How Scrapbooking Is Cropping up in Women’s Ministries
Written by Dori Cook


For seven years running, women of all ages have gathered at Rocky Creek Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, on the first Friday of every month. Armed with creative papers, decorative embellishments, cropping supplies, stamps, stickers, and pens of all colors, they come to share their love for scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking has become one more way for women of all generations to connect and share their stories and Women’s Ministry leaders across the country are taking notice. By providing a place for this creative outlet in the local church, scrapbooking ministries are able to bridge the gap between the old and the young, the churched and the unchurched.

Tami Tribble, ministry coordinator at Rocky Creek, believes the scrapbooking ministry at her church has succeeded because it is a hobby that is meant to be shared. “Women who scrapbook usually have friends who also share their enthusiasm for the pastime,” said Tribble. “When we open the doors of our church for these ladies to scrapbook, they usually bring a friend. It’s a way to share something you love to do, testify of God’s faithfulness and reach out to your community all at the same time.”

The women of Rocky Creek come together and share a devotional, pray together, and then start their “cropping party.” As a group, they work together on projects that are aimed at preserving their memories for the next generation using Psalm 78:4 as their biblical basis: “We must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the Lord, His might, and the wonderful works He has performed.”—Psalm 78:4, HCSB

Donna Wright of Mansfield, Texas, feels that in many ways scrapbooking has become the “quilting” of our generation. “Years ago, when women would gather to work on quilts, they comforted and ministered to one another,” said Wright. “Today, scrapbooking has the same effect. It’s gathering to work on something of importance while spending time with sisters in Christ.”

As you plan your Women’s Ministry calendar for the coming year, consider these ideas to reach out to women in your community who scrapbook.

Host a Scrapbooking Coffee House
Set up your ministry center in a warm and welcoming way. Delicious pastries and coffees can be served. Advertise in your church and at local scrapbooking supply stores. Invite an avid scrapbooker and have her share her projects. Testimonies of how scrapbooking can be a ministry to the family will inspire others in their work.

Use Scrapbooking as a Prayer Ministry Event
Host a night of short Bible study and prayer for women to work on projects and pray specifically for the one showcased in their work. Women could design a page that celebrates their marriage and pray specifically for their husbands. Design a page that features children or grandchildren, journaling prayers and Scriptures over their lives. Pray corporately that the projects being completed will be a blessing to the faces on the pages.

Incorporate Scrapbooking into the Missions Work of the Church
Thompson Station Church in Tennessee sent a missions team this year to Southeast Asia and hosted a scrapbooking workshop for ministry wives. Free materials were made available to those in attendance. The women were blessed by the break from ministry and were inspired to start scrapbooking ministries in that region as a way to bring women together and build relationships.

In a society where godly traditions are all but disappearing, women are searching for ways to preserve their pictures, their memories, and to chronicle their faith journey. So the next time you’re looking for new ways to connect with women in your community, consider hosting a scrapbooking ministry event at your church. You’ll bring women together and remind them of the importance of celebrating the seasons of life that glorify the abundance of God’s goodness over a lifetime.


Note by Debp: Do any of you scrapbook?

I don't scrapbook often but this year I did help my granddaughters each make a scrapbook of our vacation with them in Florida. Then I made a scrapbook for my grandson of his summer. One remains for the baby of the family. I haven't done anything with his yet. Then I began scrapbooking the pictures of the 'sisters' runaway' that my sisters and I do each year. It was especially fun to remember the fun we have had each year. I put in some fun stickers like "I'm smiling because you're my sister. I'm laughing because there's nothing you can do about it."

I really need to start a scrapbooking group at church. We have some church pictures that need to be put into scrapbooks. But so far time has been a problem. Maybe this winter when things settle down a bit... if they ever do.

I don't think I will be scrapbooking a lot though. It can be quite expensive, even if you go with just basics and get things on sale and it does take a lot of time.

Michael's Crafts has alot of scrapbooking supplies. But I am not into scrapbooking.....like you say, it does take alot of time. Also, since I have so many photo albums, I'm not looking to get any more albums!! But it is a nice activity for those with families, to preserve the memories.

We don't have a Michaels but we have Hobby Lobby which has lots of scrapbooking stuff and each week things are on sale so you can usually find a sale next week if not this week.

I have lots of photo albums too but with grandkids always need more. They change every year... or month.

I can understand that with grandkids! The albums must be like The Blob....they keep growing and growing....

Well, the digital camera has helped. Now I only print the pictures that I like best and usually only a few from each event to put in albums. The rest go on my computer, on photobucket and on CD's. So I have them but they don't take up as much space. But I still print some. There's nothing like a picture in hand to look at.