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At its most influential, journalism doesn't simply follow a story, but rather charts its path, shaping the surrounding discussion. Consider Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate investigation. Or the footage and commentary that trailed O.J. Simpson's white Bronco through 60 miles of Los Angeles highways and byways. Such events can hardly be recalled apart from their coverage.

On May 9 and 10, the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) handed out its 2006 awards, honoring the very best in Christian journalism. Christianity Today received high praise from many of the judges, collecting the Award of Excellence for a general interest magazine and first place for an article related to EPA's "cause of the year": Christine Scheller's piece about stem-cell research, "Ethics Interrupted."

Yet our editors recognize that some of their best work may never garner acclaim. For sheer timeliness and emotional power, Scheller's piece reminded me of CT managing editor Mark Galli's recent editorials on immigration. On April 3, a full week before hundreds of thousands of protestors marched for "immigration justice" in cities across the country, Galli wrote "Blessed Are the Courageous," urging readers to respect the dignity and drive of illegal immigrants. He received a spate of negative letters—most posing a pointed version of the question, "What part of illegal don't you understand?"

So Galli wrote a second editorial, "Blessed Is the Law—Up to a Point." His approach caught the attention of ABC World News Tonight, which featured him in a May 14 segment on the topic.

No, Galli's pieces were not popular with everyone. But they seemed nearly prescient when, on May 15, Bush addressed the nation calling for immigration reform. Bush called illegal immigrants "people willing to risk everything for the dream of freedom," people who wanted to lead responsible lives and "practice their faith" in peace, people whom it was "neither wise nor realistic" to deport.

If you've read Galli's editorials, you know that the wording in Bush's speech was surprisingly similar, in places, to Galli's own. Could he, along with other journalists, have molded the public discourse on immigration? It would seem so.

Throughout the years, CTI publications have tackled a number of issues of special importance to God's people. Some articles were recognized by the EPA. Some broached subjects many Christians didn't yet know about, such as the Books & Culture review "The Last Magic," which won first place for a critical review in 2000. If you're interested in how math undermines naturalism, then this review is for you.

Other articles brought hidden problems into the open. In Leadership's "Hooked," a third-place finisher for general article in 2002, Eric Reed recounted the story of a pastor struggling to hold his family together after being fired for a moral lapse and an addiction to internet porn.

Still other articles took a closer look at familiar figures. In "A Tale of Two Brothers," which took third place for a personality article in 2002, Christian History & Biography explored the testy relationship between the cofounders of Methodism. John and Charles Wesley's disagreements, the article concluded, ultimately benefited the movement.

Yet as much as CTI editors appreciate the accolades of our EPA colleagues—and as much as we learn from them—we seek an even higher honor. Our aim, audacious as it may be, is to "engage, encourage, and equip" the body of Christ, to capture our readers' hearts and minds with journalism that informs the very way they think, live, and worship.

So how are we doing? Are we meeting our goal? You be the judge.

Madison Trammel is an associate editor for Christianity Today magazine.

Some other award-winning articles worth checking out include:

Books & Culture, "A Conversation on Books About Islam and the Middle East" (First place, cause of the year, 2003)

Leadership, "Ministering with My Generation" (Fourth place, general article, 2001)

Christianity Today, "Do You Believe in God?" (Second place, general article, 2000)