Cover Story
The vision for Birmingham Christian Family magazine began in the late 1990s when founder Laurie Stroud Franklin imagined a publication that could tell positive, faith-based stories while also supporting local businesses. Her desire to create a successful magazine stretched her in ways she never could have predicted, but her reliance on prayer and God’s plan has brought her to the point where Birmingham Christian Family celebrates its 25th anniversary this month; the magazine debuted in July of 2000. “There were months when I could not foresee how the next issue would get to print but guess what?” she recalled, “God is so much bigger than us!”
The Idea Emerges. Franklin’s background was never in print journalism, but she always had a strong faith tradition and a love of communication. “I’ve always loved to ask questions,” Franklin jokes. The daughter of a Lutheran minister, she was born in St. Louis, Missouri, moved to Hoover when she was six years old, the oldest of four siblings. She attended Vanderbilt University on scholarship with the intent to either be a doctor or a writer. After taking a molecular biology class (and not enjoying it), she decided to major in English and planned to be a news reporter. She became a health reporter and morning news anchor back home in Birmingham and then worked in marketing and media relations for HealthSouth Corporation. Even during those early career years, Franklin said she was drawn to positive stories. “In my health reporting role, I was able to show a positive side to regular news, and then at HealthSouth, they decided to start a magazine on patient outcomes,” she said. “That was another example of how I saw journalism impacting families in a positive way. It also fulfilled my passion of telling other people’s stories.”
Franklin became a mother at that time- Benton was born in 1998, and twins Jonathan and Trae came along in 1999. She found herself torn between motherhood and the work and travel time demanded of her. After struggling to get pregnant and then being blessed with three children so close together, Franklin felt the desire to be an involved mother. “I had asked God to make me a mom, and it was really important to be with my kids- this huge gift that God had given me,” she said. During that season of being a new mom, she began to formulate the idea of a magazine that could meet the needs of Christian parents. “I was a new parent and looking for resources for new parents like me,” she said, adding, “There also wasn’t a local Christian publication that went across denominational lines. There was a lack of stories being told about the people and organizations in our community who were being the hands and feet of Jesus. I began to ask myself the question: ‘How can I share that?’” 
Franklin began to look at the logistics of creating such a magazine for the Birmingham area. She talked to experts in publishing, finance, and advertising, and visited with local businesses to see if there would be an interest from their standpoint. “I talked to business owners to get feedback and received support from many of whom I knew through my previous careers,” she said. “One mentor told me that it was just a matter of selling the concept. He told me, ‘If you have a passion for it, it’s a no brainer.’ I got a lot of support before I ever launched the magazine.” Franklin’s first husband Jeff had a background in advertising and sales, and after the magazine’s initial success, he left his full-time job to work for the company. “He handled the advertising sales, while I wrote and worked with businesses to tell their stories.” According to Franklin, one of the earliest confirmations that she was where God wanted her came from her first advertiser- the owner of Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts in Alabaster. “I nervously came in with my presentation, Darrel Holcombe looked at the advertising information and he matter of factly said he’d try a quarter page ad for a year. He advertised with me for more than 20 years!” she said. “It made me realize that I could do this.” Franklin quickly found herself with a new career. “What I thought would be a part-time gig became a full-time job.”
Growth & Challenges. Within a year, individuals in other communities across the southeast began to contact Franklin about starting their own editions of Christian Family magazines. “Our vision was Good News for our community, God had a much bigger idea,” remembers Franklin. In five years, the company grew to 12 magazines–with publications in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Colorado. While some of those magazines stopped publication over the years, Nashville Christian Family just celebrated the start of its 15th year. “We grew really fast, and we had to add staff, and we had to help those other publications get started,” Franklin remembered. “It was exciting, but also a lot of work.” Throughout the years, both personal and professional challenges came Franklin’s way. The earliest was learning how to be a working mother with small children. “Starting such an endeavor with three toddlers meant I had to be a woman who had lost her mind,” she laughed. “It allowed me the flexibility to work at home most of the time, but I began to question myself. I can vividly remember changing a diaper while talking with an advertiser and literally silently praying– God please don’t let this baby cry out in the middle of my phone call.” About 10 years into the venture, Franklin found herself divorced and a single mother; she also was suddenly a business owner on her own. “Within months, everything changed, and I wondered if I could do everything. I learned I could not but God could.” She said, adding “The boys were young, and it was a real balancing act. Looking back, God walked with us, and even when there were those days when I wondered how I was going to produce an issue that month, God would come through. One time I went into a business owner for advice- not advertising- and came out with a full page ad for a year. Only God does that. Every time I didn’t think it would work, it did.” A more recent struggle was the death of Franklin’s younger brother Mark, who was a huge supporter of the magazine, and his sister. When he died suddenly last year of an undiagnosed heart condition, Franklin relied on her faith–and prayer–to get through it. “God gives us challenges, but they are opportunities to grow. From the deepest, darkest places, God gave me opportunities to learn more about myself and to trust Him more fully,” she said. “When Mark passed away, it was so sudden. At first I couldn’t even figure out how to pray anymore- to connect with God, but overtime I grew even further in my prayer life. Over the years I have learned that when I let go, God takes over. He shows me how to embrace and appreciate what He has given me, and to be humble.”
Faith & Family. Running magazines with “family” in the title is indicative of the passion Franklin has for her own family. Her family has been integral to the success of the magazine- from her three young sons providing the personal impetus to work from home to her parents and siblings’ support. Franklin said she’s indebted to them for their encouragement. “For many years my parents volunteered to deliver magazines for me all over the Birmingham area, and my mom is the best marketer ever,” she said. “She’ll tell anyone who’ll listen about the magazine.” Her brother Joel, who is a Birmingham attorney, helped in such actions as incorporating the business and providing insight into the franchise process; Mark, who was a forensic accountant at Ernst and Young, helped with financial books and provided a wonderful sounding board for Franklin to bounce ideas off. She also has the support of her husband, Adam, who she lived just five houses away from for 20 years before they ever met. “It’s a testament to God’s timing,” Franklin said of their relationship. “We both spent time working on ourselves- really doing some searching- and then we met in a way you could never make up.” Adam found her overnight bag on a busy road after she had inadvertently run over it in her driveway and drug it for several miles. He called her after finding her day planner with her contact information inside. “I walked to get it back from him. He was only five houses away. That was the beginning of our relationship,” she said. “We had a very long courtship of seven years and married in 2020.” And Franklin’s three little boys who were there with her at the start of Birmingham Christian Family? Benton graduated from Troy University, and the twins attended Vanderbilt; they are now 27 and 26 with careers of their own. “I always prayed for them to grow up to be responsible, caring young men, and they have,” she said. Faith is an integral part of her family’s life, and Franklin attends The Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills. She also makes prayer and devotion a part of her daily life, giving herself time at the beginning of each day to put everything in perspective. “I was in a place once where I didn’t think I could even take 10 minutes for myself because I had too much to do, but now it’s my most important time of the day,” she said, adding, “It’s a conversation with God, that includes writing my thoughts to Him in my journal. I’ve always been a worrier, and I still have some anxiety, but I had the realization that I could turn things over to God. So, in the morning, I take time to do that and recognize and thank Him for all He has given me.”
The Magazine Today & Future Plans. As Birmingham Christian Family celebrates its 25th anniversary, Franklin also celebrates the exciting ways it’s grown over the years–and the new things to come. Her team includes a graphic designer, advertising and sales associates, and editorial manager Melissa Armstrong. “Melissa joined us six years ago and she was a huge answer to prayer,” Franklin said. “I was really burning out because I was trying to do everything. Melissa was an intern from UAB and when she graduated, I was blessed to be able to hire her. She’s my invaluable right-hand person.” Franklin and her team started the Celebrate the Family Expo in 2020, and it’s grown to be a popular annual event that connects the community with family resources and lots of free fun. Franklin and the magazine continue to be an important voice in the community for the stories of faith, family, and business that are so integral to Birmingham. Those stories, after all, are what drew Franklin to the venture in the first place. “There are so many stories to tell,” she said. “Birmingham is full of faith stories and wonderful people.” As she looks back on the past 25 years and the years to come, Franklin said that God has been with her every step of the journey. “All along God has said ‘Trust me.’ And He has been faithful.”
-Cheryl Wray
