Christiane, a pastor’s spouse living in Vernouillet, France, began posting verses on her bedroom walls to give her encouragement in her daily life. 

“Time and again, I received this strength from my bedroom wall on a posted verse,” Christiane said. “When my weak hands couldn’t join hands to pray or refused to open the Bible, when my heart had no words left, my eyes couldn’t help but see that call from the wall.”

Little by little, the idea of offering this gift to others was born. Christiane began creating objects inscribed with encouraging verses—keychains, baby bibs, paper frames—and sharing the projects with youth and children in her church. Two sisters with a talent for sewing stepped forward from the congregation to join Christiane in her mission.

“They had a machine at home and set to work for the Lord,” Christiane said. “Their enthusiasm touched me.”

One young woman started crafting candles at home (Christiane adds verses on labels), providing students from the congregation an opportunity to jump in and help. Another member is gifted in confectionery, concocting candy packs with verses on the bags. Yet another creates pieces of jewelry. As others step forward, Christiane says God will reveal the group’s future path.

“We are counting on our Lord to reveal talents, inspire us, and provide the necessary materials to launch this work,” Christiane said.

Christiane and her team distribute the scripture gifts in various ways, including local markets and community events, but often, it’s as simple as a friend-to-friend gift prompted by God.

“Our Lord, the master of circumstances, creates the circumstances himself,” Christiane said. “It’s up to us to listen to the Holy Spirit and take advantage of the opportunity God will give us to offer this object bearing a strand of the Word. God will care for the rest, as he answers our prayers accompanying the object.”

The group has undertaken prayer for the Dreux region (around 80 kilometers outside of Paris) because the team believes “that we are all on a mission in the place where God has placed us.”

“We want to see the Word enter the homes in our region by whatever means necessary,” Christiane said. “For the Word strengthens, the Word comforts, the Word heals, the Word restores, the Word gives life, the Word saves.”

Christiane believes that through inscribing scripture onto everyday objects, the team encourages people to discover the Bible for themselves, “challenging them to awaken this desire to know the truth.”

Verses are inscribed on picture frames, baby garments, jewelry, mugs, and more. One day, the team hopes to inscribe objects in braille to provide these same encouraging creations to the visually impaired. Christiane says this is because nothing about everyday life is outside the realm of Scripture.

“The Bible covers every possible theme,” Christiane said. “You have to be able to create astonishment to arouse curiosity. And God knows how to respond to the curiosity of a sincere heart with his Holy Spirit.”

While the ministry is new, Christiane is excited that it is an inclusive opportunity for her congregation and that old and young can participate.

“No one is disqualified from drawing others nearer to Jesus,” Christiane added. “We all have at least one talent, big or small, to make the Word catch someone’s eye or ear.”

--Church of the Nazarene Eurasia Region