Every now and then something happens that makes the staff of The Christian Chronicle realize once again how blessed we are. 

Recently, the Chronicle was named the top national/international newspaper in the annual “Best of the Christian Press” contest sponsored by the Associated Church Press. 

The first-place award was presented at the religious press association’s meeting in Indianapolis. The yearly competition draws more than 1,000 entries in 60 categories.

Describing the Chronicle, one of the contest judges wrote: “From great-looking layouts to powerful photography to its outstanding writing, The Christian Chronicle understands what is most important — that the people and their lives, and how those lives interconnect with readers, is the foundation for communication excellence.” 

Besides the top publication honor, the paper received five other awards for stories published in 2012. Individual first-place awards included:

• “Fear and faith,” a news story written by Erik Tryggestad during a reporting trip to Nairobi, Kenya. The story looks at the impact of Islamic terrorism on a Church of Christ in a Somali-dominated neighborhood.

• “Is your church visitor-friendly?” A package of articles by Bobby Ross Jr. won in the Personally Useful Article Category. Ross used his own experience visiting a church during a reporting trip to highlight the  need for congregations to be outsider-friendly. A sidebar by Tryggestad added an international angle to the package.