Images of Hope is an art competition which churches, schools and youth groups in England and Wales are invited to run throughout 2008. The idea is to illustrate a Bible story of hope.

This pack has all the information you need to set up and run your own competition. Please note the competition is only open to people in England, Wales, Channel Isles and Isle of Man.

The following information includes:

• RULES for the 2008 Images of Hope competition
• IMAGES OF HOPE ENTRY FORM
• INTERPRETATION OF THE THEME
• GUIDELINES for Images of Hope competitions

The theme for the 2008 competition is hope. All artwork must illustrate or be based on a story of hope from the Bible.

You must give your artwork a title and write a short explanation (no more than

100 words) explaining how your artwork illustrates a Bible story of hope. This explanation must be mounted onto the piece of art.

This is a competition anyone can enter and enjoy. It will be judged in these categories:

• Adults:19 years +

• Young adults:

16–18 years; 14–16 years (Key Stage 4); 11–14 years (Key Stage 3)

• Children:7–11 years (Key Stage 2); 5–7 years (Key Stage 1); Under 5 years
• Special needs (adults, young adults, children): All ages.

The required format is A3 (297 x 420 mm or 11 ¾ x 16 ½ inches), or if this is unobtainable, the nearest possible equivalent.

You may use any type of paper or canvas, white, coloured, rough or smooth. The artwork that you submit may be drawn or painted in pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, crayon, pastel, watercolour, acrylic, oil paint, indelible marker pens, felt-tip pens, soft ball-point pens, indelible ink or collage.

Your work must be original. Please do not copy another person’s work.

You must submit an entry form with your artwork.

All entries must be given to the competition organiser by the closing date.

All entries are to be sent to the competition organiser and not to Bible Society. Only entries that arrive by the closing date will be considered.

You may only enter one piece of artwork.

The judging process is carried out by a panel of independent judges. The decision of the judging panel is final.

All entries shall be the property of the competition organiser who cannot accept liability for loss or damage to the artwork submitted.

All entrants will be notified by the competition organiser.

Bible Society may use the name of the entrant, their town name and any photographs provided for the purposes of publicity, but will not do so, without first seeking the entrant’s (or their guardian’s) permission.

The rules of the competition may not be changed or modified in any way and will be strictly applied.

Competition entries need to be based on a story of hope from the Bible. Here are a selection of biblical stories on hope, choose one of these or find your own story of hope in the Bible.

• Prodigal Son: Luke 15.11–32

It could be a storyline from any soap. The bad lad who ran off abroad with half the family’s cash has come crawling back having spent all of it living the high life. After the money ran out, he was forced to take a badly paid job, but then he still couldn’t even afford to eat. The only alternative was to go home and grovel. Perhaps if he offered to work without pay for his dad, he’d be let back in.

However, when he returned home his dad just gave him a big hug and threw him a big party. This welcome-home event included music, dancing and even cooking the prize animal they had been saving for ‘a special occasion’. Not surprisingly, when his brother got back from work and found out about this favouritism, he hit the roof. But what is surprising is that according to Jesus (who told this story); God is like a welcoming dad who overlooks people’s mistakes – while we are not to be like the angry brother who holds grudges.

• Good Samaritan: Luke 10.30–37

Muggings aren’t new – as this story Jesus told almost 2,000 years ago shows. But they’re never pleasant either. At least in this story, someone eventually stopped to help the guy who’d been badly beaten up and robbed. But there weren’t ambulances or hospitals with A&E units back then. So the rescuer did the next best thing and found the injured man somewhere with a private room where he could be cared for.

Although he wasn’t a real person, the helpful man in this story – the ‘good Samaritan’ – has become world-famous. Jesus told this story to make the point that sometimes, even people you view as enemies (that’s how the Jews at the time considered the Samaritans) can turn out to be kind and helpful. In other words, the story encourages us to help those in need and not to judge others by their race, nationality or religion.

• Ruth: Ruth 3.1–8

It wasn’t the best of times for Ruth. Her husband had died and although she had moved to a new town with her mother-in-law Naomi, they were broke. Fortunately, Naomi had hit on an idea to solve their cash-flow crisis. She told Ruth to slap on some perfume and target an older, wealthy farmer who apparently, had already taken quite a shine to her. So one night, Ruth crept into where he was sleeping and lay next to him.

In different cultures, lovers have different ways of showing their interest in each other. This was Ruth’s way – and as it turned out, it worked a treat. The farmer was really chuffed that Ruth had shown interest in him rather than in any of his younger employees. In any case, they ended up getting married and Ruth became the great-grandmother of Israel’s very famous king – David (who was the one who beat Goliath).