In the 1980s, Lutheran Brotherhood (LB), a Thrivent predecessor, encouraged branch leaders to create scrapbooks documenting their activities. These scrapbooks contain photographs, invitations, event announcements, newspaper clippings and thank-you notes from the people and organizations served by LB branches. Often, multiple people contributed to a branch scrapbook over the years, evidenced by changing handwriting and documentation styles.
Branches across the country compiled these scrapbooks, and many of them made their way into the Thrivent Corporate Archives in Appleton, Wisconsin, to be preserved.
These scrapbooks provide tangible evidence of the impact LB members had on their local communities. They document the breadth of interests and causes that branches took on and the unique needs of each region. And they capture individuals and events that might not have otherwise made it into the historical record. A house fire. Medical equipment a family couldn’t afford. A missing wheelchair ramp. A summer camp short on funds. The scrapbooks show that LB branches responded to whatever their community needed most.
Members always have been at the center of Thrivent’s business, and our lodge system has enabled members to engage with each other and support their communities throughout our history. This powerful network has changed over the years, but our core idea of connecting people and communities never has.
LB’s branch scrapbooks highlight the difference everyday people can make when they show up for one another. They’re a reminder of Thrivent’s enduring commitment to generous living.
Lauren Gaines is Thrivent’s corporate historian and archives manager.
