The mission of the Jesus Worldview Initiative (JWI) — to articulate and advance the following of Jesus as the defining priority of the Christian faith — continues to be explored and shared in creative and expanded ways.
In January 2023, the initiative became affiliated with Belmont University through its Rev. Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership, led by Jon Roebuck.
Nearing the two-year mark is a good time to recall how the initiative has continued to take shape and fulfill its mission.
Likewise, the initiative stands at a good time and place to envision future ways to use its resources effectively in offering a clearer lens for seeing and seeking to live through the life, teachings and calling of Jesus.
RESOURCES
Belmont provides vital institutional support for the JWI including processing and reporting designated giving, collaboration with Curb Center staff and others within the university, and use of meeting space and other resources of the university.
Operational and programming funds for the JWI come from designated, charitable gifts. With very low overhead, these gifts directly fund the projects and programs the initiative undertakes.
LEADERSHIP
A volunteer Advisory Board provides ongoing guidance to the initiative’s director who serves in a contract role following retirement from the editorship of Nurturing Faith Journal. The director and advisors engage with Curb Center and other university leaders.
PROJECTS & PROGRAMMING
Most aspects of the JWI were carried over when the initiative affiliated with Belmont University, including retreats and presentations to churches or other organizations. Others have been added or expanded.
Small group retreats
The 10th small-group retreat for invited congregational leaders occurred in September. Remaining funds from an earlier grant from the Baugh Foundation, designated for these retreats, were transferred to Belmont University.
By partnering with other organizations those funds were stretched over a long period. Additional funding will be needed to continue these retreats which allow for in-depth conversations around the Jesus Worldview mission.
Intentional ecumenical participation in the retreats has expanded the initiative into more faith traditions.
Church/organization presentations
Invitations to share the Jesus Worldview Initiative purpose and priority take different shapes. Volunteer facilitators (Guy Sayles, David White, John Franke, Jack Glasgow) also engage in these presentations jointly or independently.
Over the past two years these presentations, among others, have included:
• “Jesus Worldview Sunday” emphasis in joint adult classes and worship
• Workshop leadership at Belmont University for the Curb Center
• Vestry retreat at an Episcopal conference center in North Carolina
• Keynote speaker/workshop leaders for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia annual meeting
• Leading Jesus Worldview conversations at the Wild Goose Festival
• Joint regional workshop presentations with the Center for Healthy Churches
• Numerous and varied presentations to church groups and others
Website development
A newly created website (jesusworldview.org) has given a fresh online face to the initiative allowing for promotional posts, opinion columns and other information and resources including the online library.
Resource library
A generous, annual gift from Maralene and Miles Wesner of Idabel, OK, provided the means for creating and sustaining an ever-expanding online resource library. The Wesner Library was launched at the recent conference. Additional content submissions are welcomed.
Newsletter
An electronic newsletter allows for direct communications with those who’ve expressed interest in keeping up with the initiative’s various programs, projects and other resources.
Peer groups
The first ministers peer group specifically focused on the Jesus Worldview mission was formed by four participants in the 2024 retreat — expanding to seven members in four states. Facilitator Guy Sayles will engage with this group and has offered guidance to others who wish to form peer groups around this focus.
Jesus Worldview Conference
The first open-invitation conference — with the theme, “Life through a Jesus lens” — was held in October in Nashville. Gifted speakers and panelists joined eight outstanding musicians to provide the programming.
The conference was made possible by generous gifts from members of the JWI advisory board, registration fees and support from the Curb Center. A survey of participants and potential funding support will determine future conference possibilities.
POSSIBILITIES
An Advisory Board Retreat, set for April 2026, will focus on imagining and prioritizing future projects and programming.
Ideas already under consideration include expanded social media; Nashville-based and regional conferences; continued engagement with singer-songwriters exploring fresh ways of expressing faith; and developing potential new resources.
Widely agreed upon is that the need to articulate and advance the following of Jesus as the defining priority of the Christian faith — encouraging all who profess such a commitment to see and seek to live more faithfully through a Jesus lens — remains highly relevant.
The extent of the initiative’s future efforts will be reflected by available financial support — expressed in the mantra, “Support determines scale.”
SUPPORT
For those wishing to be (or continue to be) a key part of advancing the Jesus Worldview movement, these are the ways to provide needed and appreciated support:
• To give online, please visit jesusworldview.org/give and follow the link to the Belmont giving site. Please change the “Designation” box to “Jesus Worldview Initiative” before completing the gift.
• To give by check, payable to Belmont University, please mark for “Jesus Worldview Initiative” and send to: Dr. Jon Roebuck, Charlie Curb Center, 1900 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212.
• To give through a Donor Advised Fund, the university’s EIN is 62-0465076. Please be sure the gift is marked for “Jesus Worldview Initiative” and sent to Belmont University, Attn: Debbie Sprang, Office of Development, MS11500, Fidelity 105, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212.
To notify how your gift has been made so it can be tracked — or to ask any questions or share ideas, please reach out to John Pierce at jdpworldview@gmail.com at or 770-539-4084.