2021
Gary and I started to brainstorm on the look and feel of the Metaverse POC. We knew we wanted to highlight the Map, the Timeline and the Cinematic aspects of the app. So Gary produced this gorgeous design of the home page and I immediately fell in love with it. Then Craig started setting up the tech to implement it, while I was working with Brad on the Neo4j model and a connection to the Airtable.
In order to start the data curation process, I created some training materials so that our team can familiarize itself with the concept of the knowledge graph and the process we will use to curate the data. The Data Curation team had its first meeting on October 6th with Susan, Jim, Lourdes Burga-Cisneros as the initial team members. Many others will join later this year and during 2022 (thank you: Monica, Godwin, Collins, Sandra, Lourdes Pizarro-Antram, MaryJo, Manuela and Mike)
In early October I had a meeting with Rick and Susan Lyon. I asked Rick to join as an integrator and even though he had no idea what he was agreeing to, he immediately said yes. That was a turning point in the creation of the CFU Executive Team. Luis and Santiago will join us several months later. Susan also said yes, and she immediately joined the data curation team.
Rick and I discussed the fact that in order to raise funds we would need to establish the proper legal structure. One of the first things Rick decided to do is to set up a 501c3. He chose the name “Worldwide Ministry of Jesus” (WMOJ). By late October, Shmuel, Lourdes, Taly Sandra and I went to Jerusalem to the offices of Yehuda Raveh and met Adv. Calev Myers and Adv. Nir Kimhi. Taly and I signed the paper for the establishment of the Center for Unity (CFU) nonprofit. Calev and Nir interviewed us as to why we want to build a Jesus Museum. We told them about the Jesus described in part IV of The Urantia Book and our dream of sharing his life and teachings in the form of a world-class attraction.
Nir said that “a Jesus Museum in Israel is a must. I don’t know if you are the ones to do it, but one day it will exist.” When I heard those words, I knew we found our partners. I decided to hire Calev and Nir as our strategic consultants then and there. We formalized the work plan in November.
Nir took us to tour the Friends of Zion Museum. This world-class attraction was initiated by Christian Zionist and Nir was instrumental in realizing this dream. The creative firm Diskin, which will join us much later, was the one responsible for the content design and production (put a pin in it, we will get back to Diskin in 2022).
On November 2nd, the CFU was registered in Israel. By November 5th, Rick has formally registered the WMOJ in the US.
We needed a website, so later in November the website team (Rick, Susan and myself) had its kickoff meeting. We decided to write a fundraising website for the Jesus Metaverse, under www.jesusmetaverse.org.
Our first donor, Michelle Klemish, made her donation on November 29th, 2021. Thank you, Michelle. This means the world to us.
The first WMOJ board meeting with David, Rick, Mark and Margie occurred right before Christmas, on December 20th.
On December 15th we convened the advisory board and presented the first version of the Metaverse MVP.
And so ended 2021.
To be continued….
