AN evangelical offshoot of Hillsong Church has opened a "School of the Supernatural" offering a course it reportedly says teaches the power to cure cancer, help women conceive and bring the dead back to life.

Seventy people have already enrolled in the six-month course on how to perform miracles and run by the Westlife Church in outer Brisbane, The Queensland Times reports.



The course is based on the teachings of the US-based Bethel evangelical church and its controversial leader Bill Johnson who speaks to students through a series of DVDs.



See a video from the church’s website about the School of the Supernatural



Westlife Church manager Yvonne Baker told The Queensland Times that several "miracles" had already been performed at the church and there were high hopes the teachings of the School of Supernatural Evangelism would contribute more.



The church’s website states: “Supernatural schools are designed to equip students to 'live and do' in the supernatural through biblical teaching and practical application - to see God's kingdom manifested on earth.



"This is an environment where people can take risks in learning to operate in the supernatural without fear of rejection or failure."



The site makes no mention of the cost of the course and no further comment was immediately available.



The church is based near Ipswich, hit hard by the devastating Queensland floods earlier this year. It describes Hillsong as its "mother church" in the church newsletter.

A spokesman for the Church rejected claims it was offering unrealistic promises in the school's teachings.

"We share the belief of the wider Christian church of all affiliations that God can answer prayer and we pray for those with physical, emotional and spiritual needs," he said.



"Our school of the supernatural is a way to encourage our congregation to pray for others and to teach them what the Bible says about prayer.



"Our teaching on this subject is identical to most Christian churches. Recent media reports do not accurately reflect our beliefs."