Photo: The ASC committee includes Tory Doerksen, Jaime Lazaro, Rhoda M. Blough, Vern Rempel, and Mary Sprunger-Froese. Not pictured are Ken Gingerich and Herm Weaver.

The Mountain States Mennonite Conference  announces that the Anabaptist Songwriting Challenge (ASC) received around 50 song submissions by our New Year’s Day deadline.

The song submissions came from many states. A few entries were in Spanish.

The Challenge prizes for the three top submissions are $1,000 each.

A national jury of Mennonite musicians will choose the winning entries.

There will be an award ceremony at Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City 2015. ASC will also provide a digital songbook of the top ten songs, which will be made available for use in Mennonite congregational worship without fee. In addition, the top songs will be taught at Kansas City.

“The ASC is very excited to receive these excellent musical submissions, and we look forward to the contribution these songs will make to Mennonite worship,” reads an ASC press release. “Thanks to all the songwriters for sharing their musical gifts to create new musical expressions for Mennonite congregational worship. ASC would also like to thank Mountain States Mennonite Conference and the Fransen Family Foundation for their generous grants in support of the Challenge.”