Write the
Second Verse.
A new hymn collection is taking shape, written inside and outside prison walls, produced by a Dove-nominated team, and released for the church everywhere. The second verse of the first hymn is yours to write.
Submit Your Second Verse
A collective built between two worlds
Second Verses Music is a new recording collective that brings professional songwriters alongside artists who have never had a platform: men and women writing from inside correctional facilities across America.
The mission is simple: music for the church on the inside and the church on the outside. Songs born from suffering and shaped by genuine hope. Real art from real people that most of the world has forgotten.
Sing! 2026 is the official launch. This first hymn, produced professionally and released commercially, is the beginning of a growing body of work.
Grace Greater Than Our Sin
Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord
Verse 1
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
yonder on Calvary's mount out-poured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Refrain
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.
Verse 2: waiting for your words
A new image. A new testimony.
Your second verse.
Listen to the recorded versions below for melody and meter before you write.
This is a commercial recording. Your verse goes on it.
The reimagined version of "Grace Greater Than Our Sin" is already in production, produced by a Dove Award-nominated songwriter and producer. It is the first track in the Hymns from the Inside collection, a series of beloved hymns re-voiced for congregations on both sides of prison walls.
Second Verses Music and our team of professional songwriters will review every submission. The winning second verse will be incorporated into the master recording and released commercially in the coming months. Your words on streaming platforms, in church bulletins, and inside correctional facilities alongside the people who inspired the entire project.
Study. Write. Submit.
Study the hymn
Read the verse and refrain above. Internalize the meter and theology. Listen to the recordings to hear how the hymn breathes before you write.
Write four lines
Match the meter and scansion of verse 1. Carry the spirit of grace forward, but bring something new: a fresh image, a different angle, a specific testimony.
Submit the form
Use the submission form below. Include your verse and contact information. Submission constitutes your agreement to the participation terms on this page. One submission per person.
We review and select
Our leadership and professional songwriting team review every submission. All entrants will be informed of the outcome. The winning songwriter is notified by September 30, 2026.
A co-write session. A released song.
Your name in the credits.
Because this is our launch, we are celebrating with something we don't take lightly. The winning songwriter receives a professional co-write session with a Dove Award-nominated songwriter. You also receive full songwriting credit on the released track and retain your writer's share of performance royalties, consistent with industry standard practices.
Submit Your VerseYour work is protected. So is ours.
These terms exist to protect both Second Verses and every songwriter who participates. Read them before you submit.
Submission, Copyright & Royalties
- Publishing and master rights. Second Verses, Inc. retains all publishing rights and sole copyright ownership of the master recording for the selected verse and all derivative works incorporating it. By submitting, all entrants grant Second Verses, Inc. an irrevocable, worldwide, exclusive license to the selected verse in connection with the recording, including reproduction, distribution, synchronization, and public performance rights.
- Songwriter credit and writer's share. The selected songwriter will receive full, on-record songwriting credit and will retain their writer's share of performance royalties, consistent with standard performing rights organization (PRO) practices. The exact writer's share percentage will be determined at the time of co-publishing agreement execution.
- PRO registration is the winner's responsibility. It is the sole responsibility of the selected songwriter to be registered as a writer with their PRO (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC) and to ensure this work is properly registered with that PRO in order to receive performance royalties. Second Verses, Inc. will register the composition on its end as publisher. Failure to register with a PRO may result in uncollected royalties; Second Verses, Inc. assumes no liability for such losses.
- Originality and ownership. By submitting, entrants confirm that the submitted verse is entirely original work and that they hold all rights to it. Submissions that incorporate or adapt existing copyrighted material are ineligible and will be disqualified.
- Non-selected submissions. Verses not selected for this recording will not be published, distributed, or used by Second Verses, Inc. in any form without the express written permission of the original submitter.
- Promotional use. All entrants grant Second Verses, Inc. a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to reference their participation in this contest (name and general involvement only, not the verse text) for promotional purposes related to the Second Verses Music launch.
- Acceptance of terms. Submission of a verse through the contest form constitutes full acceptance of all terms stated on this page. Second Verses, Inc. reserves the right to disqualify any submission that does not comply with these terms.
Questions about these terms? Contact us at info@2ndverses.org before submitting.
Submit your second verse.
Submissions are open through Sunday, September 13, 2026. The winning songwriter will be notified by September 30, 2026. One submission per person.
Submit Your Verse NowInterested in joining the work?
Second Verses Music is always looking for professional songwriters who want to be part of something beyond a session. If you are a writer interested in collaborating with our collective, contributing to hymn projects, co-writing with incarcerated artists, or supporting the broader mission, we want to hear from you.
Send Us a MessageThis is the first hymn. Not the last chance.
"Grace Greater Than Our Sin" opens a growing series. We have several hymns in development right now, and we will open new submission windows as each one approaches release. Your verse may not land on this track, but the door is not closed.
Follow Second Verses Music on email and social media to be among the first to know when the next contest opens. We are building something long-term here.
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