Church of Scientology Nashville Welcomes Community During Holidays 2022

 Scientologists believe in spreading the warmth and joy of the holiday season to the community and beyond.

 

More than 10,000 Scientology Churches, missions, related organizations and affiliated groups minister to millions in 165 countries, according to Scientology.org. Because of this worldwide diversity, Scientologists come from a wide variety of faiths and cultural traditions. But no matter their background, they, like most people, gather with loved ones to enjoy the warmth of friends and family and celebrate the joy of the holiday season.

 

With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, churches, like most places, were forced to limit numbers to keep in social distancing measures since 2020. But now, with restrictions lifted, the Church of Scientology Nashville is again happy to welcome the community to celebrate the joys of the holiday season with friends and loved ones.

 

Pastor of the Nashville Church, Rev. Brian Fesler, says, “Our church captures the spirit of the holidays. We bring people together to celebrate and plan the year ahead, and everyone is welcome here throughout the season.”

 

The Nashville church hosts an annual potluck for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as other community events including holiday shows and festivities, the annual Human Rights Day celebration, open houses and other community get-togethers.

 

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard honored the great religious leaders of the past for the wisdom they brought to the world, writing that Scientology shares “the goals set for Man by Christ, which are wisdom, good health and immortality.” It is in this spirit that Scientologists celebrate the holiday season, whether they observe Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other religious or cultural tradition.

 

The Church annually celebrates New Year’s Eve with a large-scale event that all parishioners and members of the community are invited to attend. It is at this event that the church reviews the accomplishments for the year and sets the course for the year to come.

 

This past decade has seen explosive expansion for the religion, with over 70 new Churches of Scientology in global cities—from Orlando to Perth, Dublin to Detroit and Kansas City to Johannesburg. This decade further saw the inauguration of the Church’s global communications headquarters, Scientology Media Productions. The studio subsequently launched its own television channel, broadcasting in 17 languages across 24 time zones: Scientology Network—available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and streaming online at scientology.tv.

 

For more information about Scientology, visit www.scientology.org.

 

Tennessee Human Rights Day Committee Announces 2022 Award Recipients

 The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place on December 8^th at 5pm.

 

Tennesseans gather each year around December 10th for the Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day.  During the event, leaders are acknowledged, and awards recognize human rights champions in three categories: Rising Advocate, Outstanding Service and Lifetime Achievement.

 

Muriel Nolen, director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, will serve as master of ceremonies for the affair. Rev. Davie Tucker, director of Metro Human Relations Commission, will comment on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how it applies locally.  The theme, “Advancing Universal Freedom,” will be explored by a special panel.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to A.J. Starling, a past commissioner for the Tennessee Human Rights Commission who has been an advocate for workers’ rights since 1971. Some of his earliest work was with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1235, and since the early 1980s he has been with the Tennessee AFL-CIO.

 

Outstanding Service Awards are going to Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier, the Executive Director of the Edgehill Neighborhood Partnership and Robin Derryberry who served on the Tennessee Human Rights Commission from 2015 - 2022.

 

Rising Advocate Awards will go to Jacob Aparicio, the Building Bridges & WE City Program Coordinator for the Oasis Center; Rev. Earle Fisher, the senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis and founder of #UPTheVote901; and Stephanie Kang, the Bureau Director of Health Equity for the Metro Public Health Department.

 

A committee of human rights organizations, nonprofits, and advocates, including the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Metro Human Relations Commission, Tennessee United for Human Rights, the Scarritt Bennett Center, the Nashville chapter of Amnesty International, the Church of Scientology and others, work together each year to plan the event.

 

“Human Rights Day is a day to remember past advances in human rights, to honor those who have made our lives better. It’s also a day to refresh and restore and be inspired for the following year, and a sort of annual reunion of the state’s various agencies and organizations who work daily to make human rights a fact,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology in Nashville. “The day centers around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and this year we focus on how human rights advance universal freedom.”

 

The event will be live in person this year, after two years of virtual events during the pandemic.   To ensure the safety and health of all, extra precautions are being taken. Temperature screenings will take place at entry, and the committee asks that anyone who may have symptoms of illness to please view the event later when it is posted online.  The event venue this year is the Church of Scientology, 1130 8th Ave S, Nashville TN 37203.  There is no charge for admission, but donations are being accepted to cover costs of the event.  Registration is at TnUHR.org, where one can find more information about the event and human rights.

Nashville Religion Communicators Council Showcase the Art of Strategic Design

 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 to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities.

 

The November 2022 meeting saw guest speakers on the topic of “Behind the Design ~ Strategic Questions to Elevate Your Creative Projects.” According to RCC Nashville, “Creative projects begin with exploration. Understanding what a project needs to accomplish helps a designer develop the most successful and innovative ones.”

 

“Artistic design helps forward a basic communication, turning it into something much deeper and impactful,” says Julie Brinker, communications coordinator for the Nashville RCC and Director of Community Affairs for the Nashville Church of Scientology, “we were so glad to hear from members of the design team at United Methodist Communications during our November virtual meeting.”  

 

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 Helping All Learn the Truth

 Drug-Free Tennessee, the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, is promoting drug awareness and education for Red Ribbon Week.

 

Drug-Free Tennessee was out on the streets of downtown Nashville to spread the truth about drugs, helping people understand what drugs are and how they affect the body so they don’t become unsuspecting victims of addiction. This all happened during Red Ribbon Week, a national initiative to promote drug prevention and awareness.

 

Tennessee consistently ranks in the top five US states in terms of substance abuse rates, according to a report from lakeviewhealth.com. The website further describes that despite the rise in opioid addictions, alcohol abuse statistics have remained stable, so alcohol is still the most commonly abused substance in Tennessee. In fact, more than 60 percent of patients who enter state drug treatment programs seek treatment for alcohol addiction and about 1 in 20 Tennessee residents abused or were dependent on alcohol in 2016.

 

To protect youth and others from the disastrous effects of abusing drugs and alcohol, Drug-Free Tennessee teams up with community partners to bring the truth about drugs to young people during Red Ribbon Week.

 

“We have an immediate task ahead of us: get the drug overdoses going downward,” says Julie Brinker, an ambassador for the organization, “Nashville has seen an increase every year in overdoses since 2018 and it’s time to get this turned around.”  

 

Red Ribbon Week is a week-long celebration at the end of October to promote a drug-free lifestyle. The Red Ribbon has been worn as a symbol since 1985 when DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was murdered. Angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons to show their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America.

 

The volunteers distributed copies of The Truth About Drugs booklet, a booklet that helps people understand what drugs are and how they affect the user. Drug-Free Tennessee is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international non-profit organization. Its materials demonstrate the dangers of drugs through factual information and interviews with former addicts giving personal perspectives on each of the substances covered. For more information on the Truth About Drugs, visit drugfreeworld.org or drugfreetn.org.