The annual Lutherans For Life Essay Contest, sponsored by the Council of Federation Presidents (COFP), continues to offer our Lutheran students the opportunity to affirm and express their belief in the sanctity of life. The theme this year was That They May Have Life, based on John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The national essay contest has two categories: grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. Students in both federation states and non-federation states are eligible to participate. After each state has submitted their first-place winner, a committee selects a national first-place and second-place winner in each category. Any student in a Lutheran school or Lutheran congregation (e.g., confirmation class, youth group, or Lutheran home school) is eligible to participate when validated by their teacher or pastor, along with parental consent.
Students qualify for the national essay contest by winning first place in their state for their grade category. All state winners should be commended on winning at their state level, as the number of submitted essays increases every year.
The national first-place award in both categories is $700 and a framed certificate. The second-place award for both categories is $250 and a framed certificate.
2026 LFL Grades 9-12 National Essay Contest Winners
First Place: Olivia Brown, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Spearfish, South Dakota, is the national first place winner in grades 9-12 (shown here with Jill Johnsen, President of LFL of South Dakota). Olivia was a senior when she wrote her essay. Her essay, titled “That May Have Life,” reads: “Abundant life is a spiritual state of communication with God and should not rely on obtaining life through any technical means. The life-affirming approach establishes that every embryo from the moment of fertilization is a human person made in the image of God.”
You may read Olivia’s essay at: lutheransforlife.org/article/that-they-may-have-life-a-2026-lfl-essay-contest-winner-grades-9-12.
Olivia reads her essay in the video below:
Note: For more info on IVF, see the position statement of Lutherans For Life as well as these additional resources:
lutheransforlife.org/life-issues/position-statements
cph.org/catalog/product/view/id/17628/s/in-vitro-fertilization-moral-or-immoral
www.cph.org/a-4life-view-of-ivf
Second Place: Julia Koester, Wittenberg Academy, from Stover, Missouri, won second place in grades 9-12 of the national essay contest. Julia was a senior when she won the national award. Her essay, titled “The Gospel Motivation For Life,” demonstrated her understanding of the value of being a Gospel-motivated voice For Life. Julia wrote, “God has equipped us to support life; we all are motivated by the Gospel. We love others because God has first loved us. We serve others because He became a Servant.”
2026 LFL Grades 6-8 National Essay Contest Winners
First Place: Connor Jones, Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Collinsville, Illinois, is the national first place winner in grades 6-8. Connor was a seventh grade student at Good Shepherd Lutheran School when he won this award. Connor’s essay, titled “Against the Odds,” highlighted foster care. Connor wrote, “God’s love can be shown in foster care, and my aunt and uncle’s choice demonstrates it. Foster care shows God’s love by giving hope to vulnerable children so that their lives may reflect God’s will for them.”
You may read Connor’s essay at: lutheransforlife.org/article/against-the-odds-a-2026-lfl-essay-contest-winner-grades-6-8.
Conner reads his essay in the video below:
Note: For more information on foster care, see the following resource:
cph.org/foster-care-fold-out-brochure
Second Place: Lydia Nissing, Trinity Lutheran Church in Bridgeton, Missouri, won second place in the national essay contest for grades 6-8. She was in seventh grade at the time. Lydia’s essay, titled “Abortion: Stealing God’s Precious Lambs,” depicts her understanding that life is a gift from God that should be protected. Lydia wrote, “When a baby is aborted, this little lamb has been stolen from our Good Shepherd’s flock. However, Jesus has come for the purpose of giving us life. We should uphold the God-given life, not destroy it.”
