Salvationist and Faith & Friends magazines won a total of eight awards at the Canadian Church Press Convention from May 1-3, 2008. Salvationist placed first in three categories and Faith & Friends garnered a total of five awards, including two second places, two third places and an honourable mention.

The CCP conference was held in Cambridge, Ont., and included representatives from 83 member publications, including mainline, Catholic and evangelical churches. The awards were judged by a panel of accomplished journalists and academics.

The following is a list of the winners and the judges’ comments. Click on the links to read the full articles online at Salvationist.ca.

First Place
Biblical Interpretation
Salvationist
The Big Picture (A Theology of Immigration)Author: Major Ray Harris
“A spirit of inquiry and a personable narrative voice engages the reader as a co-explorer of the issues raised. An effective and accessible exposition of Scripture that enlightens the reader and invites further reflection about God’s purposes as worked out through present patterns of immigration.”
Read it here: A Theology of Immigration

First Place
Interview
Salvationist
Exploring the Simple Way
Interview with Shane Claiborne by Major Geoff Ryan
“Great content found within this Q&A with Shane Claiborne, founding partner of Philadelphia’s “The Simple Way,” a faith community that is deeply engaged in inner-city community ministries and social issues.”
Read it here: Exploring the Simple Way

First Place
Colour Photo Spread
Salvationist
Giving Hope at Howard Hospital
Photographer: Doug MacLellan
Designer: Timothy Cheng
“The storytelling is fantastic, on top of technical control. There is emotion in the way the pictures tell the reader how things are at the hospital and how conditions are helping over there. The human side is very strong.”

Second Place
Media Review
Faith & Friends
Man the Lifeboats!, Truth and Consequences and
The Gospel According to Mr. Bean
Authors: Drew N. Dyck, Chad Bonham and Doug Field
Editors: Geoff Moulton and Ken Ramstead
What the judges said: “Brilliant writing -- colourful, descriptive, well-argued -- using stories and concrete examples to draw spiritual significance from popular culture.”
Read them here:
Man the Lifeboats!
The Gospel According to Mr. Bean
Truth and Consequences

Second Place
Service Journalism
Faith & Friends
Fair Trade: Putting People First
Author: Christine LeBlanc
Editors: Geoff Moulton and Ken Ramstead
What the judges said: “Concise, focused, loaded with tips and resources. You make me care and tell why I should. Great personal story of Christine’s visit, and I loved the comic. Great sidebar to make the spiritual case. Amen, indeed!”
Read it here: Fair Trade: Putting People First

Third Place
Biblical Interpretation
Faith & Friends
Founding Mother
Author: Margaret Hammond
Editors: Geoff Moulton and Ken Ramstead
What the judges said: “A spirited consideration of Sarah’s role and how it affects the place of women in God’s will. Good use of secondary biblical references and personal voice (including humour). Smart and useful conclusions.”

Third Place
Original Artwork
Faith & Friends
How Well Do You Know the Bible?
Artist: Tina Holdcroft
Designer: Brandon Laird
“The illustrations make this piece what it is -- light and witty. Tina did a good job of capturing the youthful essence of a Bible Quiz.”

Honourable Mention
Personal Experience (First Person Account)
Faith & Friends
Remembering Joshua and Final Flight
Authors: Wendy Snelgrove and Robert Snelgrove
Editors: Geoff Moulton and Ken Ramstead
“A heart-breaking story, all the more moving because it is simply told. It becomes inspirational because of the mature faith shown by the writers. There is no ‘cheap grace’ here. The grief is real and unending, and yet it does not conquer. Even four years later, how raw and fresh the wound must be when a father contemplates piloting the flight that ended with his son’s death. The writer shows great courage in allowing us to share this painful memory.”
Read them here:
Final Flight
Remembering Joshua