Work as a Ministry

(photo credit to the amazingly talented Brittany Flegel Photography)

At first glance, owning a business or doing photography might not seem like a ministry or necessitate faith.

It doesn’t look like preaching a sermon or leading a Bible study. It isn’t evangelism, in the traditional sense.

God is a central, foundational part of our lives and so even from the start of Courtney Liske Photography, we wanted to invite God into the business and into the relationships. We didn’t fully understand how our faith and our work might be connected but we wanted to start off on the right foot, and incorporate this big part of our lives into our business.

I don’t know exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the journey, we looked at each other and realized that this was ministry.

pIt was an opportunity for ministry when we held space for a bride quietly grieving the absence of her dad, who wouldn’t be walking her down the aisle. When we gently reminded a groom, hands shaking with nerves, to take some deep breaths, and prayed silently for peace to steady him. It was an opportunity for ministry when we honoured not just the posed portaits but those in-between moments, the sneaky or often unseen pieces of the day.

Our faith didn’t just shape what we did, it shaped how we did it.

Our Faith

We believe that every person is created in the image of God. That means everyone we photograph is worthy of dignity, celebration and care. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

On our about page, we state, “You are seen. You are worthy. You are loved. You have a story to tell. And we can’t wait to help you tell it!”

And on wedding days, we weren’t just documenting a wedding – we were bearing witness to something holy. A covenant. A glimpse of joy in a world that desperately needs it.

From day one, we unashamedly tell our couples that as much as we care about the wedding, we care more about the marriage. We want to build into people’s marriages as much as we can to see them grow, flourish and connect in deep and meaningful ways.

We pray that the way we carried ourselves at every wedding and every session – through the kindness, the patience, the peace and the calm we brought in chaotic moments would speak something deeper than us. That the peace of Christ would be evident not in the words we said, but in how we served, in how we showed up, in how we cared, and how we made people feel.

We never needed our business to be branded as a “Christian photography company”, but behind the scenes, everything we do has been rooted in prayer and ultimately, in God. We literally pray before every consult and every photo session and every wedding. We pray for our clients by name and for any specific challenges for their day that we may be aware of. So if we have ever photographed or met with you, know that you have been prayed for – probably more than once!

We have prayed for grace and wisdom on hard days. And when those hard days came, often reminded ourselves and each other that this wasn’t a job – it was calling.

It didn’t always feel glamorous. It often meant late nights, sore feet, juggling parenting or our day jobs, etc. But the work we were doing was meaningful. It mattered.

Our faith reminded us to see the people, not just the projects. To prioritize presence over perfection. To choose integrity, even if it might cost us something.

To give generously. To serve humbly. To love deeply.

Even now, as we wind down this chapter of Cam & Courtney Photography, we can see God’s hands all over it. The doors that opened, the people we met along the way, the moments we were invited into, and the lessons we learned.

It wasn’t just a business. It was a ministry all along.

If there is one thing we hope and pray our couples and families walked away with (beyond the photos) – it’s this:

We pray that you have felt seen. That you have been affirmed that you are worthy. That you know you are loved.

You will be in our hearts and our prayers,

Cam & Courtney