Themes
******************* 2011 Themes ************************
January/February 2011 — Respect
Due Date: June 1, 2010
Respect is a value that we may talk about more than we practice. Paul urged the Christians in Rome to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10 nrsv); another translation reads, “be eager to show respect for one another” (tev). Respect for all persons as created and beloved by God is basic to our faith. Yet we live in a time when mean-spirited sarcasm and contempt are more in evidence than respect. This issue should help children discover what it means to have respect for others, how we show respect, and how it is possible to respect someone while disagreeing with him or her. It should also give children a sense of themselves as persons worthy of respect.
March 2011 – Jealousy
Due Date: August 1, 2010
Jealousy is something we all struggle with at times. Wanting what we don’t have, feeling that others have an easier time, envying someone else’s talent, even resenting the closeness of a friend to someone else—these emotions come naturally to us. Yet we know that they are destructive to ourselves and to our relationships. This issue, which will fall during the Christian season of Lent, should help children realize and be thankful for who they are and what they have. We want to help them learn, as Paul wrote, to be content with whatever they have (see Philippians 4:11) and to want the best for others.
April 2011 – Hope
Due Date: September 1, 2010
Economic turmoil, terrorism, war, natural disasters—as we are inundated with these and other images of human suffering, it is easy to feel despair. Yet the message of Easter, of the Resurrection, is hope! Our faith in God and our decision to follow the risen Christ call us to live with hope. And it is out of hope that we are able to respond to the needs of our neighbors—next door and around the world. This issue will look at how the sure knowledge that a loving God created us and the world helps us to have hope, how the good news of Jesus’ resurrection turns our eyes from despair to hope, how we respond to seemingly hopeless situations with the confidence of children of God.
May 2011 – Family—In This Together
Due Date: October 1, 2010
This theme was inspired by one of our Kids’ Advisory Board members’ observation that while friends are great, “Friends . . . won’t always be there like your family.” In this issue we hope to celebrate the family as a place of love and constancy. We’re not talking about perfect families here (we don’t know any of those!) but about the family as a place where people love and nurture one another. This love is one of the primary ways we come to understand the love and nurture of God. This issue should give children a sense of their own families (whatever their imperfections may be) as places where they can experience God’s abiding love through the abiding love of those with whom they share their lives.
June 2011 – Caring for Creation
Due Date: November 1, 2010
Being good stewards of God’s creation is not only a matter of our self-interest or good intentions. It is a basic way of honoring our Creator. The aim of this issue is both celebration of the wonder of creation and challenge to look at practical ways we can address the earth’s problems. Typically this theme draws many stories on recycling and litter pick-up. While these are certainly important parts (and we may feature one such story), we encourage writers to think more broadly about realistic ways children can have a positive impact on the environment. The tone should be hopeful and show that we can accomplish great things when we open ourselves to God’s power working through us.
July 2011 – Joyful Living
Due Date: December 1, 2010
Jesus said that he came so that we may “have life and have it abundantly” (see John 10:10). This issue should celebrate the sheer joy of being alive and living as a child of God. What does it mean to live joyfully? What is the source of our joy? What is the difference between ignoring or denying problems and living with deep joy? How does our abundant living impact those around us? These are some of the questions we want to explore in this issue. Elements of summer fun are also appropriate here.
August 2011 – Living in Community
Due Date: January 1, 2011
Children are part of many communities—families, neighborhoods, churches, schools, teams, and even the world. Community implies both benefits and responsibilities. What are the good things that come from community? What are our responsibilities as Christians to make our communities pleasant, healthy places to be? How do we “make the world a better place” (even if it’s only a tiny part of the world) in the way we participate in and interact with our communities?
September 2011 – Encouraging Others
Due Date: February 1, 2011
In the midst of the complex problems children face, simply encouraging someone may seem insignificant. But haven’t we all been helped through difficult times by encouraging words or gestures? Often we are so absorbed in our own problems or so consumed by the negative messages around us that we simply don’t think to encourage others. Or perhaps we don’t see how powerful our encouraging words and acts can be. We want to help children see what it means to encourage others and how doing so may make a difference in someone else’s life. We don’t want to suggest that a child can “fix” someone else’s problems. Instead we want to affirm that encouraging words and actions are among the ways that each of us can show God’s love to those around us.
October 2011 – Let Your Light Shine!
Due Date: March 1, 2011
In October, as we anticipate the celebration of All Saints’ Day on November 1, we often focus on heroes and role models. This issue is slightly different as we encourage kids to consider how they, by living as Christian disciples, may act as role models and faith heroes for others. The emphasis is on faithful living in our everyday lives and how that way of life has the possibility of bringing the light of Christ to those around us.
November 2011 – Hospitality
Due Date: April 1, 2011
Themes of welcoming and hospitality seem perfect for November, a month when many of us give thanks for our blessings and feel prompted to share with others. How are Christians called to be hospitable? How can we welcome others in our communities, churches, and schools and make them feel that they are wanted and special? How can we “entertain angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2 nrsv)? How does the spirit of hospitality that Thanksgiving engenders remain with us throughout the year?
December 2011 – Welcoming Jesus
Due Date: May 1, 2011
Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, is a time of great excitement. This issue should help children understand that there is a much greater reason for excitement than the activities of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. The focus of this issue is helping children understand what Jesus’ birth means for them and for the world. This issue definitely has many elements of the celebrative fun of Christmas and Epiphany, but we also want to help children remember that Advent is about preparing to receive the gift of God’s son. It is this gift that we hope children receive over and over again each year to shape their lives.
EDITORIAL PHILOSOPHY: The primary purpose of POCKETS is to help children grow in their relationship with God and to claim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ by applying it to their daily lives. POCKETS espouses respect for all human beings and for God’s creation. It regards a child’s faith journey as an integral part of all of life and sees prayer as undergirding that journey.
SPECIAL NEEDS:
• Articles about real children involved in environmental efforts, peacemaking, and helping others for our Kids with a Mission feature. Please send photographs of these children with your manuscript and indicate the name and address of the photographer. We prefer photos that show children actively involved in their project. Digital photos are welcome but must be high resolution (at least 300-dpi). Please include parent permission to use photos.
• Interviews with well-known people, relating how their faith in God is important to them in their daily lives.
DEADLINES: Please note the deadlines for submission. Late submissions cannot be considered.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WRITING FOR POCKETS: Refer to our Writer’s Guidelines, available on-line at pockets.upperroom.org or by mail with an SASE.
ANNUAL FICTION CONTEST: Entries are received beginning March 1 and must be postmarked no later than August 15.
• Please indicate FICTION CONTEST on both the outside envelope and the cover sheet.
• There is no set theme and no entry fee.
• Stories should be 750–1,000 words. (Stories shorter than 750 words or longer than 1,000 words will be disqualified.)
• Please include an accurate word count on your cover sheet.
• Multiple submissions are permitted, but please submit only your best work.
• Past winners are ineligible.
• The winner will be announced November 1 at pockets.upperroom.org.
• Award: $500 and publication in the magazine.
• Entries with an SASE will be returned.
• If you have questions, visit our website at www.pockets.org or write to us.
SEND ALL MANUSCRIPTS WITH SASE TO:
Lynn W. Gilliam, Editor
P. O. Box 340004
Nashville TN 37203-0004
Please do NOT send submissions via FAX or e-mail.
POCKETS is a publication of THE UPPER ROOM. POCKETS, THE UPPER ROOM, and design logos are trademarks owned by THE UPPER ROOM, Nashville, TN. All rights reserved.
