Competition Theme Verse: Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Competition Purpose:

Learning to use our God given skills and abilities to seek out excellence and IMPACT our

world for the Kingdom of God.

Competition Levels:

• Grades 5-8 Writing Competition

  • Schools may bring up to two students per grade for this competition.

  • Writers will be given three prompt options the day of the competition.

  • Writing should be 500 words or less.

  • Writers may bring a dictionary, thesaurus and/or Bible to use.

  • Electronics and pre-written content is not allowed.

  • Writers will have 15 minutes to plan/prep once prompts are given.

  • Writers will have 60 minutes to complete their writing.

  • Writers should bring lined paper and pencils or pens.

• Grade 9-12 Writing Competition

  • Schools may send up to two students per grade for this competition.

  • Writers will be given three prompt options the day of the competition.

  • Writing should be 500 words or less.

  • Writers may bring a dictionary, thesaurus and/or Bible to use.

  • Electronics and pre-written content is not allowed.

  • Writers will have 15 minutes to plan/prep once prompts are given.

  • Writers will have 60 minutes to complete their writing.

  • Writers should bring lined paper and pencils or pens.

• Grades 6-12 Speech Writing and Presenting Competition

  • Schools may send up to two students per grade for this competition.

  • Students should choose one of the following prompts:

    • What would I give up for Christ?

    • Living in an Anxious World

    • I Want My Life to Count

    • My Future Belongs to God

  • Speeches should be written prior to the competition and submitted to their school leadership for approval.

  • Speech length:

    • 6th-9th grade: 2-4 minutes

    • 10th-12th grade: 3-5 minutes

  • Bring 2 copies of your speech with you on the day of the competition. These will be handed to the judges at the beginning of the competition for their reference.

  • Note cards may be used during the speech presentation however a higher score will be given to speeches that are memorized (see rubric for details)

Judging Rubrics