USA (MNN/TEAM) — The Evangelical Press Association has given their "2011 Award of Excellence" to TEAMHorizons magazine in the category of "Missions" publications. The EPA is the major press association for the faith-based community in North America.
Director of Communications for TEAM, Mike Cochrane, says TEAMHorizons is a 98-page photo-journalistic media suite of God's activity in building the church, "the Body of Christ," around the world. Each edition brings to life the on-site, eye-witness perspective of missionaries who live out "incarnational ministry" on one of the six continents where TEAM missionaries serve.
Cochrane says the reason they entered the contest was to get feedback to make the magazine better. They thought it "would be great to get a critique back from a team of professionals. Let's [submit it] and see what they say about it. Well, not only did we get a critique, but we won the award."
Cochrane says while the award is a great honor, that's not why they publish it. "The reason that we publish it is not just to give pretty pictures. We want to move people to action."
TEAM is working in 130 ministry initiatives around the world, which gives TEAM a great head start in being able to share God's story with the world. "So, we can go just about anywhere in the world and have a career missionary meet us at the airport–one who lives there, speaks the language, knows the culture and can bring us information and bring us to sites that I'm sure professional photo journalists with secular magazines would be envious."
While there are many articles about TEAM, Cochrane says, "We have quite often published articles that have actually very little to do with TEAM, and a lot to do with what other churches and mission organizations are doing in a particular areas."
TEAMHorizons recently covered Nepal and Sweden. Cochrane says the next issue will be about the work in Japan. "Our photographer and media manager are both in Japan even as we speak, gathering the story of what has been done in relief and how the funds that have been contributed are being used. I can guarantee that you will see come pictures and hear some stories that will be unique. You won't find them anywhere else."
The TEAMHorizons staff prays that this award will help to gain a wider audience to hear the amazing story of how God is building the Body of Christ around the world — and then want to participate.
Included in each magazine is a DVD of documentaries that supports the articles — a remarkable resource for those teaching in churches and schools. Published twice a year since 2005, the magazine is sponsored by The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) and is freely available by subscription at www.teamworld.org.
