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2026 Winter Youth Summit
Winter Youth Summit is a biennial, collaborative youth discipleship event among CBF Georgia, CBF Alabama, CBF Virginia, and CBF Tennessee.
At WYS 2026, we’ll explore being fully KNOWN and loved by God. Rooted in John 15:12–17, our theme reminds us that Jesus calls us friends—not strangers, not servants—and invites us to live in God’s love. Together, we’ll worship, explore missions, fellowship, and have plenty of fun. Come ready to be seen, known, and transformed.
Theme: KNOWN
Preacher: Ben Winder Worship Leader: Mission House
Cost & Registration
Late Registration: October 1-December 1, 2025—$99 per participant
To Register & Pay the Deposit
**A deposit of $40 per participant will be required at the time of registration. All deposits are non-refundable but are partially transferable. We will allow deposit funds for up to 5 cancelations to be applied towards your final balance if those changes are made on or before November 1, 2023.
Payments can be made online or they can be mailed to:
Winter Youth Summit
Alabama CBF
PO Box 361864
Hoover, AL 35236
Accommodations
Hotel Accomodations-Embassy Suites, Huntsville
For WYS 2026 each church group will need to make their own reservations with Embassy Suites, Huntsville. Our conference rate is $174. All rooms are suite style and come with hot, made-to-order breakfast for free. This hotel is also within walking distance of FBC Huntsville.
Limited number of rooms are reserved, so make your reservation soon. The discount expires 12/1/25.
Booking Link: Alabama CBF Retreat
Meals
Your conference fee includes 3 meals and several snack opportunities throughout the weekend. Included meals are dinner Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s food truck lunch is also built into the conference fee this year. Students may want to bring cash, if they wish to purchase additional snacks or food from the trucks.
Each group is on its own for breakfast both mornings of the event. If you are staying at the Embassy Suites, your group will have a free breakfast provided there.
Lunch on Saturday will be served from Food Trucks at FBC Huntsville.
Schedule
Friday, January 16
5:30 p.m. Group Leader Check-In
6:30 p.m. Doors Open – First Baptist Huntsville*
7:00 p.m. Dinner – FBCHSV
8:00 p.m. Opening Worship – Life Center
9:00 p.m. Group Leader meeting
9:15 p.m. Games and Ice Cream
10:00 p.m. Church Group Time
10:30 p.m. Return to Hotel / Host Home
Saturday, January 17
7:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast (On your own)
8:00 a.m. Morning Exercise Options
10:00 a.m. Morning Worship – Life Center
11:00 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. Breakout Session 1
12:30 p.m. A Food Truck Lunch
1:45 p.m. Breakout Session 2
3:00 p.m. Free Time in the Rocket City
6:00 p.m. Dinner – FBCHSV
7:00 p.m. Evening Worship – Life Center
8:15 p.m. Break
8:30 p.m. Party
9:15 p.m. Milk, Cookies, and Fellowship
9:45 p.m. Church Group Time
10:30 p.m. Return to Hotel / Host Home
Sunday, January 18
9:00 a.m. Breakfast
10:00 a.m. Closing Worship – Life Center
11:15 a.m. Large Group Picture (In Event T-shirt)
11:30 a.m. Glad You Came. Safe Travels!
*Check-in is at First Baptist Church Huntsville, starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 12. One or two adult representatives from your group may pick up your T-shirts, name tags and conference information starting at 5:30 p.m. Doors open for students at 6:30 p.m. Please use Entrance 7 to enter and leave the building during the weekend.
Pastor & Worship Leader
For the last three years, Ben Winder has served as the Pastor of First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg, Florida. Before this role, he spent 16 years in youth ministry roles in CBF partner churches in Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama. Ben still has a passion for connecting students to the Gospel and helping them grow to be all God is calling them to become. He is a graduate of Baylor University’s Truett Seminary. He and his wife, Laura Beth, have two sons, Levi (8) and Luke (4).
Born in 2015 out of a community of friends gathered in living rooms and basements, Mission House is the creative delta formed by artists Jess Ray and Taylor Leonhardt. Aside from being the only female duo in the modern worship space, Mission House are set apart from other artists and groups by how they’ve been building songs that truly thrive in gatherings. Both Jess and Taylor are phenomenal storytellers, drawing people to who they and the community they are building not only through their songs, but also on stage and screen.