Awards for Faith Today work from 2023

Join us in congratulating writers whose work has been judged excellent.

Awards for work done by the Faith Today team last year are always a source of encouragement. Such awards come from contests we enter each year, which involve independent judges giving us advice and kudos about our work so that we keep serving our readers better. We'll list them in the order they were announced, so skip to the end if you want to see the latest!

The first set of awards include two second-place awards and a fifth place in this year’s Evangelical Press Association awards, the second year we entered this international competition. Awards were announced in Kentucky April 22-23.

• 2nd place, long article: Karissa Sovdi for “A Theology of Singleness That Isn't Looking for Its Cure.” The judge says, "Outstanding essay that reframes singleness with a provocative question: What if God has more for me than marriage? The funny opener does a great job of pulling in the reader. And the promise of the headline is fulfilled: You really do get a theology of singleness, but it's accessible, relatable, compelling, courageous, convicting, and often humorous. Every church leader, married or otherwise, should read this, and it will help guide singles toward asking the right questions in their Christian walk. This is a great read--with substance. It speaks to the needs of a marginalized, growing population in the church."
• 2nd, infographic: Janice Van Eck for “By the Numbers: Who are Canada's Non-Permanent Residents?” The judge says, "Nice work. This design makes a much more interesting and engaging sidebar and helps emphasize the high-level stats. Good scale, alignment and use of color."
• 5th, devotional: Darryl Dash for “Three Gentle Spiritual Resolutions for a New Year: Growth That Allows Rest, Not Just Hustle.” The judge says, "This is a well-written encouragement to grow in an abiding life with God through 'simple, gentle habits': time in the Bible, talking to God in prayer, and doing so with others. The writing is as simple and uncomplicated as the habits, yet it is enhanced with personal stories and inspirational quotes. Perhaps the author would consider including some Scripture beyond passing references to John 15 and Psalm 1. Yet this is a breath of fresh air in terms of offering helpful resolutions for spiritual growth."

Congratulations to all the winners across the North American Christian publishing sector.

UPDATE MAY 3, 2024: The Canadian Christian Communicators Association Awards announced several wins and placements for Faith Today in its latest annual contest. Both a video of the announcements and a PDF listing are now available. Faith Today won ten first-place awards among the 40 handed out this year by the CCCA.

• 1st place, general excellence in magazines (judging based on 3 samples): Jan/Feb, May/Jun, Nov/Dec 2023 issues. Editors: Karen Stiller and Bill Fledderus. Designer: Janice Van Eck
• 1st, editorial: Facing the Pastoral Challenges of Euthanasia. Author: David Guretzki
• 1st, news story: Expansion of MAiD to Mental Illness Paused - For One Year. Author: Patricia Paddey
• 1st, audio or video interview: Finding Light in the Darkness with Philip Yancey. Interviewer: Karen Stiller. Video Editor: Brian Lopez
• 1st, blog (judging based on 3 samples): How Tim Keller Changed My Life. Pope Benedict XVI: A Reflection. A requiem for the living: How grief and gratitude mix. Editors: Bill Fledderus and Karen Stiller
• 1st, video production: Church in Community Episode 4: Uniting neighbours with community popup barbecues. Videographer, producer and editor: Brian Lopez
• 1st, student award: A Place to Flourish: Expert insights on healthy work culture for Christian workplaces. Author: Matthew Neugebauer
• 1st, poetry: One Day. Author: Lesley-Anne Evans
• 1st, social media post: Promo for July/August 2023 Issue. YouTube. Instagram. Facebook. Producer and Videographer: Brian Lopez
• 1st, social media marketing campaign: Before It’s Too Late: Stop MAiD for Mental Illness, five sample videos on Facebook (one, two, three, four, five). Social media coordinator: Sammy Kyereme. Video content producer: Brian Lopez

Faith Today also placed second in eight categories and third in one category at the CCCA awards announced May 3, 2024.

• 2nd place, A.C. Forrest Memorial Award for socially conscious religious journalism: Healthy Sexuality: Critics call churches to improve discussions of sex without shame. Author: Ilana Reimer
• 2nds in both feature and opinion: A Theology of Singleness That Isn’t Looking for Its Cure. Author: Karissa Sovdi
• 2nd, feature series: Parents Kids and Faith and Appreciating Small Churches. Authors: Ilana Reimer and Bill Fledderus
• 2nd, service journalism: Christian living in the storm of anxiety: Learning about mental health helps us love our neighbours and ourselves. Author: Andrea Nwabuike
• 2nd, media review: Review of The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather: The Struggle for Indigenous Pentecostalism in Canada. Author: Adam Stewart
• 2nd, from the editor: Working Christianly: How can our workplaces better show the fruit of the Spirit? Authors: Karen Stiller and Bill Fledderus
• 2nd, headline: On (not) getting things done: The pandemic taught me a new measure of time. Author: Jen Pollock Michel
• 3rd place, original artwork: Cover image for Flourishing Workplaces (Supplemented by inside illustrations). Artist: Daniel Castiñeiras

Finally, Faith Today also placed first in two categories at The Word Awards announced online Sept. 19 (a shortlist of contenders had been released in July). Winners are:

• Column single: Not Without Prayer: When What Used to Work Stops Working. Author: David Guretzki
• Long feature/news: Parents, Kids and Faith: A New Study Reveals Trends and Insights Into How Parents Help Form the Faith of Their Kids. Author: Ilana Reimer.

One winning book named by The Word Guild is Live Your Assignment: Being Christ’s Ambassador in 7 Spheres of Life. Author: Phil M. Wagler. Wagler is a contributor to the blog series All Things Reconciled and global liaison at the EFC, the organization the publishes Faith Today. His book won in the biblical studies and apologetics category.