Welcome to Youth at Canterbury

Hi, there! YAC team here! We call our group the “YACs”, or “Youth At Canterbury”. YAC is the student ministry at Canterbury UMC, and it is for students in the 7th-12th grades. We may be a little biased, but we think our YAC Herd is the best!

Junior High and Senior High are major times of transition for students. We want to come alongside students and parents during this transition and provide a place for students to feel safe, grow in their relationship with God, have fun, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

We hope you’ll join our YAC Pack!
We know you’ll be glad you did!

Confirmation

  • What is Confirmation?

    We are so excited to welcome you to Confirmation at Canterbury United Methodist!  Confirmation is an ancient rite of passage where the Confirmand explores the tenets of the faith and what it means to be a Christian & a United Methodist. It is also a time where they begin to take ownership of their own faith stories as they prayerfully consider the commitment they will make on Confirmation Sunday to Christ & the United Methodist Church. Confirmation is a wonderful and immersive experience for our 7th grade students that will forever change their lives. We hope you will join us in Confirmation this year!

  • Confirmation Year 2024-2025 Registration

    We ask that 7th grade students interested in participating in Confirmation to please register. If you are interested in registering your student or have questions, please contact Elizabeth at elizabeth.hayes@canterburyumc.org.

  • Subscribe to Confirmation Email

    Not getting our 2024-2025 Confirmation emails? No problem! You can sign up to receive our 2024-2025 Confirmation emails with the button below.

    SUBSCRIBE TO CONFIRMATION EMAIL

Weekly Events

  • MYF

    Sunday Nights5:00-6:30 PM 7th – 12th GradeCanterbury Hall

    MYF is a great night to come and have a lot of fun, while also learning about God. MYF is for all 7th-12th grade students, and it’s a great night to bring a friend! MYF includes games, worship, a message, and small groups. Sundays are a great night to invite your friends, make new friends, and grow in your relationship with God. Invite a friend, and join us at MYF!

  • Midweek

    Wednesday Nights6:00-7:00 PM7th – 12th GradeYouth Center

    Wednesday nights are a time for fellowship, games, and a more in-depth Bible study. We split into two groups for MidWeek — Junior High (7th-9th grades) and Senior High (10th-12th grades). Bring a friend, and join us each Wednesday night as we dive deeper into what God is doing in and through our lives.

    MidWeek includes a game, a lesson, and a group discussion. Wednesday nights are aimed at making the Bible more accessible to our students’ minds. MidWeek provides a great environment for students to begin to ask deeper questions about their faith and how they can live out their faith during the week.

    All YAC students (7th-12th graders) will start in the Youth Center. Jr. High MidWeek will then move to room M-118, and Sr. High MidWeek will stay in the Youth Center. Grab a friend, and come hang out on Wednesday nights!

  • Jr. High Breakfast Club

    Tuesday Mornings7:00 AM7th – 9th GradeYouth Center

    Junior High students meet on Tuesday mornings at 7am for Breakfast Club! This is a time of fellowship for students to gather together before going into the busy school day. We have a devotional and breakfast. Breakfast is Chick-fil-A biscuits! Bring $3 if you want a biscuit. And don’t forget to bring a friend!

  • Sr. High AM

    Wednesday Mornings7:00 AM10th – 12th GradeCrestline Bagel – Cahaba Heights

    Sr. High AM is an event for our 10th through 12th graders on Wednesday mornings! It’s a time to gather together and hang out before heading off for the school day. We eat breakfast together, and then there is a devotional. Bring money to buy your breakfast, and invite a friend to come with you!

  • Sunday School

    Sunday Mornings9:15-10:15 AM7th – 12th GradeYouth Center

    Youth Sunday School is for all 7th-12th grade students! We meet in the Youth Center from 9:15-10:15 AM. We hope you’ll join us!

Upcoming Events

  • Discovery Weekend

    March 14-16 Canterbury UMC

    One of our favorite weekends of the year is right around the corner! Discovery Weekend is a weekend for our junior high students that is put on by our senior high students. The senior high students give all of the talks and lead the small groups. It is an incredible weekend in the life of the church, and your 7th-12th grade students are going to want to be there! As always, friends are welcome!

    Click the button below to sign up for:
    • Junior High registration
    • Senior High registration
    • Adult Volunteer interest form
    • Prayer Partner interest form

    Cost: $300DISCOVERY REGISTRATIONS

    **Cancellation Policy: For the Journey Retreat, cancellations before February 14, 2025 may be given a partial to full refund. Cancellations after February 14th will still be required to pay the full amount, unless we find someone to replace your student’s spot on the trip.

Scholarships are available for all of our YAC trips. If you are interested in a scholarship, please contact Elizabeth at elizabeth.hayes@canterburyumc.org.

Summer Trips

  • Sr. High Lake Trip

    June 6-8 Lake Martin | Alexander City, AL

    Sr. High students are invited to join us for a lake weekend full of fun, talks, and discussions! We will spend a weekend at Lake Martin from June 6-8, 2025. Our time will be spent on the lake during the day with sessions in the morning and evening. Spots are limited, so make sure you sign up ASAP!

    This trip is for students who will complete grades 10-12 in the 2024-2025 school year.

    Registration opens Monday, Feb. 24th at 7am!

    Cost: $150

    **Cancellation Policy: For the Sr. High Lake Trip, cancellations before May 6, 2025 may be given a partial to full refund. Cancellations after May 6th will still be required to pay the full amount, unless we find someone to replace your student’s spot on the trip.

  • Jr. High Adventure Trip

    June 23-26 Bryson City, NC

    We’re doing something new this summer! Jr. High students are invited to join us as we travel to Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) in Bryson City, NC. The Jr. High Adventure Trip will be June 23-26, 2025. On this trip, we’ll go rafting on the Nantahala River & do some other awesome activities while we’re there! It’ll be so fun, so make plans to join us! Spots are limited, so sign up ASAP!

    This trip is for students who will complete grades 7-9 in the 2024-2025 school year.

    Registration opens Monday, Feb. 24th at 7am!

    Cost: $500

    **Cancellation Policy: For the Jr. High Adventure Trip, cancellations before May 23, 2025 may be given a partial to full refund. Cancellations after May 23rd will still be required to pay the full amount, unless we find someone to replace your student’s spot on the trip.

  • Magic City Work Week

    July 13-18 Birmingham, AL

    Magic City Work Week is just Mission Week with a new name & a twist! This year we will be partnering with another UMC church, and it’s going to be awesome! This is an amazing week where we spend the week serving in the West End area. We’ll paint houses during the day and then have sessions in the morning and night. We stay in dorms at UAB. It’s one of the best weeks in the life of YAC, and you don’t want to miss it!

    This trip is for students who will complete grades 7-12 in the 2024-2025 school year.

    Registration opens Monday, Feb. 24th at 7am!

    Cost: $550

    **Cancellation Policy: For Magic City Work Week, cancellations before June 13, 2025 may be given a partial to full refund. Cancellations after June 13th will still be required to pay the full amount, unless we find someone to replace your student’s spot on the trip.

Scholarships are available for all of our YAC trips. If you are interested in a scholarship, please contact Elizabeth at elizabeth.hayes@canterburyumc.org.

Highlight Videos

2024 Journey Retreat Highlight Video
2024 YAC Summer Highlight Video
2024 Discovery Weekend Highlight Video

Connect with Us

Weekly Email

We want to make sure that you are always up-to-date with the latest in Youth@Canterbury News. We communicate each week with parents through a weekly email that includes the happenings for that week and what you can look forward to in the upcoming months. If you would like to receive this weekly email please subscribe above, and you will be added to our mailing list. 

Subscribe to Weekly Emails

Text Message

To stay in the know about all things Youth@Canterbury, you and your student should sign up for our text messages!

To sign up, text @yac350 to the number 81010.

Meet the Team

Gann Waters-Wright

Director of Student Ministries

Elizabeth Hayes

Director of Student Operations

Eleanor Kerr

Assistant Director of Youth Ministry

Natalie Moon

Youth Assistant

Social Media

We post frequently to both our Instagram and Facebook pages, and we would love for you to follow along! You’ll find pictures from events, news about upcoming events, and more on these pages.

We also post videos from retreats and events on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe to our channel to follow along!