“In addition to a clean design and high editorial standards, this entry also communicated real news that went beyond a listing of upcoming events that one would find in a weekly bulletin,” said the judge. “With in-depth articles that covered parish news as well as dio-cesan news, personal essays from ministry staff that both informed the reader and offered sensitive reflections on parish issues, and a monthly calendar, this newsletter is a model of church communications.”
The General Excellence (small church) Blue Ribbon award for 2009 goes to The Courier at Christ Church, Dearborn. The editor is JoAnn Amicangelo.
“The Courier tells the story of a community engaged in ministry and mission, of people contributing to the life of their church and serving Christ in others locally, nationally and internationally,” said the judge. “Well-organized without feeling regimented, the newsletter uses graphics and photographs that are inviting and contribute to the reader’s comprehension. Articles and news items are well-written and come from a variety of sources, which are clearly identified. A judicious use of color helps organize information into sections that move the reader from page to page. At 10 pages, The Courier is substantial but not overwhelming; its news is of interest to both members and non-members.”
The Red Ribbons for General Excellence go to Good News, the newsletter for Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, where JoAnn Amicangelo served as editor, and Reflections of St. David’s, at St. David’s, Southfield, where Edna Buday is the editor.
Honorable Mention awards for small church newsletters are presented to the Trumpet of St. Gabriel’s, Eastpointe, where Lauri Howard is the editor, and The Chronicle from St. James, Grosse Ile, where Andrew Johnson is the editor.
“The joyful photos and stories of purpose, gratitude and fellowship sold me on the sincerity of St. Gabriel’s mission ‘to invite absolutely everybody into the mystery, meaning, and joy of God’s love.’ Not only do I believe them – I want to join in the fun! Informative captions on the great photos would be a welcome, and welcoming, addition,” said the judge.
“Good use of photos throughout to make stories and news items come to life,” said the judge of The Chronicle at St. James, Grosse Ile
Other categories
The Blue Ribbon award for Sharp Layout and Appearance is presented to Reflections of St. David’s at St. David’s, Southfield.
“This is a real parish newsletter, not flashy, just straightforward and well organized. It has a clean look, thanks to good use of white space. The two-column format helps a lot, along with the readable typeface. Very good use of color photos, not overwhelming. Reflections is easy to navigate and read,” said the category judge.
Red Ribbons for Sharp Layout and Appearance are awarded to Advent Events of Advent Episcopal Church, West Bloomfield, and The Spirit of St. James of St. James, Birmingham.
"Advent Events is a well-organized newsletter," said the judge. "Very good use of color photos. The calendar format is the best of any in the contest. The headlines work well, too, at drawing in the reader. Use of boxes is very effective, and they aren't overdone. Advent Events is very inviting. The type font is readable, but a bump-up in type size and two-column format might make it even more attractive to readers' eyes."
"The cover [of The Spirit of St. James] is very welcoming. The type face and type size help make it very readable. There is a feeling of comfort and balance in the layout, including the effective use of color backgrounds along the outer edges. Good use of photos. Headlines in color are a drawback. The Spirit is moving," said the judge.
An Honorable Mention award for Sharp Layout and Appearance is presented to The Courier at Christ Church, Dearborn.
"The cover [of The Courier] is very attractive. Effective use of color throughout, with the notable exception of a distracting color photo illustration behind the type on page 3. Remarkably, the three-column format works quite well. The calendar should be bumped up in size and the highlights less jumbled. You can be proud of The Courier in its information mission.
For Theological Reflection, the judges announced a tie for the Blue Ribbon award. Fred Elwood, rector of St. James, Birmingham, and Mary Lou Johnstone, Nativity Church, Bloomfield Township, share the award for 2009.
“Fred Elwood’s ‘Being the Twist in the Tale’ (October 2009) engages his listeners through a tale by O. Henry that draws us in to reflect on this theme: ‘God will be merciful to those whose lives were led astray. But God will certainly punish those responsible for leading them astray.’
“Concluding that ‘we lead others astray not by doing something to them, but by failing to do something with them,” Elwood then recounts for his listeners the many ministries of St. James, Birmingham, through which Jesus calls people to participate, and invites them to join.”
In “Just to Be is a Blessing, Just to Live is Holy,” published in the Nativity Scene newsletter (February 2009), “Mary Lou Johnstone reminds readers of the importance of allowing ourselves to ‘just be’ and to live in the beautiful mystery of God when faced with difficulties in our cluttered, fast-paced lives. This is a simple but compelling essay which describes her realization that, when faced with difficulties in life, taking on more is not always better.”
The Blue Ribbon for Special Interest Story is awarded to Sharon Eck for “If a Tree Falls in the Forest ...” published in The Witness at St. Stephen’s, Troy. The judge called the story “a poignant description of a faith journey.”
The Red Ribbon for Special Interest Story goes to St. Gabriel’s, Eastpointe, for “Eastpointe Family Supper.”
Honorable Mention awards go to John Hawkes for “Spotlight on Newcomers” in Reflections of St. David’s and “Two Typical Tutors Tout Tutoring” by Ellie Tholen and Laura Principe in The Spirit of St. James.
The Record awards for best church-related BLOG
The Blue Ribbon award for best blog is presented to THROUGH A MIRROR DIMLY by Chris Yaw, rector of St. David’s, Southfield. “The strength of www.chrisyaw.com is in the writing,” commented the judge. “The Rev. Chris Yaw explores issues—one a week, it would seem—with depth and sensitivity. One enjoys reading him and is enriched by the experience.”
The Red Ribbon award goes to Nativity Episcopal Church in Bloomfield Township. “This is a nice grab-bag blog that covers a wide range of issues and updates frequently enough to keep people coming back,” said the judge. The blog is located at http://nativityepiscopal.blogspot.com.
Honorable Mention Award for church-related blogs goes to Brad Whitaker, rector of Christ Church, Grosse Pointe, for his blog, http://www.ccgpblogs.org/brad.
[Seven members of The Record Editorial Board served as judges for this year’s print publication awards. Jim Naughton, editor of http://www.episcopalcafe.com, served as the judge in this category.]
Your COMMENTS (150 words or less)?
Detroit, MI