Canterbury UMC

Easter Services
2025-04-20 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
We cannot wait to celebrate Easter with you!
Sanctuary Worship: 8:15 & 10:30 AM & Contemporary Worship: 8:15 & 10:30 AM

Holy Week Services
2025-04-14 08:00 - 2025-04-18 17:00
Noon Services & Lunch | April 14, 15 & 16 (Chapel) — Maundy Thursday Services | April 17 (Noon & 6 PM) — Good Friday Services | April 18 (Noon & 6 PM)
Please visit www.canterburyumc.org/lent for the full list.

Discovery Weekend
2025-03-14 00:00 - 2025-03-16 00:00
Get ready for the best retreat of the Spring! Discovery Weekend is March 14-16, and it’s a retreat for all 7th-12th graders! Discovery Weekend is a weekend for our junior high students that is put on by our senior high students. It is a retreat here at the church that will be the best weekend of your life! Registration will open on Monday, February 3 at 7 AM! Not sure what Discovery Weekend is all about? Check out our 2024 Discovery Weekend highlight video to see why it’s so awesome!
Click here to register.

5th Grade Milestone: I Can Give to my Church
2025-03-09 09:15 - 10:15
Faith Milestones are a chance for the church to celebrate exactly who your child is right now and connect that to important parts of our faith practices here at church. It is a great opportunity for you to have guided faith conversations with your kiddo and get to know some of the other families who are doing life with you here at Canterbury!
We are so excited to see you and your 5th grader to join us on March 9 at 9:15 in the Dining Room. We will be learning about both our spiritual gifts and our financial gifts and how they are a part of what it means to belong to a church family.
Please RSVP so that we will be prepared with materials for your family.

March 9, 9:15-10:15
Room: The Dining Room
This is a parent & me event.

Register here.

Ash Wednesday
2025-03-05 07:00
Morning Ashes | 7-8:30 AM | Chapel
DRIVE THROUGH on your morning commute or after carpool drop off to receive your ashes and a special blessing from one of our pastors.
Noon Blues Service | 12 PM | Chapel
New this season! This very unique service will combine the solemnity and reflection of Ash Wednesday with the soulful and contemplative tones of blues music.
Evening Service of Ashes | 6 PM | Sanctuary
Join us as we mark the beginning of the Lenten season with this traditional evening service that promises to be both spiritually enriching and musically inspiring.
Dinner will be served on March 5 from 5-6 PM in Canterbury Hall.

Farewell Reception Honoring Sheryl Thornton
2025-03-02 11:30
Sunday, March 2 | 11:30 AM | Canterbury Parlor
Rev. Sheryl Thornton is retiring from Canterbury after 17 years of beautiful and dedicated service. If you’d like to express your gratitude to Sheryl, you may make a Love Offering in her honor. Please send your check to the Canterbury Finance Office noting ‘Love Offering – Sheryl Thornton’ in the memo line. A reception will be held for Sheryl on Sunday, March 2 in the Parlor immediately following 10:30 AM worship.

Legacy Luncheon February 2025
2025-02-25 12:00
Please welcome Dr. Rick Owen as he talks about Canterbury’s recent musical field trip of Living the Blues. Music is more than music. It is community, it is a feeling, it is a part of our soul. Join us as we discover how this music has the power to unite us all with heartfelt stories of Blues music and its deep connection to community. Oh…and you won’t want to miss his surprise guest as we live and feel the blues just for a little while.
Canterbury Hall | Noon | $5
Please RSVP to Valerie Boyd 205.874.1523 or valerie.boyd@canterburyumc.org

Kate Kennedy-Luncheon and Book Signing
2025-02-10 11:30 - 13:00
On Monday, February 10 in Wesley Hall, Kate will be with us to share about the story of challenging the status quo and digging deep into her own story to find connection, hope, and new answers to old problems in her book. It is a story of racial inequity, generational poverty, and finding community in the most unlikely places. It’s about building a school, standing up for children, and finding your place in the world.
For more information and to register, click here.

2nd Grade Milestone: I Can Taste the Bread
2025-02-09 09:15 - 10:15
Faith Milestones are a chance for the church to celebrate exactly who your child is right now and connect that to important parts of our faith practices here at church. It is a great opportunity for you to have guided faith conversations with your kiddo and get to know some of the other families who are doing life with you here at Canterbury!
We are so excited to see you and your 2nd Grader to join us on Feb 9 at 9:15 in the Dining Room We will be learning about Communion and what it means to partake in this sacrament of the church.
Please RSVP so that we will be prepared with materials for your family.

Feb 9, 9:15-10:15
Room: The Dining Room
This is a parent & me event.

Register here.

Men's Smoke & Fire Winter Retreat
2025-01-31 00:00 - 2025-02-01 00:00
Men’s Winter Retreat at Canterbury United Methodist Church
Featuring Leonard Sweet
Theologian, Pastor & Author
The Event will kick off on Friday January 31st with dinner and an evening session and will include sessions beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in Canterbury Hall. On Sunday, Dr. Sweet will teach a combined Sunday School Class and will preach at one of our 10:30 services.
Register here.
Questions? Contact Rick Owen at rick.owen@canterburyumc.org.

UMW Dinner & Special Guest Speaker Sophie Hudson
2025-01-30 18:00
On Thursday evening, January 30, UMW will host a special event featuring local author and popular speaker Sophie Hudson. Make plans to join us at 6 PM to enjoy a fun night of stories and learn ways to find encouragement and hope in the everyday, joy-filled moments of life. Sophie has published seven books and she co-hosts The Big Boo Cast with friend and fellow author Melanie Shankle. For more on Sophie, visit: www.boomama.net.
Registration Deadline: January 26 (NOW CLOSED)

Peace & Justice Day
2025-01-20 08:30
Canterbury Rise kids will be gathering with other UMC kids from around the Birmingham area on Martin Luther King day, January 20. We will gather at Canterbury at 8:30 for donuts and a game before driving down to St Paul UMC, located across from the Civil Rights Institute. We will get to know some of the other kids present before setting off on a scavenger hunt in the Civil Rights Institute to learn about our history. We will have a picnic lunch, hear from a St Paul’s member who marched in the children’s march, and of course play some games too. Our hope is to balance the fun of being together with a unique opportunity to learn important ways we can be disciples of Christ in our world.

Jan 20, 8:30 drop off, 3:30 pick up
Please bring: packed lunch
Cost: free

Register here.

Men's Breakfast
2025-01-16 06:30
Save the date! Make plans to join us for a great breakfast, wonderful fellowship, and a time of inspiration on January 16. Click here to register.

4K Milestone: I Can Pray
2025-01-12 09:15 - 10:15
Faith Milestones are a chance for the church to celebrate exactly who your child is right now and connect that to important parts of our faith practices here at church. It is a great opportunity for you to have guided faith conversations with your kiddo and get to know some of the other families who are doing life with you here at Canterbury!
We are so excited to see you and your 4K kiddo to join us on January 12 at 9:15 in Canterbury Hall. We will be learning about prayer and how it helps us feel connected to God’s heart.
Please RSVP so that we will be prepared with materials for your family.

Jan 12, 9:15-10:15
Room: Canterbury Hall
This is a parent & me event.

Register here.

A Storybook Christmas
2024-12-24 13:00
New this year!
A casual Christmas Eve Communion service designed especially for families with children. Join us in Canterbury Center to experience a unique telling of the nativity story, wonderful music, Christmas Eve communion and candlelight.
Family Communion Service

Christmas Eve Services
2024-12-24 00:00
New Traditions Service * | 8:15 AM | Chapel
A Storybook Christmas * | 1 PM | Canterbury Center
Contemporary Service * | 3 PM | Canterbury Center
Sanctuary Service | 3 PM | Sanctuary
Sanctuary Service * | 5 PM | Sanctuary
* Services to be livestreamed

Kids@Canterbury Gingerbread Nativities
2024-12-23 10:00
Mark your calendar and make sure to bring your children to participate in this sweet and fun morning activitiy! We will read the nativity story and create our own unique gingerbread nativities to take home. Fun for kids of all ages!

Lessons & Carols Service
2024-12-22 10:30
Dec 22 at 10:30 Sanctuary Worship
The Church Choir presents carols for the season coupled with scripture lessons outlining the advent and birth of Jesus on the last Sunday of Advent.

The Longest Night
2024-12-19 18:00
You are invited to a special worship service to observe Winter Solstice – the longest night before Christmas. Join us at 6 PM in the Chapel on Thursday, December 19 –
in a sacred space to reflect and accept where we really are, as we hold out for peace, healing and hope this season. * Service to be livestreamed

Annual Side-by-Side Chorus Christmas Concert
2024-12-19 14:00 - 15:00
What better way to enjoy the holiday season than with a fun and festive Christmas concert from an 80-voice chorus and band! The Side-by-Side Community Chorus is made up of folks from our Encore community who love to sing and be with friends! This year’s concert will benefit the Encore Family Fund. No tickets are required, donations will be accepted at the door! Make plans to shop for unique holiday gifts before and after the event.

December Legacy Luncheon
2024-12-17 12:00
Please join us for our annual Christmas Carol Sing Along with our Canterbury staff! Enjoy a wonderful meal by Debbie, sing a few Christmas favorites led by Rev. Keith Thompson and share in wonderful fellowship and love as we embrace the spirit of hope this Christmas season.

Baby's First Milestone
2024-12-15 09:15
Faith Milestones are a chance for the church to celebrate exactly who your child is right now and connect that to important parts of our faith practices here at church. We are so excited to see you and your baby at our 1st milestone for them on Dec 15. We will be learning about how you can start thinking about what daily faith practices you’d like to establish in your home and will make a special handprint ornament to remember this sacred time you are experiencing with your little one. We will have a space devoted to letting our littles roam about and play while we talk! Please RSVP so that we will be prepared with materials for your family.
Register here!

Poinsettia Orders
2024-12-09 00:00
Advent is just around the corner! It is time to place orders for poinsettias to beautify our worship spaces at Christmas. If you would like to order one to honor or remember a loved one, you may do so by filling out an order form located at the round desk. Each poinsettia is $25. The deadline to order is December 9.

YAC Christmas Party
2024-12-08 17:00
We’re celebrating Christmas at YAC on Sunday, December 8! It’ll be a fun night filled with all of our favorite things. Check out YAC’s Instagram or Facebook for more details on the event. This will be our last MYF of the year, so make sure to join us!

Birmingham-Southern Alumni Choir Concert
2024-12-06 19:00
All are invited to attend this special music event in Canterbury’s Sanctuary. It is the choir’s 88th year to perform Lessons & Carols.

Carols & Cocoa
2024-12-04 18:00
Let’s kickoff Christmas at Canterbury in the Chapel parking lot. A hot dinner will be served from 5-6 PM in Canterbury Hall and the event will begin outside at 6 PM. We will enjoy yummy hot chocolate, fire pits, fellowship and sing-along with the Contemporary Band. Invite a friend and bring your folding chairs!

UMW December Coffee
2024-12-02 10:30 - 23:30
All are invited to the UMW December Coffee on Monday, December 2 from 10:30-11:30 AM. Rachel Estes will be the guest speaker and, following the meeting, Community On The Rise and Thistle Farms will host a holiday pop-up shop featuring their Christmas items. Great shopping for gifts and stocking stuffers.

ASP Pickle & Pours Pickleball Tournament
2024-11-24 12:30
On Sunday afternoon, November 24, 2024 Avondale Samaritan Place will host a fundraising event. The “Pickle & Pours” Pickleball Tournament will be held at Magic City Pickleball Club (1651 Independence Ct. Suite 111, Homewood, AL 35209 | 205.201.0242).
By participating you will have lots of fun – and will also be feeding an underserved family in our community, providing assistance through social workers to a homeless individual, providing a safe, fun space for kids to come after school, supporting a summer education program for children who are falling behind at school.
Beginner and Intermediate levels are invited to enter for a $75 fee. Registration for team competition is $750 for corporate sponsors (click here for sponsor levels) and $150 for a team of 2.
TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION
12:30 – 2.0/2.5 Beginner – Click here to register
2:30 – 3.0/3.5 Intermediate – Click here to register
4:30 – Corporate Teams – Click here to register
4:30 – Open Teams – Click here to register
Crazy D’s Dogs Food Truck | Beverages by Cahaba Brewing | Lots of Pickle Swag

Christmas Village Gift Collection
2024-11-24 00:00
Samaritan Place Market: A Christmas Village | November 1-24
Canterbury, you have been so faithful over the years to provide new children’s gifts to stock ASP’s annual Christmas Village. This year’s gift collection will be held from November 1-24. Shop for toys at your favorite local store or use the convenient Amazon Wish List. Financial donations are always welcome. Please bring your unwrapped gifts to Canterbury by November 24. The shopping event for families will be held at ASP on December 4-5.

Journey Retreat
2024-11-22 00:00 - 2024-11-24 00:00
(Registration is now closed.) The Journey Retreat is a weekend retreat for students in grades 7-12 for the 2024-2025 school year. It is an incredible weekend full of amazing worship, great talks, meaningful experiences, and a whole lot of fun!
