How to make a church photo directory, without a photographer

A church directory helps people put names to faces, welcome newcomers and stay in touch. Here's how to make one that looks good and doesn't take over the church office for a month.

1. Decide what goes in it

Most directories have a page or two for each household: a family photo, everyone's names, and how to reach them. Many also include:

• A welcome page and a short history of the church
• Staff and leadership, with photos
• Service times, ministries and groups
• An index of every member, so people can find each other quickly

Keep the contact details simple: a phone number, an email and, if families want, an address. Birthdays and anniversaries are nice extras, but make them optional.

2. Collect everyone's details

This is the part that usually takes longest. Paper forms get lost and spreadsheets go stale. What works best is one link that every family fills in themselves, on their own phone, in a couple of minutes. Share it in the bulletin, a church email, and on a slide or poster with a QR code for Sunday morning.

Set a deadline about three weeks out, and send a friendly reminder a week before it.

3. Get the photos

You don't need a photographer. Today's phones take photos that print beautifully at directory size. A few things make a big difference:

• Light: near a window or outside in open shade. Avoid direct midday sun and overhead lights behind people.
• Background: simple and uncluttered: a wall, a hedge, the church lawn.
• Framing: everyone close together, from the waist up, faces filling a good part of the frame.
• Resolution: use the phone's main camera, not a screenshot or a photo sent through a messaging app, which shrinks it.

For families who'd rather not take their own, hold a "Photo Sunday": one volunteer with a phone, one spot by a window, and five minutes between services.

See our photo tips for families to pass along.

4. Respect people's privacy

A directory is personal information, so treat it that way:

• Let each family choose what's shown. Some will want to leave out an address or a phone number.
• Get consent before including anyone, and let people change or remove their entry later.
• Keep any online directory private, for members only, not searchable on the web.
• Be careful with children's details: first names in a family entry are usual, but leave out anything more.

5. Lay it out

Consistency is what makes a directory look professional: the same photo size, the same order of details, and the same fonts on every page. Alphabetical by last name is standard. Put the index at the back, and number every page.

If you're designing it yourself, a word processor or design tool with a fixed grid works. Plan for printing early: books are printed in multiples of four pages, so leave room for a notes page or two at the end.

6. Print it

A printed directory is still what most members want, especially older members. A paperback with a color cover and color pages is the most common choice. Ordering copies one at a time costs more than printing them together, so collect orders first and print one batch.

Decide who pays. Some churches cover the cost; many simply let members order the copies they want.

7. Keep it up to date

People move, families grow, newcomers arrive. An online directory can be updated right away, and a new printing every year or two keeps the paper copy current. Keep a single list as the source for both, so you never update it in two places.

Want it done for you?

Pew & Page does all of this for churches, free. Families add themselves from their phones, we design the book, and members get a private online directory too. Members who want a printed copy order one, and the copies arrive at church in one box.