2020 Higher Goals Awards
The 2020 Higher Goals awards honor the best work done in specific categories during the 2019 calendar year.
Click here to view the live broadcast of the awards presentation.
Click here to view or download Liaison 2020 Awards Edition.
Article Series
First Place: The Christian Chronicle, The Venezuelan Diaspora — Erik Tryggestad. Second Place: The Christian Post, Leaving Christianity — Brandon Showalter, Leah Klett. Third Place: Boundless, Giving God Control of… — Suzanne Gosselin, Matt Ehresman, Lauren Dunn. Fourth Place: Answers in Genesis, Plant Communication — Harry Sanders. Fifth Place: Baptist Press, Super Bowl LIII — Tim Ellsworth
Biblical Exposition
First Place: Fathom Mag, Break the Teeth in Their Mouths, O God — Russell Meek. Second Place: Illinois Baptist, Why I Need Resurrection — Eric Reed. Third Place: In Touch Magazine, The Grammar of Faith — Jen Pollock Michel. Fourth Place: Sojourners, The Company of the Unafraid — Walter Brueggemann. Fifth Place: DTS Magazine, Let’s Crown Character in Today’s Culture — Chuck Swindoll
Blog: Single post
First Place: Boundless, The Latest Buzz Around Christians and Alcohol — Lisa Anderson. Second Place: Concordia Seminary Magazine, The Chance to Dance — Melanie Ave. Third Place: Message Magazine Online, Missions or Wanderlust? — Stephanie Boon. Fourth Place: Plugged In, What Is Real? Reflections on The Matrix 20 Years Later — Adam Holz. Fifth Place: Answers in Genesis, The Fetal Heartbeat Isn’t the Issue — Ken Ham
Blog: Website
First Place: Message Magazine, ABWE Blog — Alex Kocman, Leah Pickard, Loren Skinker, Lauren Farr. Second Place: Christianity Today Online, The Exchange — Ed Stetzer. Third Place: Answers in Genesis, Ken Ham’s Blog — Ken Ham, Avery Foley. Fourth Place: Boundless, Boundless Blog — Lisa Anderson, James Clapper
Cartoon
First Place: Illinois Baptist — Dennis Fletcher. Second Place: Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., Friends Out Back — Crystal Bowman, Kevin Zimmer. Third Place: Focus on the Family Clubhouse, Sleuth Family Robinson — Christopher P.N. Maselli, Dennis Edwards
Cause of the Year Article – Biblical Literacy
First Place: Christianity Today, The Greatest Story Ever Animated — Paul Pastor. Second Place: Mutuality, A Tale of Two Rapes: What Tamar and Bathsheba Teach Us About Power, Consent, and Sexual Violence — Erin Moniz. Third Place: SAConnects, Entering the Man Cave — Robert Mitchell. Fourth Place: Illinois Baptist, How Will You Read the Bible in 2019?. Fifth Place: The Brink, Was Jesus Born on December 25: And Everything Else You Wanted to Know About Christmas — Danny Conn
Cause of the Year Illustration/Photo – Biblical Literacy
First Place: Christianity Today, Your Bible Translation is Imperfect. It’s Also a Miracle. — Casey Fritz, Sarah Gordon. Second Place: Christianity Today Online, How to Jump Back In to Bible Reading — Matt Chinworth, Sarah Gordon
Cover
First Place: SAConnects — Lea Greene, Reginald Raines. Second Place: Focus on the Family Clubhouse — Jim Madsen, Jenny Dillon. Third Place: Light Magazine — Jacob Blaze, Jason Thacker, Dan Darling, Marie Delph, Lindsay Nicolet. Fourth Place: Christianity Today — Sarah Gordon, Alecia Sharp, Andy Olsen, Ted Olsen. Fifth Place: World Vision Magazine — Jon Warren, Andrea Peer, Ashley Walton, Kristy J. O’Hara-Glaspie, Heather Klinger, Shaun Kempston
Critical Review
First Place: Sojourners, The Art of Transcendence — Faith-Marie Zamblé. Second Place: Christianity Today Online, Nadia bolz-Weber’s Gospel of Shame-Free Sexuality — Wesley Hill. Third Place: Crux, Costly Grace and Severe Mercy: Theological Resonances in Louise Pennys Three Pines Mysteries — Maxine Hancock. Fourth Place: Plugged In, Green Eggs and Ham — Kristin Smith. Fifth Place: Christianity Today, Ladders to Nowhere — Leslie Leyland Fields
Department
First Place: In Touch Magazine, Faith/Works — Cameron Lawrence, Aline Mello, Eric Caposella. Second Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Hacks & Facts — Sheila Seifert, Vance Fry. Third Place: Influence, Like a Leader — George P. Wood, Rick Knoth, Christina Quick. Fourth Place: Christianity Today, News — Daniel Silliman, Jayson Casper, Kate Shellnutt. Fifth Place: War Cry, Frontlines — Lt. Colonel Timothy Foley, Jeffrey McDonald, Ashley Schena
Devotional
First Place: One Magazine, When I Am Weak — Ruth McDonald. Second Place: Illinois Baptist, A Christmas Essay — Eric Reed. Third Place: Word&Way, Grace for a Tree Sniffer — Heather Feeler. Fourth Place: Christianity Today Online, The Bible’s Best Description of Salvation Is a Phrase We Rarely Use — Julie Canlis. Fifth Place: The Banner, Enough Trouble — Syd Hielema
e-Newsletter
First Place: World Vision Magazine Online — Kristy J. O’Hara-Glaspie. Second Place: BioLogos — Nate Caminata, Hillary Rankin, Jim Stump. Third Place: Facts & Trends — Aaron Earls, Aaron Wilson, Carol Pipes, Joy Allmond. Fourth Place: NRB Today — Kenneth Chan, Craig Parshall, Mary Montemayor, Sharon Schnell, Linda Smith, Leah Zapata
Editorial
First Place: Christianity Today Online, Who Owns a Woman’s Body? Not Who You Think — Andrea Palpant Dilley. Second Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, The Enemies Christ Warned Us About — Cole Richards. Third Place: Alabama Baptist, Is It Really Fair to Claim ‘It Isn’t Fair’ in the Life of a Believer? — Jennifer Rash. Fourth Place: The Banner, Judge Not — Shiao Chong. Fifth Place: Christianity Today, Celebrating Sexual Ethics — Andrea Palpant Dilley
Evangelism Article
First Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, 4 Challenges to Your Child’s Faith — Natasha Crain. Second Place: Christianity Today Online, Judea, Suburbia, to the Ends of the Earth — Ashley Hales. Third Place: Facts & Trends, The 7 Most Dangerous Words in Evangelism — Aaron Wilson. Fourth Place: SAConnects, What is Evangelism Today? — Robert Mitchell, Warren L. Maye. Fifth Place: Teachers of Vision, Thirsty Deserts — Joy Lucius
Feature Article
First Place: Cru Storylines, Slovak Students Speak Out for Christ — Mark Winz, Ted Wilcox, Journey Group, Rachel Ferchak. Second Place: The Banner, The Cult of Normalcy — Sara Pot, Shiao Chong, Judith Claire Hardy, Dean R. Heetderks. Third Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, The Day of the Bombings — Kevin Selders. Fourth Place: Light Magazine, Without Love, Apologetics Fails: Bearing Witness with Gentleness and Respect — Jacob Blaze, Jason Thacker, Lindsay Nicolet, Marie Delph, Dan Darling, Alex Ward. Fifth Place: War Cry, Hope Realized — Michael Smith, Lt. Colonel Timothy Foley, Jeffrey McDonald, Ashley Schena
Fiction
First Place: Boundless, Tetelestai — George Halitzka. Second Place: Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., Perfect Pep Talk — Kim Washburn. Third Place: Focus on the Family Clubhouse, The Year Without Summer — Dee Emerick Blackstone. Fourth Place: The Banner, A Depression Story — Mary Hulst. Fifth Place: Explorer’s Guide, Tales from Explorers Academy: On the Farm — Derek Lewis, Janiece Waldrop, Katie Greenwood, Sondra Blackburn, Andrea Young
First-Person Article
First Place: Alliance Life, Be Brave — Brian Neville. Second Place: New Frontier Chronicle, It’s Time To Go Back In — Erin Wikle. Third Place: Brio Magazine, Career — Robin Jones Gunn. Fourth Place: Christianity Today Online, I Used to Hide My Shame. Now I Take Shelter Under the Gospel — Greg Johnson. Fifth Place: Answers Magazine, An Unlikely Masterpiece — Stacia McKeever
Freelance Article
First Place: Michael Ray Smith, Teaching at a Baltic-Based University Offers Sanctuary for the Battered and Best. Second Place: Seana Scott, How to Pray When Your Husband is Imprisoned. Third Place: Anita K. Palmer, From ‘Zero Tolerance’ to ‘Welcoming the Stranger’. Fourth Place: Carla Foote, God’s Hand in Growing Disciples. Fifth Place: Michael Foust, 4 Uplifting Biblical Messages from PBS Les Miserables
General Article: Short
First Place: Proclaim!, Woe to us — Luis Palau. Second Place: Christianity Today, Son of a Son of a Son — Jen Wilkin. Third Place: Fathom Mag, Seeds Want to Grow — Andrea Burke. Fourth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, A Desperate Prayer — Thomas Jeffries. Fifth Place: Baptist Press, Man Baptized at Church he Vandalized Six Months Earlier — Tobin Perry
General Article: Medium
First Place: Alabama Baptist, Snowflake Babies — Grace Thornton. Second Place: Alliance Life, God’s Tattoo — Emmy Houk. Third Place: In Touch Magazine, A Tended Place — Christie Purifoy. Fourth Place: Christianity Today, Maximum Security Church — Daniel Silliman. Fifth Place: Decision Magazine, Friendship Founded in Forgiveness — Giovanna Albanese
General Article: Long
First Place: Concordia Seminary Magazine, Seminarians Living Lives of Significance — Melanie Ave. Second Place: Brio Magazine, Are You Caught in the Allure? — Jessica Harris. Third Place: In Touch Magazine, The Grammar of Faith — Jen Pollock Michel. Fourth Place: Christianity Today Online, Is Your Trip Tourism or Missions? — Andy Olsen, Bekah McNeel. Fifth Place: World Vision Magazine, Love Breaks through In Lebanon — Jane Sutton-Redner
Humorous
First Place: Sojourners, Can We Build an Economy Without Losing Our Souls? (Nah) — Ed Spivey Jr.. Second Place: Plugged In, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged — Paul Asay. Third Place: The Christian Chronicle, When the Roll is Called Up Yonder, Alexa Answers — Erik Tryggestad. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine, Without Grumbling — Patricia Raybon. Fifth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Am I a Bad Dad? — Tim Hawkins
Interview Article
First Place: Sojourners, The Advocate — Da’Shawn Mosley. Second Place: War Cry, Expert Witness: The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers — Jeffrey McDonald. Third Place: Christianity Today Online, Prison Was My First Pulpit — Morgan Lee. Fourth Place: The Christian Chronicle, Ebola Survivor Dr. Kent Brantly Returning to Africa as Medical Missionary — Bobby Ross Jr.. Fifth Place: Velocity, Stand Beautiful: An Interview With Chloe Howard — Chloe Howard, David Jones, Derek Lewis, Nic Dennis, Andrea Young
Original Art: Digital/Mixed Media
First Place: Sojourners, Who Am I? — Mike McQuade. Second Place: Answers Magazine, All Aboard: Unexpected Passengers on Noah’s Ark — Chris Neville. Third Place: Message Magazine, Meet Our Newest Missionaries — Lauren Farr, Loren Skinker. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine, Can We Talk? — Mark Weaver. Fifth Place: Christianity Today Online, The Most Effective Response to Poverty? Worshipping the True God — Rick Szuecs
Original Art: Traditional
First Place: Sojourners, Apocalypse Is Not a Dirty Word — James Jirat Patradoon. Second Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Kids and Turbulent Emotions — Sija Hong. Third Place: Answers Magazine, The Dark Side of Nature — Dave Mottram. Fourth Place: Christianity Today, Just Jump Back In — Matt Chinworth. Fifth Place: Peer, Envy — Renaud Vigourt
Personality Article
First Place: Christianity Today, The Forgotten Female Preacher — Grant Wacker. Second Place: The Christian Chronicle, Loving a ‘Lost Cause’ — Erik Tryggestad. Third Place: Decision Magazine, From Hatred to Love — Jerri Menges. Fourth Place: Sojourners, This Is How We Let Abuse Thrive — D.L. Mayfield. Fifth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Forgiveness Changed Everything — Benjamin Hawkins
Photo Feature
First Place: World Vision Magazine, Pond of Misery — Jon Warren, Kari Costanza, Ashley Walton. Second Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, They Shot, We Fled: The War No One Talks About — Jon Green, Natasha Fullard, Dennis Waterman, Jay Snyder. Third Place: Christianity Today, Holy Rumblings — Melanie Grizzel, Sarah Gordon. Fourth Place: Brio Magazine, Thank You — Cary Bates, Jody Reiner, Pamela Woody, Andrea Gutierrez, Laura Koenig-Pottkotter. Fifth Place: SAConnects, A New Day — Warren L. Maye, Ryan Love, Lea Greene
Photography Use
First Place: World Vision Magazine — Jon Warren, Laura Reinhardt, Chris Huber. Second Place: Pursuit — Lauren Sawdey, Lauren Shelburne, Phillip Ndowu, Heather Finnigan. Third Place: Pentecostal Messenger — Spencer Ming, Taylor Staniforth, Kimberly Ming, Brian Ramos, Tyler Price, Laura Salazar. Fourth Place: The Voice of the Martyrs — Jon Green, Natasha Fullard, Dennis Waterman, Jay Snyder. Fifth Place: Fuller — Nate Harrison, Katy Cook, Lindsey Sheets, Lauralee Farrer
Poetry
First Place: Fathom Mag, The Single Life — Jolene Nolte. Second Place: Crux, The Foolishness of God — Mary Romero. Third Place: Sojourners, Visitation — A.M. Lawrence. Fourth Place: Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., My Bedtime Prayer — Nancy Sanders. Fifth Place: DTS Magazine, Our Worth and Value Set Secure — Joye Baker
Publication Design
First Place: Peer — Captain Pamela Maynor, Andrea Martin, Paul Fiesel, Olivia Scherzer. Second Place: Sojourners — Ed Spivey Jr., Metaleap Creative. Third Place: Fuller — Katy Cook, Lauralee Farrer, Tamara Johnston, Nate Harrison, Denise Louise Klitsie. Fourth Place: Pursuit — Lauren Sawdey, Lauren Shelburne, Phillip Ndowu, Heather Finnigan. Fifth Place: Answers Magazine — Dan Stelzer, Chris Neville
Publication Redesign
First Place: Sojourners. Second Place: Peer — Captain Pamela Maynor, Andrea Martin, Paul Fiesel, Olivia Scherzer. Third Place: Advent Christian Witness — Justin Nash, Cara Brock. Fourth Place: Alabama Baptist — Jennifer Rash, Carrie McWhorter, Jessica Ingram, Grace Thornton, Lauren Grim, Janet Erwin
Reporting
First Place: Christianity Today Online, Amazon Sold $240K of ‘Liturgy of the Ordinary’ Fakes, Publisher Says — Kate Shellnutt. Second Place: The Christian Chronicle, A Perpetrator in the Pews — Bobby Ross Jr.. Third Place: New Frontier Chronicle, What Does the Retail Apocalypse Mean for Red Kettles? — Jared McKiernan. Fourth Place: World Vision Magazine, Citizens of Nowhere — Kari Costanza. Fifth Place: Illinois Baptist, Listen, Lament, Repent, Repair — Meredith Flynn
Single Photo: Candid
First Place: World Vision Magazine, Border Crossing — Jon Warren. Second Place: Alliance Life, Mother Baby Greetings — Ewien van Bergeijk-Kwant. Third Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, Muslim Worshipper — Jay Synder. Fourth Place: Pentecostal Messenger, Brazil Mission — PCG World Missions. Fifth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, You’ve Got This, Mom! — Jessie Sandager
Single Photo: Controlled
First Place: Cru Storylines, Chicken Farmer Portrait — Ted Wilcox. Second Place: World Vision Magazine Online, From Guarguallá Grande with Love and Alpacas — Chris Huber. Third Place: Christianity Today, Holy Rumblings — Melanie Grizzel, Sarah Gordon. Fourth Place: World Vision Magazine, Goats Bring Blessings — Laura Reinhardt. Fifth Place: The Chimes, From Leading Troops to Leading Christians — Thecla Li
Single-Theme Section or Issue
First Place: Light Magazine, A Hidden World: Christian Faithfulness in the Face of Persecution — Jason Thacker, Lindsay Nicolet, Dan Darling, Jacob Blaze, Marie Delph, Alex Ward. Second Place: Answers Magazine, More to Life — Dale Mason, Mike Matthews, Sarah Eshleman, Melissa Webb, Dan Stelzer, Chris Neville. Third Place: Illinois Baptist, Southern Baptist Convention 2019 Annual Meeting — Eric Reed, Meredith Flynn, Kris Kell, Lisa Misner, Leah Honnen. Fourth Place: Pentecostal Messenger, Centennial Celebration — Spencer Ming, Taylor Staniforth, Kimberly Ming, Brian Ramos, Tyler Price, Laura Salazar. Fifth Place: SAConnects, Out of the Darkness — Warren L. Maye, Robert Mitchell, Hugo Bravo, Reginald Raines, Lea Greene, Ryan Love
Standing Column
First Place: Christianity Today, Beginnings of Wisdom — Jen Wilkin. Second Place: Fathom Mag, Frank and Hearty — John Blase. Third Place: The Baptist Standard, Texas Baptist Voices — Michael Bell, Todd Still. Fourth Place: Sojourners, Eyes & Ears — Danny Duncan Collum. Fifth Place: The Banner, Still — Rod Hugen, Judith Claire Hardy
Student Writer of the Year
First Place: Pursuit, The Modern Realities of Sex Trafficking: A Global Crime in Our Own Backyard — Danyella Wilder. Second Place: Peer, Not The Same Old, Same Old — Jaquelle Crowe. Third Place: The Herald, My Dreaded Companion — Danielle Bliven. Fourth Place: The Threefold Advocate, Internment Camps in China Constrain Religious Practice — Catherine Nolte. Fifth Place: The Chimes, Hong Kong Protests Hit Home for Biola Community — Brittany Ung
Table of Contents
First Place: World Vision Magazine. Second Place: In Touch Magazine — Cameron Lawrence, Jamie A. Hughes, Kayla Yiu, Sandy Feit, Eric Capossela. Third Place: Alabama Baptist — Lauren Grim. Fourth Place: One Magazine — Andrea Young, Marianne Stewart, Dr. Edward E. Moody, Jr., Eric K. Thomsen
Titles
First Place: In Touch Magazine, Death By Quiet Time; A Calling to the Crooked-Nosed and Fleshly; What I Learned In a Yurt Church — Cameron Lawrence, Jamie Hughes, Aline Mello, Eric Caposella. Second Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Prudes and Prejudice; Whining, Bickering and Other Mouthy Misbehaviors; When the Past Is Present — Danny Huerta, Ginger Hubbard, Terri Clark. Third Place: Sojourners, Silicon Valley’s Original Sin, They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Jeong, This Is How We Let Abuse Thrive — Jim Rice, Ed Spivey Jr., Julie Polter, Rose Marie Berger, Betsy Shirley, Da’Shawn Mosley. Fourth Place: Christianity Today, Pious Pledges and Consecrated Keggers, When the Saints Go Undercover, The Greatest Story Ever Animated — Kyle Rohane, Matt Reynolds, Caleb Lindgren, Mallory Rentsch, Sarah Gordon. Fifth Place: Answers Magazine, Falling for Your Feelings, God’s Other Book, An Eye for Every Occasion — Emily Thomes, Simon Turpin, Roger Patterson, Stuart Burgess
Two-Page Spread Design
First Place: In Touch Magazine, Hungry to the Feast — Yaso + Junko, Cameron Lawrence, Eric Capossela. Second Place: Answers Magazine, An Eye for Every Occasion — Chris Neville, Dan Stelzer. Third Place: Peer, Pretend Happiness — Max-o-matic, Captain Pamela Maynor, Andrea Martin, Paul Fiesel, Olivia Scherzer. Fourth Place: Christianity Today, The Everlasting Desire — Sarah Gordon. Fifth Place: The Covenant Companion, Scars of Conscience — Kristi Schild
Typography and Lettering
First Place: Message of the Open Bible, Redemption — Greg Roberts, Andrea Johnson, Nicole Kerr. Second Place: Answers Magazine, An Eye for Every Occasion — Dan Stelzer. Third Place: Brio Magazine, No Need to Fuss — Becca Clason, Cary Bates, Jody Reiner, Pamela Woody, Andrea Gutierrez, Laura Koenig-Pottkotter. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine, Victorious — Eric Capossela, Cameron Lawrence. Fifth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Good Parents, Prodigal Kids — Matt Chinworth
Website Design
First Place: World Vision Magazine Online — Heather Klinger, Kristy J. O’Hara-Glaspie, Chris Huber, Kathryn Reid, Laura Reinhardt, Jon Warren. Second Place: Sojourners Online — Sandi Villarreal, Bob Sabath, Bob Christenson. Third Place: Fathom Mag — Jeremy Cherry, Kelsey Hency, Jon Minnema. Fourth Place: Peer — Captain Pamela Maynor, Andrea Martin, Paul Fiesel, Olivia Scherzer. Fifth Place: Cru Storylines — Journey Group, Rachel Ferchak
