2021 Higher Goals Awards
The 2021 Higher Goals awards honor the best work done in specific categories during the 2020 calendar year.
Click here for Awards of Excellence.
Click here to view or download Liaison 2021 Awards Edition.
Article Series
First Place: Religion Unplugged, Evangelicals in the Environmental Movement — Meagan Clark, Jillian Cheney. Second Place: The Christian Chronicle, A Minister’s Battle with COVID-19 — Chellie Ison. Third Place: One Magazine, On the Brink | Just Call Me Old! — Brenda Evans. Fourth Place: The Alabama Baptist, COVID-19 Series — Jennifer Rash, Carrie McWhorter. Fifth Place: The Christian Chronicle Online, Trump vs. Biden series — Bobby Ross Jr.
Biblical Exposition
First Place: Illinois Baptist, Monumental — Eric Reed Second Place: DTS Voice, Longing for Home — Rebecca McDougall. Third Place: DTS Magazine, Walking with God — John F. Walvoord. Fourth Place: The Banner, Model Kingdom Disciples — Shiao Chong. Fifth Place: Answers in Genesis, Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and the Christian — Brandon Clay
Blog: Single Post
First Place: Carla Foote, Plodding Climb. Second Place: Chris Maxwell, One Suit and Two Saturdays and Many Memories. Third Place: Mutuality Online, How Patriarchy Hurts Men — David Hart. Fourth Place: Message Magazine, Sitting on the Sidelines — Stephanie Boon. Fifth Place: Michael Foust, 4 Powerful Gospel Lessons from Infidel, Jim Caviezel’s Film about Persecution
Blog: Website
First Place: Plugged In, Plugged In Blog — Adam Holz, Paul Asay, Emily Clark, Bob Hoose, Kristin Smith. Second Place: Message Magazine, ABWE Blog — Alex Kocman, Loren Skinker. Third Place: Seana Scott, SeanaScott.org. Fourth Place: The Alabama Baptist Online, Rashional Thoughts — Jennifer Rash
Cartoon
First Place: Illinois Baptist — Dennis Fletcher. Second Place: Cadet Quest, Casey’s Cadre — Bob Lyzenga. Third Place: The Banner, Our Shared Ministry — Chad Thompson. Fourth Place: The Christian Post, Are Churches More Contagious than Casinos?! — Rod Anderson
Cause of the Year Article – Christian Citizenship
First Place: Influence, Neighboring for the Common Good — Don Everts. Second Place: Peer, A Christian Duty — Michael Wear. Third Place: War Cry, The Fight Against Human Trafficking — Arielle Curry. Fourth Place: The Banner, Applying Discipleship to our Political Lives — Vincent Bacote. Fifth Place: The Christian Chronicle Online, Why These 21st Century David Lipscombs Won’t Vote for Trump or Biden — Bobby Ross Jr.
Cause of the Year Illustration/Photo – Christian Citizenship
First Place: Sojourners, Unafraid to Hope — Tracie Ching. Second Place: Peer, A Christian Duty — Liam Madden
Cover
First Place: Decision Magazine, Will America Ever Be the Same? — Glenn Gemmell. Second Place: SAConnects, Gender Equality is a Human Right — Reginald Raines, Joe Marino, Lea Greene. Third Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, Colombia: Guerrilla Evangelists — Felipe Carranza, Jon Green, Natasha Fullard. Fourth Place: Mutuality, Womanist Theology: Unraveling the Double Bind of Racism and Sexism — Cara Quinn. Fifth Place: Resource, NOW GEN (not next gen) — Kris Kell
Critical Review
First Place: Crux, On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts — Jens Zimmermann. Second Place: Religion Unplugged, Does ‘Holy’ Mark A New Era In Justin Bieber’s Music? — Jillian Cheney. Third Place: SAConnects, What’s the Digital: The Chosen — Warren L. Maye. Fourth Place: Plugged In, The Prom — Bob Hoose. Fifth Place: The Christian Post, Our Girls are Being Irreversibly Damaged by the Transgender Craze — Brandon Showalter
Department
First Place: Sojourners, Culture — Da’Shawn Mosley, Joey Chin, Hannah Conklin. Second Place: The Covenant Companion, Arts & Culture — Companion Staff. Third Place: Illinois Baptist, Resource — Eric Reed, Kris Kell, Meredith Flynn, Lisa Misner, Leah Honnen. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine, Margin Notes — Cameron Lawrence, Jamie Hughes, Sandy Feit, Kayla Yiu, Dallas Hazelrig. Fifth Place: War Cry, Frontlines — Lt. Colonel Timothy Foley, Jeff McDonald, Roger J. Green, Major Lesa Davis, Jonathan Raymond, Joshua Morales
Devotional
First Place: Message Magazine, Christian Witness and the Power of Good in Changing Times — Paul Davis. Second Place: Teachers of Vision, For Such a Time as This — Connie Averitt Williams. Third Place: In Touch Magazine, Living Light and Free — Fil Anderson. Fourth Place: One Magazine, Reflections on My Father — Matthew S. Bracey. Fifth Place: Leading Hearts, A Prayer When You Feel Defeated — Linda Evans Shepherd
e-Newsletter
First Place: World Vision News & Stories, World Vision eNews — Kristy J. O’Hara-Glaspie. Second Place: Baptist Press, SBC Morning Briefing — Jonathan Howe, Kyle Cochran, George Schroeder, Laura Erlanson, Diana Chandler, Scott Barkley. Third Place: The Christian Chronicle Online, Christian Chronicle Newsletter — Chellie Ison. Fourth Place: New Frontier Chronicle, New Frontier Weekly — Hillary Jackson, Cory Gaudaur. Fifth Place: Religion Unplugged, Weekend Plug-in — Bobby Ross Jr.
Editorial
First Place: One Magazine, First Glimpse: Heart of the Storm — Eric K. Thomsen. Second Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, China’s Communist Party Sets Itself Above God — Cole Richards. Third Place: Word&Way Online, The Trees of Auschwitz — Brian Kaylor. Fourth Place: The Brink, From the Editor — David Jones. Fifth Place: Answers Magazine, Deeds, Not Words — Dale Mason
Evangelism Article
First Place: Cru Storylines, Peace to the Far and Near: How God Is Using Digital Ministry — Rebecca Kelsall, Melissa Long. Second Place: Peer, Sprading Seeds — Sara Billups. Third Place: One Magazine, Essentials for Evangelism — Barry Raper. Fourth Place: Answers in Genesis, The Lost Path to the Roman Road — Calvin Smith. Fifth Place: Influence, The Conversion Community — Rick Richardson
Feature Article
First Place: Answers Magazine, Plastics in Paradise. Second Place: Decision Magazine, Faith on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Crisis — Giovanna Albanese, Bob Paulson. Third Place: Cru Storylines, When Telling Stories Goes Beyond the Campfire — Sarah Wontorcik, Ted Wilcox, Mark Winz, Rachel Geckle. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine, Living Light and Free — Fil Anderson, Cameron Lawrence, Jamie Hughes, Sandy Feit, Kayla Yiu, Dallas Hazelrig. Fifth Place: SAConnects, Chosen Vessels — Retta Blaney, Warren L. Maye, Lea Greene, Reginald Raines
Fiction
First Place: Explorer’s Guide, Tales from Explorer’s Academy: Class Captain — Derek Lewis, Janiece Waldrop, Sondra Blackburn, Andrea Young, Katie Greenwood
First-Person Article
First Place: The Banner, A Death Without A Funeral — Gayla R. Postma. Second Place: Sojourners, Comfortable in My Own Skin — Maika Llaneza. Third Place: The Covenant Companion, The Word that Haunts — Cecilia Williams. Fourth Place: Answers Magazine, Welcome to Harmony Hillside — Erik Lutz. Fifth Place: Influence, Overcoming Shame — Nona Jones
Freelance Article
First Place: Seana Scott, The Gift of a Normal Day. Second Place: Michael Ray Smith, God And Guns: Why American Churchgoers Are Packing Heat. Third Place: Clarissa Moll, Trading Your Weakness for God’s Strength. Fourth Place: Ann-Margret Hovsepian, That the World May Know: How I Pray for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Other Wars. Fifth Place: Jamie Aten and Kent Annan, Living in the Tension Between Grief and Gratitude This Holiday Season
General Article: Short
First Place: Sojourners, My Church and Harvey Weinstein — Rowena Chiu. Second Place: The Pathway, Epidemics not a novelty in history of Christianity — Benjamin Hawkins. Third Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, Encouragement for Couples Ministering in ‘Red Zones’ — Kevin Selders. Fourth Place: Network, Called to the Hard Places — Andrew Shaughnessy. Fifth Place: Influence, Overcoming Shame — Nona Jones
General Article: Medium
First Place: The Brink, Why Self-Help Christianity Doesn’t Help — Phylicia Masonheimer. Second Place: SAConnects, Lyell’s House — Hugo Bravo. Third Place: Peer, Beneath the Surface — Dr. Luann Dunnuck. Fourth Place: Just Between Us, Rx: Soul Medicine: Laughter Can Help Heal Life’s Most Difficult Times — Shelly Esser. Fifth Place: Christian History, Self-Serving Vice or Society-Building Virtue? — Kenneth Barnes
General Article: Long
First Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, Becoming ‘Paul’ — Kevin Selders. Second Place: Answers Magazine, Welcome to Harmony Hillside — Erik Lutz. Third Place: The Covenant Companion, Kinship to Creator — Lenore Three Stars. Fourth Place: Sojourners, The Legacy of the White Lion — Kelly Brown Douglas. Fifth Place: DTS Magazine, Dancing the One-Step — Sarah Stiles
Humorous
First Place: The Covenant Companion, There Is No Small Talk in Quarantine — Dana Bowman. Second Place: Word&Way Online, Treating Costco Like My Church — Brian Kaylor. Third Place: One Magazine, First Glimpse – What Time I Am Afraid — Eric K. Thomsen. Fourth Place: Sojourners, Eco-Cranky — Ed Spivey Jr.. Fifth Place: Answers in Genesis, Leap Day 2020: A Brief History of Leap Day — Danny Faulkner
Infographic
First Place: Influence, Neighboring for the Common Good — Prixel Creative, Justin Skinner, Kendra Skinner. Second Place: Fusion, Spending Time — Carol Reid, Sondra Blackburn, David Jones, Andrea Young, Katie Greenwood. Third Place: Answers Magazine, The Mystery of the Exploding Beetle — Chris Neville, Dan Stelzer. Fourth Place: Peer, Looking Back: A Salvation Army History Timeline — Captain Jamie Satterlee, Major Jason Swain, Lesia Artymovych, Andrea Ricker, Olivia Scherzer. Fifth Place: Word&Way, News By The Numbers — Ken Satterfield
Interview Article
First Place: Influence, From Necessity to Opportunity — George P. Wood. Second Place: Forward, “There Has to be More:” An Interview with Justin Jackson — Andrea Young, Carol Reid, Nic Dennis, Justin Jackson, David Jones, Katie Greenwood. Third Place: Velocity, Live Original-An Interview with Sadie Robertson — David Jones, Sadie Robertson, Nic Dennis, Carol Reid, Andrea Young, Katie Greenwood. Fourth Place: Cru Storylines, How a Trip Across the Street Led to Change Across the Globe — Rebecca Kelsall, Rachel Geckle. Fifth Place: FULLER, Native Expression — Joy Netanya Thompson
Original Art: Digital/Mixed Media
First Place: Answers Magazine, Creation Care — Chris Neville, Dan Stelzer. Second Place: Resource, Meet Gen Z — Kris Kell. Third Place: Pursuit, Breaking Down Mental Health Stigmas — Reagan Lee. Fourth Place: Sojourners, A Christian Case for Reparations — Dave McClinton. Fifth Place: Influence, Prayer Sets the Agenda — Prixel Creative, Justin Skinner, Kendra Skinner
Original Art: Traditional
First Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Blowups and Meltdowns — Brian Mellema. Second Place: Answers Magazine, Do Your Ears Hang Low? — Cory Godbey, Dan Stelzer. Third Place: Alliance Life, A Present Help in Times of Trouble — Kenneth Crane, Reginald Screen, Peter Burgo, Emma Houk. Fourth Place: The Great Commission Magazine, The Great Commission Magazine — Emily Gwyn. Fifth Place: Sojourners, Unafraid to Hope — Tracie Ching
Personality Article
First Place: SAConnects, Compassion on Stage — Warren L. Maye. Second Place: The Christian Chronicle Online, Ousted by Democrats, anti-abortion preacher runs as independent in Tennessee — Bobby Ross Jr.. Third Place: Decision Magazine, Tony Evans Presses On — Jerri Menges. Fourth Place: Message Magazine, Jesus in Running Shoes: Honoring Eric Liddell 75 Years Later — Loren Skinker. Fifth Place: The Echo | Taylor University, Remembering Dr. Daryl Yost — Victoria Lawson
Photo Feature
First Place: World Vision Magazine, Thirsty for Change — Jon Warren, Kari Costanza. Second Place: Cru Storylines, Taking Sight and Salvation to El Salvador — Ted Wilcox, Elliott Dodge, Mark Winz. Third Place: FULLER, Native Expression — Nate Harrison, Katy Cook, Joy Netanya Thompson. Fourth Place: World Vision News & Stories, Child Sponsorship Helps Families Thrive at Home in Honduras — Jon Warren, Kathryn Reid, Laura Reinhardt. Fifth Place: In Touch Magazine, Beyond the Safe Zones — Joseph E. Miller, John VandenOever, Audra Melton, Cameron Lawrence, Sandy Feit, Dallas Hazelrig
Photography Use: Digital
First Place: Cru Storylines — Guy Gerrard, Tom Mills, Ted Wilcox, Conda DeVries, Rachel Geckle. Second Place: World Vision News & Stories — Jon Warren, Laura Reinhardt, Chris Huber, Andrea Peer, Heather Klinger. Third Place: FULLER Studio — Nate Harrison, Katy Cook, Lindsey Sheets. Fourth Place: Religion Unplugged — Paul Glader
Photography Use: Print
First Place: World Vision Magazine — Jon Warren, Laura Reinhardt, Chris Huber, Heather Klinger, Andrea Peer, World Vision Field Communicators. Second Place: FULLER — Nate Harrison, Lindsey Sheets, Katy Cook. Third Place: Pursuit — Sophie Gravitt, Alyse Messmer, Lauren Sawdey, Kelsie Stevens. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine — Nancy Liang, Sam Falconer, Cameron Lawrence, Eric Caposella. Fifth Place: The Voice of the Martyrs — Jay Snyder, Jon Green, Dennis Waterman
Podcast
First Place: Christianity Today, Even Fellow Believers Didnt Understand Her Love for AIDS Patients — Morgan Lee, Matt Linder, Mike Cosper, Erik Petrik. Second Place: Plugged In, Horror Movies: The Genre That Just Wont Die — Adam Holz, Paul Asay, Emily Clark, Bob Hoose, Kristin Smith, Jonathan McKee. Third Place: Baptist Press, SBC This Week: SBC Meeting Cancelled — Jonathan Howe, Amy Whitfield. Fourth Place: FULLER Studio, Conversing with Mark Labberton: Andy Crouch on Trust in a Time of Change — Mark Labberton, Patrick Duff, Lauralee Farrer, Tamara Johnston. Fifth Place: Caring Magazine, How The Salvation Army is responding to need and rescuing Christmas with Sabrina Kiser — Christin Thieme, Sabrina Kiser
Poetry
First Place: Alliance Life, The Darker the Dirt, The Richer the Soil — Sarah Bourns. Second Place: Teachers of Vision, Changed by Grace — Dawn Molnar. Third Place: Sojourners, The Dryad of Gethsemane Speaks to Mary Magdalene on the Evening of Holy Saturday — Holly Wells. Fourth Place: Crux, Psalm 127 — Fran Westwood. Fifth Place: Mutuality, A Rose — R. R. Wyatt
Publication Design
First Place: World Vision Magazine — Journey Group, World Vision Staff. Second Place: Answers Magazine — Dan Stelzer, Chris Neville. Third Place: The Voice of the Martyrs — Natasha Fullard, Dennis Waterman, Jon Green, Jessica Buchanon. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine — Cameron Lawrence, Eric Caposella. Fifth Place: Illinois Baptist — Kris Kell
Publication Redesign
First Place: Just Between Us — Julie Krinke, Shelly Esser, Ashley Schmidt, Mary Ann Prasser, Suzan Braun. Second Place: Cadet Quest — Steve Bootsma, Sarah Stuitje, Trevor Burnett. Third Place: Network — Amy Glass, Tom Mills, Melanie Benedict, Andrew Shaughnessy, Ruth Ebbs, Daniel Simmons
Reporting
First Place: Religion Unplugged, Liberty University Alums Demand Change After Falwell’s Exit — Meagan Clark, Paul Glader. Second Place: The Voice of the Martyrs, A Church No Longer Afraid — Kim van Veen. Third Place: The Christian Post, Nigeria’s ‘genocide’: Who is Helping the Thousands of Displaced Christians? — Samuel Smith. Fourth Place: The Christian Chronicle, Volunteer State: After Tennessee’s Deadly Tornadoes, Christians Rally — Bobby Ross Jr.. Fifth Place: The Christian Chronicle Online, Protests and Prayers — Bobby Ross Jr.
Single Photo: Candid
First Place: FULLER, Native Expression — Nate Harrison. Second Place: World Vision News & Stories, Big Splash — Jon Warren. Third Place: Pursuit, A Call for Justice: Expanding the Boundaries of Social Activism, Outreach and Ministry — Phillip Ndowu. Fourth Place: World Vision Magazine, Low-tide fishermen — Chris Huber. Fifth Place: The Voice of the Martyrs — Jay Snyder
Single Photo: Controlled
First Place: Cru Storylines, When Telling Stories Goes Beyond the Campfire — Ted Wilcox. Second Place: World Vision Magazine, Walking for Water — Jon Warren. Third Place: The Voice of the Martyrs — Jay Snyder. Fourth Place: World Vision News & Stories, Andy and His Alpaca — Chris Huber. Fifth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, The Marriage Issue — Katherine Marie Photography, Brian Mellema
Single-Theme Section or Issue
First Place: Common Good, Faith and Work in Black America — Curtis Woods, Luke Bobo, John M. Perkins, Kelly Burton, Aaron Hanbury. Second Place: Sojourners, A Roadmap for Moral Resistance — Sandi Villarreal, Candace Sanders, Adam Russell Taylor, Barbara Williams-Skinner, Rose Marie Berger, Betsy Shirley. Third Place: Light Magazine, Hidden in Plain Sight: A Call to Bring Hope and Help to Victims of Abuse — Jason Thacker, Jacob Blaze, Jenn Kintner, Lindsay Nicolet, Marie Delph, Alex Ward. Fourth Place: FULLER, Politics — Joy Netanya Thompson, Katy Cook, Jerome Blanco, Denise Louise Klitsie. Fifth Place: Religion Unplugged, God and Guns: Why American Churchgoers are packing heat — Paul Glader, Michael Ray Smith, Ryan Burge, Micah Danney
Standing Column
First Place: The Covenant Companion, Jelani Greenidge — Jelani Greenidge. Second Place: The Christian Chronicle Online, Insight — Erik Tryggestad. Third Place: Christian Leader, Frontlines — Ben Friesen, Tracy Gowling. Fourth Place: The Christian Chronicle, Inside Story — Bobby Ross Jr.. Fifth Place: The Baptist Standard, Justice Looks Like — R.E., Dr. John Ogletree, Jr.
Student Writer of the Year
First Place: The Clarion, Nursing Open Wounds — Zach Walker. Second Place: Cedars, Playlists, Porches and Trees — Abigail Hintz. Third Place: Religion Unplugged, Christian TikTok Videos Are Censored And Deleted In The US, Creators Say — Liza Vandenboom. Fourth Place: The Banner, Christian Love Must Include Each Other — Adeline Larsen. Fifth Place: The Threefold Advocate, Mayra’s Journey to Freedom Beyond Borders — María Aguilar
Table of Contents
First Place: Pursuit — Lauren Sawdey. Second Place: FULLER — Katy Cook, Denise Louise Klitsie. Third Place: Cadet Quest — Steve Bootsma, Sarah Stuitje. Fourth Place: Sojourners — Sandi Villarreal, Betsy Shirley, Ed Spivey Jr., Candace Sanders. Fifth Place: Just Between Us — Julie Krinke
Titles
First Place: DTS Magazine, Longing for Home, Dancing the One Step: Pursuing God after Seminary, Walking with God Through Grief — Rebecca Walton, Amelia Palmer, Lisa White, Margaret Tolliver, Raquel Wroten. Second Place: Answers Magazine, A Puzzle of Mud and Bones, What’s the Matter?, Plastics in Paradise — Paul Garner, Dr. Danny R. Faulkner, Mike Wild, Sarah Eshleman, Kaitlyn Iocco. Third Place: In Touch Magazine, The Productivity Trap, Living Light and Free, Shouting Worth — In Touch Staff. Fourth Place: The Covenant Companion, Coffee Futures, There Is No Small Talk in Quarantine, Frozen Thanks — Covenant Companion Staff. Fifth Place: One Magazine, Politics and the Art of Not Throwing Shade on the Gospel, Faithful Friends in a Facebook World, When Even Our Heroes Are Flawed — Eric K. Thomsen, Andrea Young, Marianne Stewart
Two-Page Spread Design
First Place: Teachers of Vision, Trauma is Messy — Daniel Stelzer. Second Place: The Great Commission Magazine, About This Issue — Sharon Chung. Third Place: Answers Magazine, The Mystery of the Exploding Beetle — Dan Stelzer, Chris Neville. Fourth Place: In Touch Magazine, Hope Springs Eternal — Nancy Liang, Cameron Lawrence, Eric Caposella. Fifth Place: The Banner, 10 Things to Give Up for Lent That Arent Diet Coke — Dean Heetderks, Pete Euwema
Typography and Lettering
First Place: In Touch Magazine, Shouting Worth — Gemma O’Brien, Cameron Lawrence, Eric Caposella. Second Place: Influence, Create Positive Change — Prixel Creative, Kendra Skinner. Third Place: Answers Magazine, Intelligent Design — Chris Neville, Sarah Eshleman, Dr. Terry Mortenson. Fourth Place: Focus on the Family Magazine, Five Things Experts Wish You Knew About Sex — Brian Mellema. Fifth Place: Sojourners, A Roadmap for Moral Resistance — Tyler Comrie, Ed Spivey Jr., Candace Sanders
Website Design
First Place: The Echo | Lancaster Bible College — Karen Perago, Keith Baum. Second Place: Message Magazine | ABWE International — Alex Kocman, Leah Pickard, Lauren Farr-Miller, Loren Skinker. Third Place: World Vision News & Stories — World Vision Staff, Journey Group. Fourth Place: Baptist Press — Jonathan Howe, George Schroeder, Laura Erlanson, Diana Chandler, Scott Barkley. Fifth Place: FULLER Studio — Elijah Davidson, Katy Cook
