Bible Contest Offers Exclusive Passes to Gospel Music Week, Artists

By Josh Kimball, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, March 17, 2009

In about a month, the nation's top Christian music artists will be headed to Nashville for the 40th Annual Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards.

And joining them at the Apr. 23 event and throughout Gospel Music Week (Apr. 18-22) will be the winner of the "Get Their Story" contest, spearheaded by the American Bible Society, the official charity of the Dove Awards.

"It has been a little while since we have had a contest and we figured, what better time than this," announced the ministry team at ShareYourStoryNow.org.

Until Mar. 23, music fans across the nation are invited to record, videotape or write a story about how the Bible has impacted their life and submit the story on ShareYourStoryNow.org for a chance to win a free trip to Nashville, Tenn., two tickets to the Dove Awards, as well as free hotel accommodations, food, and ground transportation.

The winner and their friend will also get the opportunity to interview music artists backstage and bring home a guitar with autographs of all the artists. Last year, interviewees included Mercy Me, Brandon Heath, Rebecca St. James, Chris Tomlin, Toby Mac, and Superchick, among others.

"Oh and also… We will be getting a few of our shirts (more on that later) autographed during the week and will be giving those away in the near future," exclaimed the SYSN.org team.

The contest is part of the American Bible Society's effort to collect and communicate real stories of how God is using the Bible to change lives. ShareYourStoryNow.org is described as a ministry of the American Bible Society and is maintained by ABS staff members.

Aside from regular contributors, SYSN.org features stories from Christian music artists including Barlow Girl, Superchick, Sara Groves, MercyMe frontman Bart Millard, newsboys frontman Michael Tait, Matthew West, and Marvin Sapp, among many others.

And more than stories about the Bible, the site also features stories related to a variety of topics including prayer, divorce and marital conflict, drugs and alcohol, struggles, and conversions.

ABS hopes that the site will share glimpses of what God is doing through the Bible to change lives, help encourage people to engage the Scriptures, and develop an edifying online community of "Bible Advocates."