New Jerusalem Cultural Content Awards Ceremony 2024

The invisible human mind or heart is conveyed to others through words, facial expressions, and actions. Even if one is far away and cannot directly convey their heart, it’s okay. This is because it can be sent through mediums such as writing, pictures, or videos.

The heart of God desiring the salvation of all humanity, the hearts of brothers and sisters longing for heaven, the hearts loving each other . . . A ceremony honoring the members who convey beautiful hearts through various content was held. On January 28, the “New Jerusalem Cultural Content Awards Ceremony 2024” took place at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Church. This event, which integrated the 23rd Melchizedek Literary Award, the 9th Elohim Video Festival, and the 4th Preaching Content Competition, held particular significance as it was held after a gap of four years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 900 attendees, including winners from each competition, finalists, members of literary societies, scientific advisory committees, publishing editors, local journalists for photography and videography, and student journalists, gathered to share their joy.

Before the event began, award-winning videos were screened. The winning essay in the literature category, focusing on the theme of father’s love, was reconstructed in an audiobook format, enriched with charming illustrations, which added to the emotional impact. The winning entry from the Preaching Content Competition provided gentle comfort, awakening the importance of family bonds, while the video festival winner stood out for its outstanding CG effects and wit, receiving a round of applause.

In the first part of the worship service, Mother prayed for abundant blessings to be upon the members who devoted themselves to creating content inspired by the Holy Spirit and assisting in spreading the gospel. “I believe that the heartfelt efforts you have put into preparing these works for the salvation of souls are deeply moving people around the world and contribute to spreading the message of salvation to every corner of the globe,” praised the Mother. She encouraged them, saying, “Let’s believe that all your effort will be rewarded in the eternal kingdom of heaven and work even harder” (Rev 22:10–12).

General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol encouraged everyone, saying, “Content infused with passion, faith, and wisdom enlightens the thoughts of the viewers. Let us work on the gospel with pride in doing great things with the gift of God, and always be joyful and thankful” (1 Th 5:15–18; Col 2:6–7; Lk 17:12–19).

In the second part of the awards ceremony, a total of 20 representatives from each contest took the stage to receive their awards. Mother personally congratulated and encouraged each awardee, presenting them with their prizes. Attendees celebrated with generous applause and cheers.

Participants left the event filled with gratitude and joy, reaffirming their aspirations as content creators. Brother Tak Hyeon-seo, one of the winners of the video festival, said, “Through creating videos by harnessing the talents of members, I’ave come to understand what true unity is. In this age where various content floods the scene, I will create videos that bring forth new emotions and resonance through unity and harmony.” Sister Noh Seo-hyeon, a student journalist, said, “In the effort to find inspiration for writing, I strive not to overlook small insights, which leads me to find more things to be thankful for in everyday life. I want to write with gratitude and love for God, hoping to have a positive impact on those around me.”

Interview with Winners of the New Jerusalem Cultural Content Awards Ceremony 2024

“I wrote during my spare time while taking care of my child and doing household chores. The topics for writing are numerous, ranging from nature, daily life, objects, to someone’s words. The more I write, the stronger my “writing muscles” become, giving me more motivation. I will continue to write with a sense of mission, hoping that my writing will be able to help enlighten even just one soul.” Gold Prize Winner of the Melchizedek Literary Award Column Category, Kim Hyun-im from Maegok Church in Suncheo, Korea

“I often relieve my burdens by reading articles from Elohist or WATV website, where I can read writings from members around the world. I’ve always thought about wanting to provide comfort and inspiration to someone through my own writing, and this contest presented a great opportunity. Although my skills may be lacking, I will continue to strive to write articles that uplift our brothers and sisters and contribute to the salvation of many souls in the future.” Gold Prize Winner of the Melchizedek Literary Award Speech Category (Foreign Language, Shamiso Ngoshi from Harare Church, Zimbabwe

“I picked up the pen to share insights intertwined with past experiences. Writing had been limited to trade letters at work, so I entered the competition with a challenging spirit. Hearing the news of being selected as a winner left me speechless. Once I began writing, new inspirations kept emerging. I aim to express the insights given by God not just in my heart but consistently through writing. Despite my shortcomings, I aspire to share grace and inspiration with many people, relying on God’s strength.” Gold Prize Winner of the Melchizedek Literary Award Essay Category, Choi Heon-chim from Wonju Church, Korea

“From drafting the script and storyboards to costume design, shooting, recording, and editing, there were many trials and errors along the way, but with God’s help and the cooperation of many brothers and sisters, we successfully completed the production. We felt blessed by God, who blesses those who make an effort. We look forward to creating more content for the gospel in the future. We are grateful to God, who have called us as gospel workers to create content imbued with His will on the stage of the final prophecy.” Grand Prize Winner of the Elohim Video Festival, Production Team from Ridgewood Church, NJ, U.S.

“We contemplated ways to bring hope to humanity, who is anxious due to frequent disasters, and decided to express it through a video. Despite lacking professional equipment, we conducted extensive research to produce high-quality videos. We are grateful to God for rewarding our efforts and dedication. Video, a medium that stimulates all senses, has become a powerful tool of the gospel permitted by God in this age. With a broad perspective, we want to create videos that will be valuable for the gospel.” Bronze Prize Winner of the Elohim Video Festival, Production Team from Seogu Church in Daejeon, Korea

“Working on content creation in between our jobs, we felt the pressure of time ticking away until the deadline of the competition. Amidst our busy schedules, we could appreciate the sacrifices of Heavenly Father, who worked tirelessly while doing masonry work. It brings us immense joy and gratitude to use the talents granted to us for the sake of spreading the gospel. With the goal of creating excellent content that contributes to God’s work of spreading the gospel, we won’t settle with this award but will continue to challenge ourselves incessantly.” Gold Prize Winner of the Preaching Content Competition Group Category, Production Team of WM KMTV from the Church in South Africa

“Even amidst fatigue and difficulties, we find great comfort when we are with Heavenly Father, Mother, and the heavenly family in Zion. Wanting to share this comfort and happiness, we created a presentation for a happy seminar. Gathering and reviewing the necessary materials took quite some time, but it was a period of growth as we felt God helping us. Our earnest hope is to continue creating content that brings joy not only to many people but above all, to God.” Silver Prize Winner of the Preaching Content Competition Group Category, Production Team of Sugok Church in Cheongju, Korea