Disciple: The (New) Art of the Canvass
By Christine McTaggart with the Rev. John Heinemeier, the Rev. Caleb Tabor, the Rev. Audra Abt and the Rev. Dr. Chantal McKinney
When one thinks of canvassing on behalf of a church, traditional images often come to mind: knocking on doors with religious pamphlets and requests for a moment to share the Good News, questions about one’s relationship status with Jesus and invitations to come to the door knocker’s church.
This image is what is most immediately associated with “evangelism,” and it’s a concept with which many Episcopalians are uncomfortable. But in recent years, Episcopalians have started taking the old notion of canvassing and using it in new ways, approaching it not as a way to “ask” something of those on whose doors we knock, but rather as a way to offer, whether that means a service to the community, a prayer for those in need or simply an offer to listen to what our neighbors have to say. Yet while the approach to canvassing may be evolving, the heart of it is the same it’s always been: an invitation to begin and build relationships.
OFFERINGS
During his time as vicar of St. Cyprian’s, Oxford, the Rev. John Heinemeier revived the practice of canvassing the local neighborhood. With its diverse congregation and bilingual services, St. Cyprian’s had a lot to offer the surrounding community. Knocking on neighbors’ doors was not only a response to the Great Commission of Christ, it was a wonderful way to re-introduce a vibrant and revitalized congregation to its neighbors.
Today, led by vicar the Rev. Caleb Tabor, St. Cyprian’s continues the tradition of interacting with its neighbors, using canvassing as a central means of sharing information about special events and services.
“We use canvassing more to build relationship between the church and the community,” said Tabor. “Yes, we’re also raising awareness about the presence of the congregation in the community, but the relationship is the priority.”
In the last year alone, St. Cyprian’s has used canvassing to invite residents of Oxford to a Halloween party, where about a third of those who attended were not St. Cyprian’s members but community neighbors, and to advertise a legal workshop taking place that included information for those facing immigration issues.
“We didn’t ask the person [we were talking to] if he or she needed the workshop,” said Tabor. “We just presented it as something that was happening, and we wanted to let residents know about it in case they knew of someone who might find it useful.”
For St. Cyprian’s, “canvassing is essentially taking an idea and making a personal connection with someone about it in person,” said Tabor. “It’s meeting a person, in person, wherever that person might be that day. It’s not mediated by social media or any other channel. We let folks know about what’s happening, and they can take it or leave it. There are no strings, and that alone can be incredibly rare.”
“Of course,” he laughed, “if they do come to an event at the church, we make sure worship information is easy to find!”
Though there are best practices to canvassing, Tabor advises there’s no one “right way.” “There are many approaches,” he said. “None of them are wrong. Figure out what’s right for you and your church, and take it from there.”
LISTENING
In the last few years, the Rev. Audra Abt and the Rev. Dr. Chantal McKinney have both been instrumental in developing new ministries in the Winston-Salem and Greensboro areas. While their respective ministries look different at first glance, both are rooted in the practice of going out and meeting their neighbors where they are.
Because their ministries were not yet established at the time their canvassing began, when knocking on their neighbors’ doors, prayer and listening were at the heart of their offerings.
“We believe we can affect change through listening first, rather than the church having all the answers,” said McKinney. “And there’s a beauty of meeting neighbors on their own terms, walking with them on their own streets and hearing their hopes for their neighborhood.”
In the listening, gifts can be found, concerns can be heard, leaders developed and gaps identified. A critical step in hearing the community was gathering missioners after outings to share stories about what they heard and learned. They listened to each other as much as to their neighbors.
“It helps us to see where and how God is active and how Christ met us in the people we encounter,” McKinney explained.
“As you encounter the same people over and over again,” said Abt, “let yourself be invited as much as you’re extending an invitation. That’s how relationships are built and deepen, and it’s how God affects and transforms us through those relationships.”
Both agree, “God will bless you through the people you encounter as much as or more than you bless them!”
BEST PRACTICES
- Go! You don’t need to read another book or study more; if you are ready to enter into open conversation and give of yourself to your neighbors, you are ready to go. Trust that God will equip you with what you need.
- Go two-by-two. As Jesus sent forth his own disciples two-by-two, so should you go.
- Practice! Canvassing is a new and unfamiliar experience for many, so think through what you’d like to say before you go, and don’t be shy about practicing it with a partner or friend. If you’re not ready to do the talking, ask to be partnered with someone more comfortable having new conversations.
- Don’t go in anyone’s home, and don’t ask for personal information. The goal of the encounter should be about offering, not asking.
- Be friendly.
- Approach the conversation with a blank slate of expectations; don’t assume you know what’s needed or what you’re going to hear.
- Listen, listen and listen some more!
- Leave something behind – an event flyer, a pen, anything that reminds your neighbor you and your church are there for them.
- Remember the destination is the journey itself.
GIFTS FOR YOU
- Canvassing is a wonderful opportunity to build relationships within the church, as it depends heavily on lay engagement. Challenge yourself to go out in the world with someone you don’t know well, and get to know them as you walk.
- Canvassing can be an intergenerational event, bridging age gaps and encouraging learning from one another as stories are shared.
- Going out into the world offers you a chance to ask yourself about your own faith; why is what you’re doing important
to you? - The key to canvassing is listening; as you learn to listen to strangers, what more are you starting to hear from your friends, family or coworkers?
