Canvas Groups

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it up carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable… The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers… of love is hell.” - C.S. Lewis

Made for Community

The fact is that we were made for community. We need each other. When we look at the creation account, one of the fundamental lessons that we learn is that we were made to be social creatures. God recognized this and communicated it to the first human, Adam. Everything was just about perfect—the creation, the presence of beauty without corruption, and a perfect connection with God. The human walked hand and hand together through the garden with God. Yet even when all “was good”, the human was told that it was “not good” to be alone. And it is not good for us to be alone.

In other words, all of the good in the world is not good as long as human beings are alienated from each other. Aristotle the great philosopher confirmed this thought when he wrote, “No one would choose a friendless existence on condition of having all the other things in the world.”

Canvas groups are designed to help foster connection and community. What makes canvas groups distinct is that they are not based on formal meetings. Many people are fed up with what they say is, “organized religion.” We think that part of what many are saying is “give me meaningful connection with people and God without all of the formality.” We agree. Meetings tend to become boring, predictable, stale and stagnant.

To understand this fresh concept of community “canvas groups” all you need to keep in mind is 3-4-5. Three images, four remedies, and five equippers, five focal concerns and five concrete practices.

Three Images

You can remember the three images by remembering the three things that are made with canvas material. Painters use canvas to display their art, tents are made of canvas, and sailboats use canvas for their sails.

The idea is that just like a painter paints on a canvas to create a masterpiece, God is working in our lives—as individuals and a group of people, we are a work of art in progress. Tents are also made of canvas, and symbolize the fact that we are sojourners on a journey. God has called us to live a life of adventure, in which faith is required. Sails are another popular use for canvas, and sails remind us to let the fresh wind of the Spirit guide us to adapt to our changing world.

Four Remedies

With those three images in mind, let’s look at the four practices in which the canvas group engages. While there are times and places when we all meet together, canvas groups are more oriented around practices than they are formal meetings.

The four practices work against the common problems that can develop in small groups. Instead of having groups where people wear masks to hide their true self, they practice authentic worship. Instead of coming to groups and feeling lonely in a crowd, people practice soul connection. Instead of the boring and predictable, canvas groups engage in faith ventures. And instead of things getting stale people get involved in creative expression. Rather than read about how these work, check one out for yourself. Check out the list of canvas groups at the end of this article.

Five Equippers

The Dream Awakeners (Apostles) help the group to follow Jesus and expand the kingdom.

The Heart Revealers (Prophets) help the community to walk with God and engage in social justice.

The Story Tellers (Evangelists) help the community to be people of welcome and redemptive agents.

The Soul Healers (Pastors) help the community to embody the ministry of reconciliation and experience healing and wholeness.

While the Light Givers (Teachers) help the body immerse themselves in the sacred text and live faithfully in the story of God.