The Canvas team organized CUSO (Clean Up Selly Oak) again this term. Armed with rubbish bags, litter pickers, and bright green shirts they tackled the litter problem on the Selly Oak streets with the help of the exchange students, interns, and Clappy, the Canvas mascot,  The University Guild of Students and the Birmingham City Council have both approached Canvas in hopes of organizing a joint litter pick in the spring.

Bible Study (or Tuesday Nights @ Canvas, as the students know it) is the pinnacle of the Canvas week. Though the focus may shift sometime in the future, right now everything we do points to Tuesday Nights.  Bible Study is the night to put into words all the truths about Jesus we try during the week to share with our lives.

The team spent a year praying, developing relationships, asking questions, and planning for the first Bible Study.  Before the term began in September, we gathered our core students together, the majority of whom aren’t Christians, and explained to them Canvas’ vision. Neatly put, ”Canvas is a community of love, grace, and acceptance that consistently challenges students with the real and relevant Jesus and develops leaders that do the same.”  They love us and thus wanted to be a part of Canvas as it moved into a more overtly Christian future.  Relationships do matter.

As, Andy, Michael, Anthony and Ben at the first Tuesday.

In the three weeks leading up to October 28 we invited people to the Canvas House with welcome bags, flyers around campus, free coffee in the mornings, free BBQs on campus, and even a giant orange hand named Clappy.  Two Tuesdays before we held a well-attended Open Mic Night at the Canvas House.  Free dinner and good local artists were such a draw that two students, Ash and Tom, offered to organize more Open Mic Nights as the term continued.  Students stepping into leadership roles are one of our key goals so of course we agreed. One Tuesday before Canvas’ first Bible Study we held a Quiz Night to a packed house.  I’m not sure how we could have fit more people into the Canvas House front room or fed more mouths (though somehow we did come Thanksgiving Dinner).  With the momentum of the Kick-Off Party, Open Mic Night, and Quiz Night driving us forward we looked with anticipation to October 28 and our first time expressing to the masses why Canvas exists.

On the day of Leah spent cooking for a rough guesstimate, Kevin practiced popular radio songs with the band of students, Natalie and Nathan debated just the right words to share, and Robert and the exchange students and interns put the final touches on the house.  Then there was nothing to do but wait.  Wait to see if anyone even came.  Wait to see if anyone stayed past the free dinner.  But we and those who support us were praying.  And God heard those prayers.

We had 25 people at the first Bible study.  And everyone stayed.  35 people came to the second Bible study. 40 came to the third.  As the term progressed there were 55 people coming to the Canvas House on Tuesday nights to eat a hot meal, enjoy some great tunes, meet up with friends, and hear a little bit about the greatest friend of all.  But numbers, numbers mean little.  People are what count.  Enjoy some pictures of the people who have made Tuesday Nights @ Canvas great this term.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to the official unofficial Canvas mascot. This is Clappy. He, like Canvas, is going around, making the high-5 cool again (as if it ever weren’t).

Our proud mascot.

Clappy has been around Selly Oak (our surrounding community) and around the university, at the sides of busy streets, and at local eateries making friends and distributing free high-5s. Way to go, Clappy. Way to go.