Fall Holy Days Art Contest!

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Contest Guidelines and Official Rules

Have you ever dreamed of illustrating a book? Do you love drawing cartoons? Is watercolor your middle name? Do you have experience creating vector images on a tablet, or is good old graphite and paper more your style? 

We are looking for artists of all ages whose work could be featured in our Special Edition Children’s lessons for the Fall Holy Days. 

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Subject

The Fall Holy Days: When you think of God’s Fall Festivals, what picture pops into your head? Do you think of an Israelite playing a shiny silver trumpet in front of the tabernacle? Or what about the two goats on the Day of Atonement? Or perhaps you imagine the lion and the lamb to represent the Millenium? Whatever it may be, get ready to put your creativity to good use! 

Submit your artwork relating to the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day. Artwork can depict symbols, church traditions, characters, or Biblical scenes relating to these Fall holy days. We are especially interested in cartoon-style work, although we will accept any style acceptable to be used with our Special Edition Children’s lessons publication, “God’s Fall Festivals: A Study Guide for Parents Teaching their Children God’s Way”.

What kind of artwork are we looking for?

alice-achterhof-85968-unsplash

Submitted artwork can be prepared in any 2-D medium (e.g. graphite, ink, colored pencils, charcoal, pastels, watercolor, paint,). Artwork done in either traditional or electronic medium will be accepted. Keep in mind that we are looking for artwork that is neat, and ready to use in our various publications.

Submissions should be the highest quality you are able to provide (i.e. free of wrinkles, stains, eraser markings, etc.). If applicable, set scanner, export, or camera settings to submit high-quality images. .

Who is eligible?

Artists of any age are invited to submit their best work. Artwork will be evaluated in three categories based on three age groups.

Group 1  | 12 and under 

Group 2  | 13 – 20 yrs 

Group 3  | 21 – 121 yrs

Contest Dates/Deadlines

Contest Opens: August 15, 2019

Last day for entries: September 20, 2019

Results Posted: September 27, 2019

How to Enter

All entries must be submitted to our online Fall Holy Days Art Contest Entry Form which will be made available for artists on Aug 15. All artists must provide their name, age, a valid email address, congregation, a few sentences about themselves, and a short description of their artwork along with their submission. Artists submitting work for Group 1 will need their parents approval to enter. If you don’t have internet access or a means of creating electronic copies of your artwork, perhaps ask someone in your local congregation for assistance.

Official Rules

  1. No artwork with depicted images of God, Jesus Christ, or heavenly creatures
  2. Original work only – no plagiarism or copyrighted material 
  3. Images must be appropriate for viewing by children ages 12 and under
  4. Living Education reserves the right to reject submissions containing inappropriate content.
  5. Artists must submit their work under their own name in their appropriate age category
  6. Artists may submit up to two pieces of artwork each  

Disclaimer: 

Submitting artwork for the Living Education Fall Holy Days Art Contest transfers to Living Education the right to use and modify artwork for the purpose of education, and/or promotional publication.  Living Education agrees that any submitted artwork will not be used for any purposes of financial gain. 

Winners*

The top selections from each category will be used in our weekly Children’s Lessons or in our Special Edition – God’s Fall Festivals packet**. It will be displayed on our website’s “Updates” blog along with a short biography of the artist and a description of the artwork. Artists will receive name credit with any artwork used in our publications. Also, winners of each age group will receive a small prize from our Living Education memorabilia. 

Artwork which receives honorable mention will be displayed on our website’s “Updates” blog along with a short biography of the artist and a description of the artwork.

*If your artwork is selected, you will receive notification by email. 

** There may be special opportunities available for outstanding artists to join our illustration team for the Living Education Children’s Bible Program which may involve many different types of projects and initiatives.

For more information on the guidelines of this contest, or for other questions contact:

Rebekah Ross  | Living Education – Children’s Bible Program Staff

[email protected]

704-708-2295

Weekly Update | Aug. 8, 2019

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Men’s Training Camp | 2019

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Men’s Training Camp

2019

Spend a weekend learning more about God’s way of life and building bonds of brotherhood with your fellow men from around the country!

The Men’s Training Camp begins on the evening of Friday, August 23.

Get Info

REGISTER NOW

(Registration ends August 5th!)

Charlotte Graduation Ceremony

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Author: Thomas White | Editorial Dept./ LivingEd-Charlotte Alumni

On Friday, May 17, 2019, the first Living Education-Charlotte Graduation Ceremony commenced. The staff meeting room of the Living Church of God’s international headquarters building was filled to the brim with family and friends, and the excitement of the graduates and those present to support them was palpable as the students awaited their certificates in assigned seats at the front of the room. Dr. Scott Winnail, the Living Education Assistant Director and the instructor of three of its courses, presided over the ceremony.

Mr. Richard Ames

As the proceedings began, Mr. Roderick McNair, the Assistant Director of Church Administration, asked God’s blessing upon them. Dr. Winnail then introduced Mr. Jonathan McNair, Living Education’s Director, as the first to speak. Mr. McNair plainly stated the focus of the Living Education-Charlotte program—to support the leadership of God’s Church in its efforts to spiritually feed the flock of people that comprises the Bride of Jesus Christ, and to ensure that the next generation of the Church’s leaders are educated in biblical foundations. Following Mr. McNair’s address, Dr. Winnail introduced the esteemed evangelist Mr. Richard Ames, the Director of Media Operations for the Living Church of God. Mr. Ames detailed the history and legacy of education in God’s Church, from the Ambassador College institutions and Imperial Schools of the Worldwide Church of God, to Living Education’s direct predecessor, Living University.

As Mr. Ames returned to his seat, Dr. Scott Winnail had the pleasure of introducing his father, evangelist Dr. Douglas Winnail, the Church Administration Director. The elder Dr. Winnail also addressed the purpose of Living Education, in a manner of speaking, as he gave reflections and thoughts for the graduates and clarified the ultimate purpose of the education that is human physical life on Earth—to “Serve God and serve other people.” This inspiring message served to invigorate the assembled students and motivate them to apply their knowledge of the true God toward lives of heartfelt service.

The students listen to Mr. Gerald Weston’s commencement address

After Dr. Douglas Winnail’s address, Dr. Scott Winnail directed the students to form a line. One by one, their names and hometowns were read, and the students were each given a hard-earned Certificate in Biblical Foundations, framed and ready for proud display upon office walls and living room mantles. Each student was also gifted with an officially-marked Living Education binder, which was, by one student’s description, “swanky.”

Finally, Mr. Gerald Weston, Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God, spoke to the students with an empowering graduation address. Mr. Weston reminded everyone of this world’s increasing hostility toward God’s way of life, and assured the students that they have a “rendezvous with destiny” as the end of the age draws ever closer. Students were encouraged to move forward boldly in Christ’s name, and to strive to grow in His grace and knowledge not because such a task is easy, but because it is right.

As theology faculty member Mr. Kenneth Frank closed the ceremony with a prayer, the students digested the spiritual food they had been served not only throughout the morning’s proceedings, but over the course of their nine-month Living Education experience. Living Education-Charlotte’s inaugural year having come to a close, its students prepared to once again be back in the world, grateful for the training they’d received in becoming greater Ambassadors for Christ.

Commencement address given by Mr. Gerald Weston | More on Instagram

Second Thoughts: The Chair Legs of Our Lives

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Author: Thomas White | Student at LivingEd-Charlotte

“Things will happen that can shock you to your foundation, and depending on what your foundation is, [that] is going to determine how you come through that particular trial.”

Mr. Gerald Weston, Presiding Evangelist | Student Assembly: May 9, 2019

I never planned to be in the Living Church of God. I never planned to sever ties with the organization I was previously involved with, and never planned to be set adrift in a new Church culture, knowing just few enough people to feel lost at the beginning. I did plan to dance with my mom at my—planned—future wedding, and definitely planned to go to her for advice while raising my—planned—future children.

But as Mr. Weston reminded us in the final assembly of Living Education’s inaugural year, life doesn’t go as planned. Not for me, and not for anyone. We all lose things we thought or desperately hoped we would always have, and we are all, at every moment, just one loss away from what we perceive as the ultimate test of our faith.

“Those who are founded on Christ’s teachings are going to be as one who is on a rock foundation. Yes, the waves will come, the wind will blow, even the rock beneath your feet may shake, but if you are solidly attached to it, you’ll come through.”

Our lives are built on a lot more than we might realize, unless we’ve really stopped to think about it. They’re built on the relationships we have with the people with whom we are the closest, on what we do every day to earn an income, on how our bodies continue to function, even on what we spend our leisure time doing.

It is almost like we’re each standing on a chair, occasionally jumping up and down, and all the while hoping that the many, many legs of the chair won’t break. But a lot of them will. As we lose jobs, friends, family members, self-perceptions, our health, places where we felt safe, the chair legs of our lives break.

So we can thank God for the fact that, as Mr. Weston reminded us, we only need three.

“You need to build that strong foundation on a personal basis: Does God exist, is the Bible His word, and where is He working? And if you know the answers to those three questions, and you can prove them to yourself… when the storms come, you will be able to stand.”

As it turns out, our chairs are more like three-leg stools. Even as we lose more, and more, and more parts of ourselves—pieces of our foundation—if as there are three specific legs that always remain in place, the chair won’t fall, and we will remain upright. If we know beyond doubt that God exists, know that the Bible is His inspired and infallible word, and know where He is working through His Church, we can put all of life’s weight on those three legs, and know that we won’t fall.

Our adversary will try to break those three legs, and he’ll usually do so by breaking other legs near them. As Mr. Weston said, we have to constantly guard them with our lives, because they are the true support for our lives. We may be only one loss away from the ultimate test of our faith, but if those three pillars remain strong, it’s not a test we have to fear. It’s just another one we will pass.

Thomas White headshot

Thomas White was one of the onsite Living Education students for the 2018-2019 semesters. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Thomas currently works as an Editorial Assistant for the Living Church of God. According to his wife, he eats pizza in entirely the wrong way.

Second Thoughts: Be Creative, Not Original

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By Thomas White | Student at LivingEd-Charlotte

“How small is your life? How narrow is your experience? How far have you exercised your creativity?”

Mr. Jonathan McNair | Student Assembly May 2, 2019
Photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash

Some of the most creative people I know don’t think they’re creative at all, and this has always baffled me. “How can you think you’re not creative?” I say. “You just drew a gorgeous beach scene on this white pair of shoes.” As Mr. McNair brought out in his assembly this week, we as human beings, having been made in God’s image, are naturally creative. Creating is literally the first thing we read about God doing, right there in Genesis 1.

There are different levels and types of creativity, sure, but to call any human being – including yourself – “uncreative” is to utter a total falsehood, because if you’re made in God’s image, you’re creative. As far as I can see, the main reason why some people consider themselves “uncreative” is that they confuse creativity with originality, and these are two hugely different things.

“God is a God of Creativity … He used man, and built man, to have within us the passion and the desire to create, just like God.”

Mistaking originality for creativity, my friend who drew the beach scene on the pair of shoes can think she’s uncreative because, “Well, beaches weren’t my idea. Shoes weren’t my idea. I just took a thing that existed and put it on another thing that existed.” I’m affected by this, too, and I’m sure an immense number of creative people are. Every time I sit down to write creatively, I’m almost paralyzed by the selfish desire to write something totally new, something like nothing anyone has ever read.  It’s crazy, isn’t it?

Even King Solomon, who wrote something like one bazillion songs and sayings, also wrote, “what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). No one could ever accuse Solomon of being uncreative, but even he admitted that originality was out of his reach. That didn’t stop him from writing those songs and sayings though. He didn’t let the elusiveness of originality keep him from pursuing a passion to create, a passion that, as Mr. McNair said, comes directly from God, the Master Creator.

“If you’re willing to put out the effort to learn the rules, to learn the principles, to gain the experience, you’ll be able to exercise creativity in your life.”

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The problem with wanting to be “original” is that, as Solomon said, it’s practically impossible, and this fact discourages us from pursuing our creative passions to the extent that we could. If we can, we should forget all that, and just create. Don’t worry about being original, because as Mr. McNair concluded, the best way to be creative is to use previously established patterns to achieve success. We should start small and allow ourselves to be empowered and inspired by others, whether they are on our team, or are those that came before us.

Creativity can be exercised in any area in which we may have skillsets—music, writing, artwork, scientific inquiry, structural design, culinary arts, interior design, clothing design—you name it. Whatever our roles, whatever we like doing, chances are, we can use the opportunities we are given to fuel our imaginations and get creative. We might not create something totally unlike anything that’s been created before, but lest we forget, the creation in Genesis was actually a recreation. It had already been done, and God did it again with a new spin. And He saw that it was good.

Thomas White headshot

Thomas White was one of the onsite Living Education students for the 2018-2019 semesters. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Thomas currently works as an Editorial Assistant for the Living Church of God. According to his wife, he eats pizza in entirely the wrong way.

Blowing Rock Family Weekend | 2019

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Second Thoughts: It’s for the Kids

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Author: Thomas White | Student at LivingEd-Charlotte

“…the Father’s throne is ultimately going to be here on this earth. We look that far out in the future…but for that to be possible, we know that billions of human beings must come up and be taught His way of life, and for them to have the opportunity to become our younger brothers and sisters.” ~ Mr. Ron Poole

Student Assembly | April 11, 2019

Why do teachers work so hard? Almost all of them will be honest about the fact that they generally don’t get paid much. Whatever level of education they may be involved in, ask any of your best teachers why they put forth so much effort, and I’m willing to bet that most of them would answer with something like, “It’s for the kids. It’s all for the kids.”

This week, Mr. Ron Poole’s assembly reminded me that the future Kingdom we’re striving to reach as unborn children of God, that’s also “for the kids.” It’s our reward, but it’s not only our reward, and I can often undersell it by thinking of it as such. We’re not just running to finish a race, we’re also educating ourselves to try to get a job, the job of a teacher. And one of the bests reasons to be a teacher is to do it for the kids.

“We can see that God has work for us to do. God has a job that He wants us to be able to take care of. He is going to put us to work…but only if we’re ready. It’s only if we’re ready that He will be able to use us.”

As fully born members of the God Family, we’re going to be responsible for the education of untold billions of people, as Mr. Poole poignantly illustrated. How do we make that real to us? How do we motivate ourselves to strive toward that job? “Billions of people” sounds like something out of a statistics class, and I have a very complicated relationship with math, so when I think of being a teacher in the Millennium and Great White Throne Judgment, I focus on three people. One of them is a close family member outside God’s Church, a member I love deeply. Another is someone I knew in college, whose life had been irrevocably damaged by a terrible upbringing. The third is my best childhood friend, a principled and noble individual, who nevertheless was always missing the Truth that would bring his life to a new level.  When I think of those people, I am exceedingly motivated to become a teacher, the kind of teacher who heals and enriches his students. Those are my “kids” I want to do it for. Who are yours?  

“Would our resumes, starting in chronological order, show that we are growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?”

Whoever your “kids” are, keep them in mind as this life gets hard, because as Mr. Poole said, we’re building our applications for the ultimate teaching position with every decision we make, every opportunity from God that we take advantage of. When we desire something with every ounce of our being, we make sacrifices for it, sometimes painful ones, but the result is always worth the striving. Applying to become one of God’s Teachers is long and arduous, but in our most paralyzing moments of weakness, it might be most helpful to remember that we’re doing it for the kids.

Thomas White headshot

Thomas White was one of the onsite Living Education students for the 2018-2019 semesters. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Thomas currently works as an Editorial Assistant for the Living Church of God. According to his wife, he eats pizza in entirely the wrong way.