by dhaley | Feb 12, 2024 | home-feature-section
This Lent, Canvas will be hosting discussion groups, based on the book, The Magnificent Defeat, by Frederick Buechner. This is a insightful book that examines what it really means to follow Christ.
On online groups meet on alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays on Zoom at 7pm. The in person meeting will be at Canvas after worship on Sunday, lef by Erika Karimi. As you sign up, please let us know your preference for which group works best for you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Debbie Haley.
by dhaley | Sep 1, 2023 | Uncategorized
Canvas is celebrating 10 Years of Ministry!
We hope that you will plan to join us in person or online in celebration of 10 years of ministry for Canvas! If you can make it to worship, you can linger for lunch of tacos and great fellowship.
We’re putting together some slideshows of the last 10 years and you probably have some photos that we don’t. If you’re willing to share a few (esp. if you’re in them!), we’d be grateful! It’s easy, just click below:
And if you are unable to attend the anniversary celebration, but would be willing to share a short video (like 20-30 seconds) to say hi or share a thought, you can record one or upload from another device here…
NOTE that the deadline for submitting photos and video is October 7th.
If you have any questions or wish to help out with worship and lunch on the 15th, please email Debbie.
by dhaley | Jun 30, 2023 | Uncategorized
We are starting something new at Canvas in order to build stronger connections with one another. Our session elders, along with a few other caring folks that have volunteered to pilot this new program, will be reaching out to all the members and regular attenders of Canvas in order to simply provide a possibly deeper or different connection. This will be an intentional approach to expressing our loving concern for those who view Canvas as “their church.” We hope to recognize and act upon needs that are identified such as arranging meals, providing transportation, coordinating hospital visitation, and praying for resolution for challenging circumstances. We know the needs are out there, big and small, and our hope is to come alongside one another and provide care.
We believe love is the highest good and God’s ultimate calling; and we know that love only exists in relationship. Thus we will build honest, enduring community with each other and strive to do so with others. We will prefer honest and messy to smooth and false every time.
Over the course of the summer, someone from the Canvas Care Team will be reaching out to you – probably a phone call, maybe an email or a text. We want to know how you wish to be contacted and then we’ll follow up accordingly. If you do NOT receive a call or note from us, please let us know – it’s possible we don’t have your correct contact information! Or, if you are new to Canvas and you know we don’t have your contact details, email us at care@canvasoc.org so we can get your name added to the list. Love is the name of the game!
by dhaley | Jun 10, 2023 | Uncategorized
The Huntington Library is one of the world’s great independent research libraries, with more than 11 million items spanning the 11th to the 21st century – and we are headed there for a day trip on Wednesday, July 12th. Want to join? We will meet at 9:30am at Canvas to carpool/caravan to Pasadena and spend the day enjoying the library, gardens and time over tea or lunch. The plan is to head back at around 2pm to avoid traffic, but some might choose to linger longer – the day is up to you!
Michelle Raitt has coordinated a special tour with Mr. Tabor, the curator of rare books for the Library. There are 10 spots available for this tour, so this will be on a first-to-sign-up basis, and we’ll keep a waiting list in the event that someone is unable to make it on that day. There is no additional cost, just admission.
For those that want to explore the library or gardens, there are free garden or estate tours as well as an Art Spot Light tour available each day for no extra cost than admission. If you do not have a museum membership, the cost is $25 (adults) or $21 (senior, 65+).
The Huntington Library also has a beautiful Tea Room and for those that are interested, we will reserve a table. Otherwise, there are multiple places to grab a delicious lunch. You are also welcome to brown bag it and find a nice spot at the picnic tables out on the Garden Court patio.
To join us for the day, please sign up to let us know your preferences by June 20th for how you want to spend your day! Click here to sign up!
by dhaley | May 24, 2022 | Uncategorized
A THEOLOGICAL CASE FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE!
Unfortunately, mental health care remains stigmatized in society, and not least, in the church. If you or someone you love has ever wondered if seeking psychotherapy or medication for the treatment of emotional suffering is a cop out, a lack of faith, or any way contrary to God’s intent for his people, here is Pastor Kirk’s response (scroll down for a list of annotated resources!).
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
National Alliance on Mental Illness – an outstanding and comprehensive resource for those seeking information about mental health, finding treatment, facing immediate crisis as well as support for caregivers.
NAMI Guide to Navigating a Mental Health Crisis – Immediate and accessible instructions and decision-making tools in case of an active of potential mental health emergency.
The National Crisis Text Line (or simply text: 741741) – Not just for those feeling suicidal, but for anyone in a moment of emotional overwhelm – be connected quickly with a trained volunteer counselor who can help deescalate the internal storm.
9-8-8 and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Who to call when the risk of suicide (for yourself or another) is high or The current Lifeline number is 1 -800-273-8255 (available also in Spanish and to the hearing impaired). However, beginning June 16, 2022, dialing 9-8-8 will connect directly to the Lifeline, so let’s get the word out!
The Trevor Project – Support resources, as well as, access to immediate crisis counseling for LGBT+ teens and young adults.
by dhaley | May 6, 2022 | Uncategorized
Summer is a great time to make new connections in small groups. The goal will be to meet every other week, for about 8-weeks, and each group can determine its own plan for meeting (where, when and what to discuss).
We will have suggestions like books or a video series to draw upon, or you can simply use the sermons as a place to start. You are also welcome to meet and just connect socially, knowing that we’ve had plenty of time a-part.
Please use our Small Group Interest Form to let us know your general small group interests and availability. We hope to assemble groups that will meet in person and/or on zoom, depending on what will work best for each group.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Debbie Haley.
by Susan | Mar 10, 2022 | home-feature-section
Central to Canvas’s identity is the welcome we extend to everyone and our conviction that all who confess Jesus as Lord are our siblings in Christ. In February of 2020, the session of Canvas unanimously approved this Statement of Inclusivity:
Canvas Presbyterian Church embraces diversity and affirms the dignity and worth of every person as a beloved child of God.We welcome into full membership and participation in our community persons of every race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability and socio-economic status. We welcome all to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, and blessings of participation in our congregation.
We acknowledge the role the church has played in the exclusion and oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and that this treatment has harmed LGBTQ+ folks as well as family members of our LGBTQ+ siblings who long for the church to be a safe and supportive space for their loved ones. Through our work in our Continually Learning LGBTQ+ series, we have come to recognize that living into the fullness of one’s gender and sexual identity, much like the life is faith, is a lifelong journey and that this journey needs love, care, support, and understanding. We this in mind, we are embarking on creating two affinity groups:
Queer & Questioning = For people of faith who also identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community or who are questioning their gender or sexual identity seeking connection with others.
Parents & Family = For parents and immediate family members of LGBTQ+ folks to find community with others on the journey to uplift, encourage, and be better allies for their loved ones.
Our hope and prayer is that these confidential spaces will provide support for those on these journeys and that through them folks will find community along the way.
If you are interested in joining either group, please fill out the interest form below. This form is connected to our LGBTQ@canvasoc.org email address which is monitored by a single trusted member of our community; they will get back to you promptly with more information.
by Susan | Mar 10, 2022 | home-feature-section
Here is some good news you can use: even when light fades and darkness falls—as it does every single day, in every single life—God does not turn the world over to some other deity.
— Barbara Brown Taylor
Be it a global pandemic, the threat of war, an intimate loss, a looming uncertainty…we all have times when the light fades, when we are faced with deep disorientation – our trusted landmarks no longer visible, the horizon disappears and we no longer know quite where we are headed or how long the journey will be. No wonder we tend to be afraid of the dark; no wonder we invent endless varieties of artificial light.
But there are some lessons that can only be learned in the dark. And if we can summon the courage to face its reality, we may discover that our eyes adjust, and that new landmarks appear, and that we are not so alone as we may feel.
Lent is the church’s way of honoring the darkness (as equally blessed by God as the light – see Gen. 1). It’s the season we consciously set aside our distractions and busyness and strivings for comfort and direct our attention to the mystery of God and to the inner landscape of our soul – particularly the parts from which we are tempted to hide.
The Book We’re Reading:
Barbara Brown Taylor is one of my favorite authors and guides to the spiritual life. An Episcopal pastor, university professor, gardener, sage…she knows how to embody a soul committed to God and to love. And her book, Learning to Walk in the Dark (free on Kindle!), is as profound as it is humble and earthy.
Throughout Lent, those who would like are invited to read along and join a weekly Lenten conversation (see below). There are even some guided reflections and meditations on the book available on the Ritual app.
Guided Prayers and Meditations:
At the heart of Lent is prayer. Intellectual understanding has its place; and the Lenten sermons from Matthew are available in the usual sermon series archive. But this year, I want to post some additional audio guided prayers and meditations of own creation. Some are simply readings of psalms, others recitations of the daily office (from the Book of Common Prayer), and others are short lightly-guided meditations to help us slow down and center ourselves in God’s presence for a moment. They will be posted below as they are released.
Online Conversations…
Because community is an essential ingredient in our growth, we will be hosting weekly Zoom conversations throughout Lent. These one-hour, lightly-directed conversations will be held Wednesday nights from 7-8PM (PDT), BEGINNING MARCH 9th.
This is a simply a time to reflect on the book, the sermons, the meditations, or anything else Lenten that is stirring in your soul.
To join the Zoom conversations you will need to register here. A link will then be automatically sent to your e-mail address.
It is a time of great transition in our world, and we need a considered moment to acknowledge the deep disorientation we have and may well continue to experience. But as Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us: “…when darkness falls…, God does not turn the world over to some other deity.” So let us use this Lent to learn more about faith in fading light.
by Jennifer | Nov 16, 2020 | home-feature-section
During this uncertain and challenging time, when we are keeping our distance from others and remaining in our homes, there are certain people at Canvas that have volunteered to be CANVAS Churchmates – people who will respond to your needs (pick up & deliver groceries, medicine, food). We just need to know what they are! Click on the link below and let us know:
CANVAS Churchmates Signup!
If you are a member of Canvas and wish to serve in this way, please email Debbie to be added to the list.