MISSION + CORE VALUES
Canvas exists to invite everyone to make their unique contribution to God’s project of new creation.
The where, when, and how of all this will be forever evolving as we learn and grow. But the bedrock, the core values that got this whole project started and will never change are these:
Loving, Authentic Community:
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.
Contact with God:
Worship, prayer and the other practices of faith are not for God’s benefit but for ours. We preserve no tradition for its own sake, but focus all our energy on what actually helps real people make real contact with the real God.
Inspiring Creativity:
We are convinced that God is engaged in the work of transforming our world, and that each of us is called to collaborate. Thus Canvas is committed to sparking imagination – to dream of a world that can be – and to empowering individuals and communities to make their unique contribution to the project of new creation.
Partnership “Out There”:
God’s call is to better our world, not create a religious safe-haven for church-dwellers. Thus we will always be asking how we can serve “out there,” not recruit members for “in here.” And recognizing the gifts and talents of others, we will thankfully join forces with anyone seeking to make the world a better place, regardless of their theology.
Continual Learning:
Our commitment is to the process of maturity, not the mastery of prescribed doctrine. We believe the church is at its best when intellectual integrity is welcomed not feared.
A Family with Children:
We not only agree that “it takes a village,” but that children have an essential contribution to make to the family of faith. Just as children thrive when they have many adults devoted to their care, so adults need to be reminded that play, laughter, and the occasional nap are essential to the good life. We are all God’s children, and thus children will not be relegated to the periphery.
