By Kristen Nagy and Sydney Alleyne
This summer, we hosted the inaugural AFL Christmas Card design contest. The contest, which is open to all Anglican students, gives students the opportunity to submit their original artwork. This year’s theme was Luke 2:1-20.
We received a number of beautiful submissions, but ultimately, thirteen year-old Nate Caughran’s artwork won! Nate is from Charolette, NC, where he lives with his mom and dad, three younger siblings, Isaac, Peter, and Eva, and their dog, Bently. Nate’s father is an Anglican Priest at their church, and his mom homeschools him and his siblings.
Nate was initially interested in the contest because he has a love for art, specifically drawing and stop-motion video for his YouTube channel AnimatorX studios. In fact, when he grows up, he hopes to be a comic book artists or work on a movie set.
While his interests are heavily seated in art and creativity, Nate is also very active in his church. He serves as the acolyte and every Friday he participates in morning prayer. His church supports a local pregnancy center, and hosts a “Walk for Life” that he attends. He and his siblings also participate in their church’s “baby bottle blessings,” which encourages parishioners to fill the baby bottles with change, cash, and checks. The bottles are then sent to pregnancy centers that need financial support.
When Nate discovered the prize for the contest included a $100 giftcard, and publication of his art on the annual Christmas Cards, he thought participating would be fun. When asked what inspired his drawing he replied, “I was inspired by the contest verse and wanted to use the scene of the shepherds because it’s not commonly used on Christmas cards. The shepherds are rarely seen visiting Jesus; I wanted something different than the typical Christmas card.” He also explained that he used colored pencils and a variety of shading techniques in his drawing.
When asked about his advice for other interested in submitting to next year’s contest, Nate recommended, “Don’t create a scene you see often on Christmas cards. Use the verse provided for inspiration, but try to look at it from different points of view. Draw big, and capture the smaller details.
Anglicans For Life plans to continue the contest in the coming years. We love engaging with our fellow Anglicans while providing them with opportunities to express their faith. For more information on AFL ministry and news, be sure to sign up for our communication list at eepurl.com/g1hudb.
