Promise the Children announces a new and unique sermon-story contest. Three prizes will be awarded this year at General Assembly. One for a sermon given by an adult; the second for a sermon or portion of a sermon given by a youth or young adult under age 21; and the third for a children’s story or children’s sermon given during a Sunday service or children’s worship.

The mission of Promise the Children is to help Unitarian Universalists advocate for and with young people. We give special priority to initiatives that promote the well-being of low-income children and youth.

We are especially interested in those sermons or stories that; 

• Encourage a Unitarian Universalist voice in the public arena in support of all children and youth,
• Relate issues of treatment of children to issues of poverty, race and class,
• Call upon our UU values in support of all children and youth, and/or
• Suggest ways that congregations and individuals can offer hope and opportunity to our nation's children and youth, highlighting both advocacy and service.

Sermon entries should bring to life the mission of Promise the Children. And/or the entries should highlight the critical importance of our current campaign to increase equity in public education.

Awards -- $300 for the adult sermon (over 21 years), $100 for a young adult or youth sermon, and $100 for the children’s story. The winning entries will be available at the Promise the Children workshop and Exhibit Booth at the UUA General Assembly in Ft. Lauderdale in 2008.

Eligibility – The sermon must have been delivered during a Unitarian Universalist service to adults or young people before May 15, 2008. Sermons or presentations at services and workshops at summer conference centers, District meetings, etc. will also be considered. Ordained clergy, lay preachers and presentations by young adults and youth are eligible for these awards. We especially encourage seminarians to submit their sermons. We also encourage young adults and youth (under 21 years) to submit their presentations.

Submissions – Please send your entries postmarked by May 20, 2008 to Promise the Children, 58 Winter Street, Nahant, MA 01908 or send electronically to rkr @ promisethechildrenuu.org.
Include a cover sheet with your entry giving your name and contact information, as well as the date and the name of the congregation or location in which the sermon or was presented. As much identifying information as possible should be removed from the body of the entry itself.

Judging – A sub committee of our Board of Directors will evaluate the entries. Members of the Board and of this sub committee are not eligible for this contest.