Do you love to write? Are you passionate about exploring life and faith through storytelling? Windsor Park Baptist Church is excited to launch our Christian Story-Writing Competition, a creative opportunity to reflect on Scripture and bring it to life through words.

How it works:

The Theme

The first theme is inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:37: “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No,’ no.”

Stories should explore the meaning of this verse and how it applies to our lives today. Judges will also look for creativity in expression, whether through fiction or non-fiction storytelling.

Who Can Enter

For this first round, entries are open exclusively to the Windsor Park Baptist Church community as a trial run, with the possibility of opening to wider NZ residents in future. Entrants should be sympathetic to Christian thinking.

Submission Details

Word count: 700–2,000 words
Genres: Fiction or non-fiction
Format: MS Word document
Entries Open: October 1st, 2025
Submission Closes: February 1st, 2026

Peer review: Before submitting, each author must choose two people to read their story. These reviewers will recommend the story to the judges, encouraging authors to discuss and refine their work before entry.

Prize

🥇 1st place – $500
🥈 2nd place – $250
🥉 3rd place – $175
(In the event of a tie, the pooled prize will be shared. Generously funded by an anonymous donor.)

Judging

Our judging panel includes: Stephanie Allison
Julie Belding
John Wearn
(One more judge to be confirmed)

Judges will review all recommended stories and vote on the winners. The judges’ decisions will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Judges may also provide comments to authors where possible.

Publication

Winning and highly recommended stories will be published, with promotional support to share them more widely.

Submit Your Short Story

Please attach your story along with your full name, the title of your short story and the names of those who verified your entry, via the button below. Entries close on February 1st, 2026.

Submit Short Story