The 1001 movement is launching its first video contest (What’s Your Story?) for new worshiping communities registered at onethousandone.org.

The winning entry (first place) will receive $10,000 for their new worshiping community. Second- and third-place entries will receive $5,000 and $2,000, respectively.

“There are some amazingly creative things starting to happen in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),” says Philip Lotspeich, coordinator for Church Growth for the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

“We wanted to give these new worshiping communities the opportunity to share their story in their way. There’s nothing more powerful than a “community’s story in its own words.”  

Adds 1001 associate Vera White, "This video contest provides a way for communities to tell their stories in ways that will inspire the whole church."

Video entries in the What’s Your Story? contest must highlight at least  one of three defined components of a new worshiping community and run 90 seconds or less.  Each community may submit up to two entries.  They will be accepted at 1001stories.org from November 1, 2013, through April 30, 2014.

The following two weeks (May 1–14), the public will be invited to vote for their favorite finalist. The top five entries will be brought to the 221st General Assembly (2014) in Detroit (June 14–21).

A panel of judges will pick the first-, second-, and third-place winners, with the winning clip to be shown to the entire gathered assembly.

Honorable mention entries—fourth and fifth place—will receive two complimentary registrations to the 2014 Evangelism and Church Growth Conference (ECG2014) at St. Pete Beach, Florida.