Following Jesus Christ Is Part of the Whole Story

Jonathan Curtis has been especially clear about one part of the biography he wants to share. He is a follower of Jesus Christ, and he says faith is a big part of his life. He does not want that commitment left outside the account of his work, family, and public ambitions.

His life story contains several other identities he wants included. He is a father, comes from a large family, and describes himself as a third-generation Bend local. Faith belongs beside those relationships and roots in the way he presents the whole person.

His account of homelessness at 19 and later occupational training adds another part of the person behind that faith. Curtis describes looking for a direction and entering Job Corps to become a firefighter.

His work story continues through housing, sales, and business ownership. He wants his convictions represented alongside the practical responsibilities he has carried.

His housing account centers on residents. He says he hosted weekly gatherings and helped people connect with possible rental-assistance resources. Those activities offer practical subjects for a discussion of service without requiring the writer to announce a spiritual meaning on his behalf.

His leadership account centers on teaching and independence. Curtis says people need help learning a process and room to work without being controlled. These are specific principles he has chosen to describe alongside the faith he considers important.

Away from work, Curtis says he enjoys hiking, camping, and going to parks with his family. The picture includes personal commitments and ordinary enjoyment as well as public ambition.

In public life, his candidate statement emphasizes nonpartisan service and clear communication to residents (county voters' pamphlet, page 9-38). That published commitment concerns how an office would serve people. His personal beliefs can be acknowledged while the professional standard remains open to scrutiny.

The people around him retain their own beliefs and perspectives. Residents, employees, relatives, and voters do not become religious followers or supporters because they appear in his story. Recognizing Curtis's faith does not require assigning it to anyone else.

The faith chapter is strongest when it is expressed plainly. Curtis follows Jesus Christ, says that faith is a major part of his life, and wants it included when people learn about him.

His faith is therefore part of the biography in plain language. Alongside the business owner, father, former firefighter, and candidate is a man who identifies himself as a follower of Jesus Christ. That is the part of his story he has asked readers to know.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Commercial Lending Taught Me About Serving the Public

In 2023 I took a job as a commercial loan consultant. It took me nine months to earn my first check. Nine months is a long time to keep showing up without a paycheck. But that job taught me something I still use every day: most people are not looking for a miracle. They are looking for someone who will explain the process, tell them the truth about it, and help them take the next step. A lot of the business owners I worked with were stuck on hard-money loans. Those loans can keep a business running, but they cost a lot. Part of my work was helping owners move to traditional lines of credit instead, so they could put more of their money back into their business. Some of those owners were right here in Central Oregon, and the financing helped them grow. Here's what stuck with me. The owners who struggled most weren't the ones with bad ideas. They were the ones nobody had walked through the paperwork. Lending has a lot of forms, deadlines and rules. If you don't know the sy...
Read more

Bend Ran License-Plate Cameras for Six Months Before Residents Got a Say

Around July 2025, the City of Bend put up four Flock license-plate reader cameras, two on the north end of town and two on the south end. The contract cost about $20,000 a year, and it didn't need a City Council vote. Most people in Bend didn't get a say until January 7, 2026, when residents packed the council chambers to object. They asked the questions that should have been answered before the first camera went up: How long is the data kept? Who can see it? What happens if it's hacked or misused? Councilor Ariel Méndez raised serious concerns about the company's security practices. The council listened, and that part deserves credit. The next afternoon the cameras were turned off. The contract won't be renewed, and the cameras are coming down. The problem is the order things happened in For about six months, cameras recorded where Bend drivers went before the public had any of those answers. Data about where residents drive belongs to the people of this city, ...
Read more

Nine Kids, One Family

I grew up with eight siblings. When people hear that, the first question is usually some version of "how did that even work?" Honestly, I think growing up in a family that big shaped me in ways I'm still noticing. You're never the only one who matters In a family of nine kids, the world doesn't revolve around you. There are always other people with their own needs, their own plans and their own bad days. You learn to share. You learn to wait. And you learn that taking care of each other is just part of life. I think that's a big reason I've always been drawn to work that's about other people. On a fire crew, everybody depends on everybody. In property management, the job wasn't the buildings. It was the residents. Leading a sales team, my job was to help other people succeed. Now I'm the parent Today I'm a father myself, and being a dad has become the most important part of who I am. I'm a family man. My favorite days are simple o...
Read more