Introduction:

 

Thank you for considering writing! Your thoughts about experiencing grief so far could help another person navigate their own struggles & encourage them to connect with God and other people around them along the way. 

If you are looking for ideas on what to write about, please visit our ‘Articles’ page or the ‘Article Topic Ideas’ page. 

 

What is a Hope of Heaven for Teens Article? 

 

• Any length that feels most natural to your writing style and topic. (As of 2026, most articles have been 5 Google Docs pages.)

• Thoughtful, objective writing pieces that could have

  • Thoughts / explanations on relevant bible passages

  • Perspectives that your church, denomination, faith tradition, or family believes

  • Personal thoughts based on your own experiences

  • Thoughts / explanations on relevant quotes

  • Any other way to share insights you think may benefit another teenager on a similar journey to yours

• A structure, layout, and topic of your choice 

 

You are absolutely welcome to share your own theological perspective as you write, but please remember that everyone comes from a different faith background. On many topics, including Heaven, no single perspective can be fully determined as true. Respecting differences within Christianity (ecumenism) is one of Hope of Heaven for teens’ core values. (For more information, please visit our ‘About’ page.)

 

Guidelines

 

While the writing process is mostly flexible, there are a few important guidelines to be aware of when writing. Unfortunately, we cannot publish your article if three guidelines are not followed:

 

1. Statement of Faith: Please make sure that your article’s topic and wording agrees with our Statement of Faith. (Linked here: Our Statement of Faith)

2. Cite Sources: If you plan to use quotes that are not Bible verses, you need to formally cite your source to avoid breaking copyright laws. (We have more details below.) (Bible Passage Citation: You do not need to formally cite Bible verses, but please list the reference and translation so that readers can find the passage for themselves if desired. Example: “Work willingly as if for the Lord and not for man.” Colossians 3:23 (NLT))​

3. No AI: The writing and accompanying image need to be entirely your own. Please do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) at all. Your thoughts and experiences are valuable. Our management team edits grammar before publishing any article you submit. We value your authentic thoughts over perfection.

 

AI may be able to ‘touch up’ your writing or save you time, but then your article would not reflect your journey or thoughts in a meaningful way. It might read nicely, but it wouldn’t be beautiful. Words are most impactful when they are yours. 

 

More On Guideline 2: How to Cite Sources

 

Adding endnotes to your article is an easy way to cite your sources clearly. Typically, you can do this by adding a note in parentheses at the end of the quote stating ‘see endnote __’ and making a category titled ‘Endnotes’ at the end of your article.

 

In the article:

 

 

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On the bottom of the article:

 

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Please consistently use one formal citation style in the list, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago so that the information is clear to a reader. You can find specific information for citing different types of sources in your preferred style on Welcome to the Purdue OWL - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University.

 

Submission Steps

 

• Write your article! Visit the ‘Article Ideas & Tips’ page if you know you want to write, but don’t know what to write about or how to structure it.

• Make sure your topic & wording align with the Statement of Faith

• Make sure any quotes you've used are cited

• Make sure you have references next to any Bible verses you’ve quoted

• Add a title for your article - This is optional, but highly encouraged. Try to summarize the article with your title in 4-10 words.

• Add an image to go with your article - This is optional, but often helps the article look appealing to readers. Please do not use AI to create this or use a distinguishable person’s face, trademarked fictional character, trademarked company logo, or involve a specific location in your design.

You could use word art to illustrate a key point or scripture passage, draw a symbol / object that you talk about in the article, or make a design representing the subject of your article. It does not need to be a monumentally gorgeous art piece. You are welcome to use a hand drawing, digital drawing, paint piece, photograph, or any other medium.

• Please pray that 

• God will use what you share in your article to bring hope to someone in need of the reminder that He is with them 

• For everyone who reads your article to continue to grow closer to God in their situations and find peace, hope, and healing in Him

• Log into your Google account to access the Google Form (Article Submission Form) or email hopeofHeaven4teens@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Article Submission’ if you do not have a Google account.

• In the Google Form or email, please include: 

  • Your first name (or type ‘Anonymous’)

  • The article title (optional)

  • The image going with your article (optional)

  • Your article file

  • Your agreement that you did not use AI to write the article

 

Once you submit your article, we will review it over 1-2 weeks. We read each submission carefully. Occasionally, we make edits for fixing grammatical errors and/or typos, deleting or adding a few words, and editing the length or structure of the article itself. 

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Sometimes we have questions about an article submission, so the Google form will ask you to provide your email address. If you choose not to provide your email, we may not be able to publish your article if we have questions or made a large amount of edits. (At the current time, we do not send marketing emails. You would only get an email from us if we had a specific question about your content submission or in reply to an email of yours.)

 

Conclusion

 

This process may sound complicated. We are here to help at any step of the way though! Please email hopeofHeaven4teens@gmail.com with any questions you have.

Thank you so much for considering writing an article! We pray that you do, that your writing process goes well, and that this page was helpful to you. We look forward to supporting the positive impact your article may have for other teenagers if you choose to serve this way!