ArtSoul Spotlight
Jonathan McReynolds Is Giving Away $5K to Students!
July is off to a great start for College students this year, and Jonathan McReynolds is making it happen! Starting today through August 1st Jonathan McReynolds is offering $5k to two College students for a second year through his nonprofit organization Elihu Nation! The qualifications are easy. You must currently be enrolled in college as either a junior, senior or as a graduate student. The application includes 3 easy questions that can be answered in 300 words or less. If you can answer questions about your story, your passions, and your goals then this should be easy!
What are they looking for in a winner? They’re looking for someone who has the desire to use their gifts, knowledge and skill sets to impact the world with the hope of Christ in a fresh way. If you can’t sing, don’t worry. You don’t have to be an artist to win! You just need to have passion and a vision to impact the Kingdom and your local church. Remember, the Elihu Nation team will choose a winner based on your answers, so give some thought into how to show them why you should be the winner!
In a previous interview with JET Magazine, Jonathan spoke more about what they are looking for when choosing a winner…
“Scholarships will be for anyone who is looking to directly use their gifts and their education for the purposes of the Kingdom and the local church. That’s what I was doing while I was in college. Maybe I didn’t know what I was doing in the beginning, but by junior/senior year, I knew that this was the Kingdom I wanted to represent. I want people who are in college trying to figure things out, and who may be asking “Does anybody care that we’re here, and that we’re trying to bring something new to gospel music or something fresh to the church? We want to let them know that we are. Elihu Nation sees them, and we care.” – Jonathan McReynolds
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Jonathan was inspired to begin Elihu Nation during his time in Grad school at Moody Bible Institute where he focused on Biblical Studies. At the launching party of his nonprofit, McReynolds explained to us the moment he was inspired to start Elihu Nation in this quote:
“I was studying for an assignment in college for my master’s degree in Biblical Studies. We were studying Job among other books in the old testament and literally when I read Job 32:9, I stopped! It says, “It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.” The writer goes on for a few chapters declaring what he believed about God and what he believed about Job’s situation. I thought it was amazing! Being someone who is young, I have always felt like I had something to say, but I didn’t always feel free enough to say it. So I got very excited when reading this verse and about Elihu’s overall response to Job! There’s so much at this point in my life that has been pinned up! So many questions, so many things to say, so many approaches to life, and suggestions that I have now that I didn’t feel free enough to say.
I realized at that moment that not only am I feeling like this, but there are a lot of young people from all around the world who may be thinking to themselves, “No one talks to us. No one listens to us…” They care about our contribution to church, they care about our talent and our tithes. But, they don’t actually care about us or what we know and think about this Christian life. So over time, the idea of Elihu Nation started to grow and evolve. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it at first. I just knew that Elihu was a very intriguing character, and I knew that a lot of people feel just like him. The question I was asking myself was, how can I introduce this guy as a way to empower young people to not just be young people – but to actually rise above what maybe society and even church tells them they can be and do? That’s what this organization is all about! It’s about celebrating, promoting and creating young seekers and carriers of Godly wisdom.”
View The 2016 Winners Below:
Learn more about Elihu Nation at www.elihunation.org
We are all here for anyone who is looking to empower young people! We give a huge salute to Jonathan for not only doing this through his music but through this nonprofit as well! If you’re a college student who could benefit from this opportunity, click here to sign up today! Elihu Nation is ready to support you and your pursuits!
Visit www.elihunation.org to learn more about this opportunity and the organization as a whole.