

 

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter.

 

Drug-Free Tennessee Encourages Sober St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

 

Drug-Free Tennessee has a mission to educate people on the dangers of drug abuse.

 

 

WalletHub says that St. Patrick’s Day is the third-biggest drinking holiday in the United States. In 2018, 73 people died in drunk driving accidents on St. Patrick’s Day and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 38 percent of drivers killed in St. Patrick’s Day accidents had a blood-alcohol level over .08.

 

Drug-Free Tennessee has long warned youth and adults alike on the dangers of drug abuse, including alcohol abuse. For the 2021 St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the group is encouraging folks to celebrate sober with family-friendly festivities.

 

One idea for celebration comes from the group Sober St. Patrick’s Day (https://www.soberstpatricksday.org/). Sober St. Patrick's Day events have been hosted around the world with ambassadors in Belfast, Dublin, Long Island, NY, Philadelphia, PA,

​West Warwick, RI, Mystic, CT & Richmond, VA. This year, the event is going virtual on March 17, 2021 starting at 4pm EST. The virtual event is free, but registration is required at the website.

Drug-Free Tennessee has hosted virtual resources throughout 2020 at drugfreetn.org and has continued this year with audio-visual messages and videos aimed at helping people steer clear of drug abuse and addiction. The organization has also long offered virtual learning resources and free materials to all educators wanting to help people learn the truth about drugs. Resources are available free of charge through drugfreeworld.org.

 

Drug-Free Tennessee distributes the Truth About Drugs booklet, which cover all basic side effects of drugs, common street names, and how to recognize when you are being persuaded by a dealer. DFT also has a range of award winning Public Service Announcements and an award winning feature length documentary detailing the dangers of drugs and addiction. To learn more or to order booklets or view the videos, visit drugfreetn.org and drugfreeworld.org.

Religion Communicators Council Shares Video from Virtual World Interfaith Harmony Week Gathering

  

The Church of Scientology Nashville in partnership with the Religion Communicators Council held a special virtual meeting in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week with a multi-religious group.

 

 

A multi-faith group came together for an open dialogue in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week. It was the first time the Nashville event has been held in a virtual setting, but the open discourse which followed was natural to those participating.

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville has participated in events for World Interfaith Harmony Week since 2011, and this is the fourth event the Church has hosted.

 

“In order to truly combat religious discrimination in this day and age, we have to come together and learn about the religious other,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, Pastor of the Church of Scientology, who each year calls together people of many different faiths and cultures to take part in a gathering for World Interfaith Harmony Week, the first week each February.

 

The virtual 2021 event was titled: “Discourse Over Discord: What Does Interfaith Harmony Sound Like?” and plays to the fact that the hosting city is Music City, but will include conversation between many people of different faiths and how we can come together in harmony. It was co-hosted with the Religion Communicators Council which has now shared video from the virtual gathering on its Facebook page: facebook.com/religioncommunicatorscouncilnashville.

 

The event featured a panel discussion with a Muslim woman, a Jewish man, and a Baha’i woman, moderated by Rev. Fesler of the Church of Scientology.

 

Rev. Fesler is passionate about bringing together all peoples and has reached out to many different faith leaders for this special service. “Everyone, regardless of their race, religion, culture—everyone deserves to have a voice, to live in peace, and to practice their religion in harmony with the rest of mankind,” he says.

 

The Church of Scientology’s creed begins with the words: “We of the Church believe that all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights; that all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance…”   

 

“It is part of our very fabric to support others’ rights and abilities to practice their religion in peace, so that is what we are lifting up through this service,” says Rev. Fesler.

 

For more information about Scientology, its practices or beliefs, visit scientology.org. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council visit religioncommunicators.org.

 

Community Responds to Scientology.org’s Interactive Timeline of the Church’s Global Pandemic Response

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville received positive responses to the new Scientology.org/2021 interactive timeline showcasing pandemic response.

 

Launched in tandem with the Scientology Super Bowl ad, “20/21 a Look Behind & a Look Ahead,” an interactive timeline of the last year, shows why the Church says that when the pandemic struck and the world ground to a standstill, “that’s when we got VERY busy.”

 

The Church’s global “total preparedness” program is illustrated by more than 1,200 images and 14 new videos.

 

Operating on the maxim adopted for Church operation by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, that “an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure,” Church staff first safeguarded all Scientology Churches with the world’s most powerful decontamination solution—a solution as eco-friendly as it is safe and effective.

 

Then the most authoritative prevention guidelines were distilled and presented in a series of three illustrated booklets and a dozen public service announcements in 21 languages. All available free of charge through the Scientology.org How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center, they make it easy for anyone to keep themselves and their families safe in these challenging times.

 

In cities across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, Volunteer Ministers distributed 7.5 million copies of these booklets door-to-door to neighbors and to some 43,600 establishments to provide their communities the information families need to keep themselves and others well.

 

“20/21 a Look Behind & a Look Ahead” also covers how Volunteer Ministers reached out with help in so many other ways in the face of this global catastrophe. The interactive timeline including all videos may be viewed in 17 languages.

 

K.A. from the Nashville community said, “I love how captivating and inspiring the video is. Also, the website is quite engaging. I enjoy the big photos and how interactive it is. Thank you for sharing the video, I needed the reminder about how resilient the human spirit is.”

 

F.G. commented, “Very well thought out and executed presentation… Stay warm and God bless you all.”

 

The Founder of the Scientology religion is L. Ron Hubbard and Mr. David Miscavige is the religion’s ecclesiastical leader. The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created by Mr. Hubbard in the mid-1970s. It constitutes one of the world’s largest independent relief forces.

 

For more information, visit Scientology.org/2021/

Church of Scientology Nashville Hosts “Discourse over Discord: What Does Interfaith Harmony Sound Like?”

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville held a special virtual meeting in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week with a multi-religious group.

 

A multi-faith group came together for an open dialogue in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week. It was the first time the Nashville event has been held in a virtual setting, but the open discourse which followed was natural to those participating.

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville has participated in events for World Interfaith Harmony Week since 2011, and this is the fourth event the Church has hosted.

 

“In order to truly combat religious discrimination in this day and age, we have to come together and learn about the religious other,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, Pastor of the Church of Scientology, who each year calls together people of many different faiths and cultures to take part in a gathering for World Interfaith Harmony Week, the first week each February.

 

The virtual 2021 event was titled: “Discourse Over Discord: What Does Interfaith Harmony Sound Like?” and plays to the fact that the hosting city is Music City, but will include conversation between many people of different faiths and how we can come together in harmony. It was co-hosted with the Religion Communicators Council.

 

The event featured a panel discussion with a Muslim woman, a Jewish man, and a Baha’i woman, moderated by Rev. Fesler of the Church of Scientology.

 

Rev. Fesler is passionate about bringing together all peoples and has reached out to many different faith leaders for this special service. “Everyone, regardless of their race, religion, culture—everyone deserves to have a voice, to live in peace, and to practice their religion in harmony with the rest of mankind,” he says.

 

The Church of Scientology’s creed begins with the words: “We of the Church believe that all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights; that all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance…”   

 

“It is part of our very fabric to support others’ rights and abilities to practice their religion in peace, so that is what we are lifting up through this service,” says Rev. Fesler.

 

For more information about Scientology, its practices or beliefs, visit scientology.org.

Church of Scientology Nashville to Showcase Good Works on World Civil Defense Day

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville observes World Civil Defense Day each year.

 

With more than 2.3 million deaths worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, communities are anxious for the virus to end.

 

This is precisely why the Church of Scientology worked fast to distribute materials on How to Stay Well to people across the globe. In fact, 7.5 million Stay Well booklets were personally delivered by the Church’s Volunteer Ministers to 43,600 establishments throughout the world.

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville had more than a dozen volunteers distribute these materials to 15,000 community members.

 

The Stay Well materials cover a range of audio-visual presentations and booklets downloadable online at the How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center at scientology.org/staywell. The booklets cover How to Keep Yourself and Others Well, How to Protect Yourself and Others with a Mask and Gloves, and How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation.

 

The church will acknowledge all of those who assisted in these efforts during the upcoming World Civil Defense Day, which was created by decision of the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) General Assembly in 1990, and is celebrated every year on the 1st of March. According to ICDO, “This Day… has two main purposes: that of bringing to the attention of the world public the vital importance of Civil Protection and of raising awareness of the preparedness for, and prevention and self-protection measures in the event of accidents or disasters; and that of paying tribute to the efforts, sacrifices and accomplishments of all the national services responsible for the fight against disasters.”

 

Julie Brinker, who oversees community affairs for the Nashville Church of Scientology, explained how it becomes involved during times of disaster. “We have a program called Volunteer Ministers. Anyone of any culture or creed may train as a Volunteer Minister and use these tools to help their families and communities, and all are welcome to do so,” she said. Brinker said volunteerministers.org contains resources one would need to become trained in this technology.  

 

Equipped with effective technology to resolve virtually any difficulty, Volunteer Ministers live by the motto: “No matter the problem, something can be done about it.” Transcending all ethnic, cultural and religious boundaries, the Volunteer Ministers program is there for anyone in need of help.

 

In creating the Volunteer Ministers program, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

 

To learn more about the Scientology Volunteer Minsiters, visit scientology-ccnashville.org. To learn more about the Stay Well resources, visit scientology.org/staywell.

Church of Scientology Nashville Excited for Virtual World Interfaith Harmony Week

 

The Church of Scientology Nashville is hosting a special virtual meeting in observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week with a multi-religious group on February 5^th at 11 am CST.

 

 

Hate graffiti, death threats, and violence toward people of religion have become recurrent mainstream news. FBI hate crime statistics show that in 2019 alone, 15,588 law enforcement agencies reported 7,314 hate crime incidents involving 8,559 offenses.

 

“In order to truly combat religious discrimination in this day and age, we have to come together and learn about the religious other,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, Pastor of the Church of Scientology, who has called together people of many different faiths and cultures to take part in a virtual meeting for World Interfaith Harmony Week, the first week each February.

 

The event has been titled: “Discourse Over Discord: What Does Interfaith Harmony Sound Like?” and plays to the fact that the hosting city is Music City, but will include conversation between many people of different faiths and how we can come together in harmony. It is being co-hosted with the Religion Communicators Council.

 

The event will feature a virtual panel discussion with a Muslim woman, a Jewish man, and a Baha’i woman, moderated by Rev. Fesler of the Church of Scientology.

 

The virtual event requires registration through RCCRegistration.org.

 

Rev. Fesler is passionate about bringing together all peoples and has reached out to many different faith leaders for this special service. “Everyone, regardless of their race, religion, culture—everyone deserves to have a voice, to live in peace, and to practice their religion in harmony with the rest of mankind,” he says.

 

The Church of Scientology’s creed begins with the words: “We of the Church believe that all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights; that all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance…”   

 

“It is part of our very fabric to support others’ rights and abilities to practice their religion in peace, so that is what we are lifting up through this service,” says Rev. Fesler.

 

The World Interfaith Harmony Service will take place on February 5, 2020 at 11:00am CST virtually. To anyone who wishes to participate, visit rccregistration.org.

 

For more information about Scientology, its practices or beliefs, visit scientology.org.

 

Nashville Religion Communicators Stays Virtually Connected with the Community

 

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

 

Why is it important to stay connected with the community? This was the question posed and answered during the most recent meeting of the Nashville Chapter’s Religion Communicators Council during the first week of February.

 

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly at rotating locations to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities. Since the onset of COVID-19, meetings have been virtual.

 

The February meeting took place over Zoom with RCC members hearing from a Deaconess from the Church for All People (C4AP) in Columbus Ohio. This church is an example of an urban church partnering with their surrounding community to offer services. For more info: https://www.4allpeople.org/Church

 

She shared how the church has adapted to COVID-19, specifically how programs have been modified from in person to virtual; how they are communicating with hard-to-reach folks; and the services offered for the surrounding community.

 

“We’re so glad to hear about how people are staying connected with their communities during this time,” says Julie Brinker, Communications Coordinator for the Nashville RCC and Director of Community Affairs for the Church of Scientology Nashville.

 

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development.

 

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter.