Alma College Sermon Contest
In Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Birth of John Calvin
The Alma College Chapel, Department of Religious Studies, and Center for Responsible Leadership announce the Alma College Contest for the Celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.
Purpose: 
The purpose of the contest is to stimulate an interest in the theology of John Calvin, especially the ways in which his 16th century theology may be of benefit to 21st-century Christians.
Eligibility:
1. Contest is open to Presbyterian Church (USA) clergy, commissioned lay pastors and seminarians, either employed or retired, who live within the bounds of the Synod of the Covenant.
2. Employees of Alma College are not eligible to participate.
Dates:
- Manuscripts must be submitted by December 31, 2009.
- Awards will be announced by March 1, 2010
Awards:
The following awards will be given for the top three sermons: $500 first prize, $300 second prize, $200 third prize.
Guidelines:
1. The sermon must focus on some aspect of John Calvin’s life and work, for example: his historical role in the Protestant Reformation; his doctrine of vocation, the sacraments, or family life; his Bible commentaries and/or the importance of biblical interpretation in the life of the church; or some other appropriate topic that may educate congregations and/or inspire interest in Calvin’s lasting contributions.
2. The length of the sermon may be no more than 2,000 words.
3. The sermon must be preached in the context of worship at least once during 2009.
4. All quotations and other references must be properly documented.
5. The sermon must be submitted in English.
6. Sermons must be the original work of the submitter and must not have been published previously.
7. Individuals may submit only one sermon.
8. All submissions become the collective property of Alma College, including all copyrights, and may be used at the discretion of the College including but not limited to editing the submission, reprinting the submission (in whole or in part), or selling the copyrights. Copyright permission for individuals to reprint their own material is hereby granted in perpetuity.
9. The College’s decision is final, and the College reserves the right to reject any submission without explanation.
Submissions:
- Include a cover page, separate from the sermon text, with your name, address, phone number, current place of employment if applicable.
- Include demonstration of the date and place the sermon was preached, such as a church bulletin.
- Submit by email in PDF, MSWord, Rich Text Format or Plain text to gregg@alma.edu or in hard copy to Carol Gregg, 614 W. Superior, Alma, MI 48801.
- Optional: include a brief biographical sketch and a description of the setting for which the sermon was written.
- The pages of the sermon must not contain any name or identifying features so the sermons can be judged blind.
- All entries should be emailed to gregg@alma.edu or mailed to Chaplain Carol Gregg, Alma College, 614 W. Superior St., Alma, MI 48801
For More Information contact:
This contest is made possible by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.
