The Gospel Coalition celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. As part of marking this milestone, we decided to host a song and video contest in which we challenged Christian creatives to put the gospel to song or capture it in a compelling video. A big part of TGC’s mission over the last two decades has been—and continues to be—to renew the contemporary church in the ancient gospel. We want to rally believers around the central importance of the gospel, reasserting its grandeur and preeminence rather than assuming it. This contest flows out of that mission.
We received nearly 200 entries from creatives representing 10-plus nations, each responding (in song or video format) to the prompt “What is the gospel?” We loved reviewing all the submissions, each with its own flavor, genre, and storytelling approach. Contest entries came from both professional and amateur artists, both young and old, including many church-based worship groups. It was inspiring to see this creative outpouring in celebration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The contest entries were narrowed down to finalists and then reviewed by judges. Today, we’re excited to share the winners of the two contests.
Video Contest Winners
The winning video is called “What Is the Gospel?” and was made by Cole and Kayla Mizel. The black-and-white, stop-motion video seeks to answer this ancient question through four words: God, Sin, Jesus, Belief.
Watch the video below:
Song Contest Winners (and Album Release)
We selected six winning songs, which we packaged as an album, The Gospel Is, and released today on streaming sites (Spotify | Apple Music). These are the winning tracks:
- “The Invitation,” Tenielle Neda and Jon Guerra
- “Under the Sun (Ecclesiastes 3),” Shay Carlucci
- “It’s Always Been There,” Poor Bishop Hooper
- “My Need (A Great Savior),” Ginny Owens
- “In Three Days Time,” Nick Smith
- “As I Am,” Delaney Young
Runner-Up Songs
To honor excellent songs that didn’t win but we loved, TGC also selected several runner-up songs, which we’ve included on our TGC25 playlist (Spotify | Apple Music). They include tracks of various styles from songwriters in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
- “All Who Would Believe,” Tenielle Neda and Eliza King
- “Come Lord Jesus,” Church Street Worship
- “Come Now See,” Aaron and Emma Falconer
- “Come You Brokenhearted,” Gatlin Elms
- “The Cover and the Title Page,” Rachel Stevener
- “Cross of Christ,” Josh Travis
- “Good News,” Poor Bishop Hooper
- “He Did Not Spare His Only Son,” BVC Worship
- “Help and Deliverer,” Ezra Worship Initiative
- “Holy Is the Lord,” Gospel and Sound Collective
- “Home,” Constanza Herrero
- “How Great You Are,” Thy Strange Design
- “I Know You,” Alexandra Cimino
- “Jesus Came to Save,” Mount Carmell Worship Collective
- “Life, Life, Eternal Life,” Morgan Byrd
- “Malady,” Annette Selwyn
- “Mark 5 (You Have Made Me Clean),” Emma Corsi
- “May They Be Redeemed,” Folk Hymnal
- “O Barren Tree,” Mill City Music
- “Sinners to Saints,” Captivate Music
- “Take Heart,” Grace Worship
- “When I Fall Down,” Graham Jones
- “Where Would I Be (Without the Cross),” Hope Alive Music
Free eBook by Rebecca McLaughlin: ‘Jesus Through the Eyes of Women’
If the women who followed Jesus could tell you what he was like, what would they say?
Jesus’s treatment of women was revolutionary. That’s why they flocked to him. Wherever he went, they sought him out. Women sat at his feet and tugged at his robes. They came to him for healing, for forgiveness, and for answers. So what did women see in this first-century Jewish rabbi and what can we learn as we look through their eyes today?
In Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord. By entering the stories of the named and unnamed women in the Gospels, this book gives readers a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return.
We’re delighted to offer this ebook to you for free.
