Opener Section 

OUR STORY

From the very beginning, God has been faithfully writing our story: guiding every step, opening doors, and bringing the right people at the right time. Over the last 14 years, it has taken the dedication, prayers, and hard work of countless individuals to help build what we see today—including the sacrifice of more than 20 interns who have served, learned, and led alongside us.

We invite you to read through the timeline below and celebrate milestones and ways that God has been good to us since the beginning

2011: GOD INITIATES A CALL
Through multiple divine appointments, circumstances, and confirmation from the Word Pastor Ashley and his wife April hear a call from God regarding Vancouver Island while serving at First Baptist Biloxi in Mississippi
2012-2013: RESPONDING TO THE CALL
In March of 2012, Pastor Ashley took a trip to Vancouver Island to pray and see what God was doing on Vancouver Island. He was met by significant divine appointments in Victoria and Nanaimo.

One month later, Ashley brought April to Vancouver Island to see if she had the same sense of call that he had.

In May, Ashley and April gave God their YES!
They were leaving a great church, extended family and friends, and everything they knew as they started the process of transitioning 4,800 KM to Victoria, BC.

The Austin Family moved to Victoria, BC in March of 2013. They set out to spend their first year learning a new ministry context, building relationships, praying for the community, serving the city, and putting a team together.

Their heart was to join God in what He was calling them to do on Vancouver Island, namely to introduce people to the greatest Treasure in all of life, Jesus Christ and starting life-giving, Jesus-focused, relationship-building, family-oriented, community-serving, faith-filled, prayer-fueled, and Spirit-led
churches across Vancouver Island.
2013: CANVAS CAMPS BEGIN
Canvas Camps is at the heart of the beginning!
The very first camps were 4 one-day soccer camps in Victoria, Saanich, Colwood, and Langford.

Later in July there was a week-long soccer camp
in Colwood and a week-long flag football camp in Langford.
2013-2014 : CANVAS CHURCH BEGINS
September 2013: Canvas Church started in the Austin’s living room in September with nine adults and six kids present.

December 2013: Canvas hosted a Christmas Eve Candle Light Gathering at the Bear’s Den Coffee Shop on Bear Mountain with approximately 45 friends and guests.

On January 12, 2014 Canvas hosted their very first public worship gathering in the Ballroom at the Westin Bear Mountain. Canvas held monthly worship gatherings in the Ballroom at the Westin Bear Mountain January through August.

September 2014: Canvas hosted four weeks of Kids Wellness Camps in partnership with Ecoasis and the Westin Bear Mountain during the BC Teacher’s Strike. These camps proved to be a God-sized catalyst at a time when Canvas was already set to start meeting weekly.
In September of 2014 Canvas began hosting weekly worship gatherings in the Ballroom at the Westin Bear Mountain.
2015: FIRST BAPTISMS
On May 15, 2015, Canvas hosted their first Baptism with 12 people publicly declaring their faith in Jesus.
2017: CANVAS OAK BAY BEGINS
In ___ a team from Canvas began a monthly Bible Study in Oak Bay at ___

In ____ Mike and Sarah Blackaby responded to God’s call on their life and left their life in Georgia to move to Oak Bay and formally plant Canvas Church Oak Bay.

In ___ Oak Bay began meeting for weekly worship gatherings in the Ballroom at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

We are so grateful for the partnership we have with Canvas Church Oak Bay and that God allowed us to be a part of their story. You can read more about Mike and Sarah and their church at canvasoakbay.ca
2018-2019: LEGAL STEPS
In June 2018, Canvas became a BC Society

In November of 2019, Canvas became a registered charity

In ___ the first Canvas Ministry Board was appointed. 
2022-2022: A CHALLENGING SEASON
In March, like many churches, Canvas went through a challenging season due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Additionally, Pastor Ashley had a health crisis and endured two open heart surgeries in November 2020 and August 2021.

In November of 2021 Pastor Ashley miraculously returned to Canvas after a month stay in two hospitals in the states and a near death experience.
2022: THE TEAM GROWS
After facing several difficult years, God blessed Canvas with the opportunity to hire 2 full time pastors onto the staff. In January and August of 2022, two young families moved from the States to join the mission at Canvas.


2024: HUB CITY CHURCH IN MOTION
Cam and Christa Moore felt a call on their life to plant a church. After much prayer and discernment God called them to Nanaimo, a city just under 2 hours North of Victoria. The couple spent 6 weeks serving as summer interns at Canvas Church in 2016 and have a heart for the Island.

In September on 2024, the Moore family moved from Georgia to Nanaimo to follow God's call to plant another church on Vancouver Island.

There is no doubt that God has always had a plan for Nanaimo. Canvas had been actively praying for Nanaimo and felt a burden for the unbelievers there even as God was in the process of preparing Cam and Christa.

Canvas is so thankful to partner alongside Hub City church and can't wait to see what God has in store.
2024: SHEPHERDING TEAM SUPPORT
For the first time since arriving in Victoria in 2013, Canvas Church had matured to the point of having the ability to send Pastor Ashley and April on a 10 week sabbatical.

Canvas launched the Shepherding team initially to fill a need in the midst of Ashley's absence. Now, the team continues to play a crucial role in helping the pastoral staff to pray and care for the rapidly growing Faith Family at Canvas.


WHERE ARE WE NOW?

max capacity

Canvas has been hosting Sunday gathering at the Colwood Pacific Activity Centre since the spring of 2018 and most Sundays we are at a maximum capacity without an opportunity to add an additional service at this time.

leadership teams

Canvas continues to develop teams to serve the faith family and the mission of Canvas in our community and around the world.

STAFF provides most day to day leadership.

THE CANVAS BOARD provides financial oversight, wisdom, and support to the staff and the church.

THE SHEPHERDING TEAM provides prayer, care, and encouragement to the Canvas Faith Family.

OUR FAITH FAMILY

500+ REGULAR ATTENDERS
We see around 500 people each month—many of them several times—gathering to grow in faith and community.

100 KIDS & GROWING
Little Canvas, Canvas Kids, and Grade 5/6 welcome around 100 children each week. God is also moving in powerful ways among our Students.

YOUNG ADULTS ON THE RISE
Roughly 40 attend Bible Study during the school year, and up to 80 gather weekly for summer Beach Volleyball.

With rapid growth, we hired a Discipleship Ministry Intern in Summer 2025 to support our expanding Canvas Discipleship Groups.

OUTREACH 

2025 CANVAS CAMPS
will have seen more than 600 registrations in 2025 between Basketball, Soccer, Flag football, and Camp Create.

2025 FAMILY FEST 
hosted inflatables, live music, games, arts/crafts, food and drinks for more than 3,000 people in our community.

2025 FAMILY RETREAT
was a time of fellowship and discipleship for more than 200 people at Canvas Church. The three-day retreat is filled with life-giving times of worship, prayer, Bible teaching, incredible meals, and amazing times of recreation designed for the whole family.

11 YEARS OF BASKETBALL CAMP

approximately 1,400 campers

12 YEARS OF SOCCER CAMP

approximately 2,000 campers

11 YEARS OF CAMP CREATE

approximately 2,000 campers

8 YEARS OF TENNIS CAMP

approximately 240 campers

4 YEARS OF FLAG FOOTBALL CAMP

approximately 200 campers

10 YEARS OF FAMILY FEST

approximately 17,000-20,000
people in our community 

10 YEARS OF FAM RETREAT

discipleship weekends for our church

200+ BAPTISMS 

since May 2015

MAP?

THE REAL MIRACLE OF 
CANVAS CHURCH: THE PEOPLE

The people that God has brought to this special faith family.
The people God has pursued.
The people God has saved.
The people that have grown in their faith in Jesus.
The people that have prayed for and with us.
The people that have given and served generously alongside us.
The people that have locked arms encouraging, supporting, and caring for one another.
The people that God has developed and sent out to make a difference for the Kingdom.
The people that have experienced stronger marriages and stronger families.
The next generation that knows there is a God in heaven who loves them and who is inviting them to join Him in making a significant impact on our city, our island, our nation, and the world.

WHY BUY/BUILD?

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Proposal- about the offer Section 

From Pastor Ashley…

On June 25, early in the morning I was sitting before the Lord, reading my Bible, journaling, praying, reflecting. I asked the Lord this question: “Father God, What’s on your heart?” His response: “Do you really want to know?” It almost felt like, “Ashley do you really care what’s on my heart? Are you willing to sit a while in My Presence a while? Are you willing to be still? To listen? To seek Me with all your heart?” After spending time being still before the Lord, tuning my heart to listen, I didn’t get a response. A few hours later I was gathering in my office with a group of pastors for lunch, mutual encouragement, and prayer. As we prayed together, I felt like God gave me two words. The two words were – Legacy & Entrusted.

As I have reflected on those words the following weeks, I feel like God is asking me, possibly many or all of us at Canvas, and maybe friends of Canvas from other parts of the world who have prayed for us, served with us, and invested generously in what God has called us to do – How do I/we build a Godly Legacy? While a Godly Legacy is so much more than a building or ministry centre, I invite you to join me in believing a Canvas Ministry Centre can serve as a tool, a resource that can serve our Canvas family, our larger community, and can be used to equip future leaders for ministry in cultivating a Godly Legacy that will outlasts all of us. I invite you to join me in believing a Canvas Ministry Centre will outlast us in continuing to carry out the vision that God put on my heart and April’s heart before we made the move to Vancouver Island in 2013. I invite you to join me in believing a Canvas Ministry Centre will help us to create a Godly Legacy for the many generations that will come after us.

The second word was entrusted. I felt like God was asking me, “Ashley, what are you doing with what I have entrusted to you?” If you have been around the Canvas story - it is one of faith, prayer, opposition, courage, impossible situations, miracles, and the power of God. We shouldn’t take the activity of God lightly. It is an incredible gift to see God at work in the ways we have seen God at work in the last 13 years. We want to be faithful to steward well this call and story that God is writing through so many of our lives. This invitation to “take the land” will be the next chapter in a God sized story that began many years ago.
 

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