Hickory Flat Church sits on East Cherokee Drive in Canton, Georgia, within Cherokee County and within a short drive of Holly Springs and Woodstock. Its tagline, "Empowering Hope, Joy, and Purpose," captures both the congregation's missional aim and the unusually broad range of ministries that share its campus, from a church-run preschool and kindergarten to chartered Boy Scout, Cub Scout, and Girl Scout troops.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Sunday worship at Hickory Flat begins at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. Music is led by a band with guitars, keyboards, piano, and percussion, joined each week by the Chancel Choir, giving the service a blended feel that draws from both contemporary and traditional United Methodist hymnody. Holy Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month, and the entire service is livestreamed online. A full library of past services is also available on the church's YouTube channel, so newcomers can get a feel for the preaching and music before they arrive.
What to Expect as a First-Time Guest
The congregation encourages people to come as they are. Worshippers wear everything from suits and ties to blue jeans. Parking is simple: arrows painted on the pavement direct drivers to the right side of the building and then on to either the East Cherokee Drive entrance or the Main Entrance, which leads through the welcome center. Childcare and Sunday programming for infants through fifth grade are offered during the 10:00 worship hour, and Sunday School classes for all ages meet at both 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., so families can choose the slot that works best. Baptisms are scheduled in advance through the church office, and inquiries about church membership are welcomed by the lead minister.
HF Kids
Hickory Flat's children's ministry exists to help kids "discover and develop a living relationship with God." Nursery and Elementary Sunday School classes meet during the Sunday School hour in the Nursery and Education Hall, with Bible lessons, activities, and games tailored to each age. On Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., elementary children gather in the Education Hall for a Bible lesson, music, and games. The ministry also runs a Christ-focused program for children with special needs, providing a safe and loving environment so that parents and siblings can attend worship, Sunday School, or serve without worry. Safety is taken seriously: every volunteer and staff member who works with children submits to a background check and Safe Sanctuary training.
HF Youth
The youth ministry aims to give middle and high school students a place where God can shape a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Programming happens at two weekly touchpoints. On Sunday mornings from 11:00 a.m. to noon, youth meet in Trailer 1 (with a parallel Youth Grow Group from 11:15 a.m. to noon in the Admin Building) for community, snacks, and teaching. On Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., junior and senior high students gather in the Fellowship Hall for games, teaching, and small groups, and friends are encouraged to come along. The ministry emphasizes serving together, with youth and adults partnering in outreach and leadership within the congregation.
Adults: Grow Groups, Care Teams, and Serve Teams
Adults who want to go deeper can join a Grow Group, small communities that meet on campus, in homes, or around town to study the Bible, pray, and walk through life together. For people navigating more specific seasons such as divorce, illness, job loss, grief, or major life transitions, Care Teams offer longer-term support. The flagship Care Team is Stephen Ministry, a lay-caregiver program described below, alongside an Alcoholics Anonymous group that meets on the church campus, a Prayer Team, and Pastoral Counseling. There are also many ways to volunteer right at the church through the Serve Teams, and Outreach and Mission opportunities that reach into the surrounding community.
Music and Arts
Music is central to the identity of Hickory Flat Church. The Worship Team leads contemporary praise music each Sunday at the 10:00 service, and the Chancel Choir partners with the team each week, drawing from a wide range of styles and presenting larger works at Christmas and Easter. The Worship Team rehearses every Thursday at 7:00 p.m.; the Chancel Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Membership in the choir is open to all adults and high school or college students. Worship Leader Melanie Williams also leads a handbell group.
Preschool and Kindergarten
Tucked into the church campus is one of the church's longest-running community ministries: a Preschool and Kindergarten serving children from two to five years old. The program enrolls roughly 185 students with a staff of 37, organized into 12 classes that meet two, three, four, or five days a week, with class sizes of 8 to 15 and a one-teacher, one-assistant ratio. The school year generally follows the Cherokee County system calendar, with classes running from 9:00 a.m. until noon, with optional Lunch Bunch and after-school care until 1:00 p.m. The curriculum is theme-based and child-centered, weaving phonics, literature, math, science, art, music, and movement into thematic units that build spiritual as well as academic growth. The Kindergarten program is a private, Christian offering designed to give children a strong foundation in reading and learning. Three or four community outreach programs each year teach students about giving back, from collecting supplies for Hasty Elementary to other local needs. Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is held online, with a one-time $205 fee. Inquiries about the Kindergarten program go to the Preschool office.
Stephen Ministry
Hickory Flat's Stephen Ministry team is a group of lay members who have completed 50 hours of specialized training to walk alongside people going through difficult seasons. Each Stephen Minister visits one care receiver, usually once a week for about an hour, offering a listening ear, prayer, and Christian care that complements (rather than replaces) professional counseling. Stephen Ministers focus on individual adults - same-sex, one-on-one, and not on couples, families, or youth - and maintain strict confidentiality through regular peer supervision. Anyone, whether a church member or not, can request a Stephen Minister.
Scouting at Hickory Flat
The church charters three scouting organizations. Boy Scout Troop 4056 welcomes youth in sixth grade and above and meets every Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Cub Scout Pack 465 invites boys in first through fifth grades to join them monthly on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. The church also sponsors Girl Scout troops for girls in K through twelfth grade, with meeting days and times varying by troop.
Women's Ministry
Women's ministry at Hickory Flat is rooted in fellowship and spiritual nourishment. The United Methodist Women circle meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, supporting local and global ministries that raise the living standards of women and children. Stitch & Share, a craft group that meets the first and third Tuesday mornings at 11:00 a.m. in the Choir Room, welcomes anyone who enjoys embroidery, knitting, crocheting, counted cross-stitch, quilting, or other needlework, whether working on personal projects or shared ones for the church and community.
Outreach and Missions
Outreach is a central thread running through the congregation, anchored in three areas of concern: children and youth, homelessness and hunger, and veterans. Hickory Flat partners with Hasty Elementary School in Canton for classroom support and an Angel Tree Christmas gift program that provides presents for students in need. On the homelessness front, the church works with the Cherokee County Homeless Coalition (a group of seven local churches), supports Cherokee County Homeless Veterans, sends teams to a downtown Atlanta homeless outreach, and distributes socks at Easter and blankets at Christmas. To address food insecurity, the church supports MUST Ministries and the American Legion Food Pantry and assembles Kits for Kids. The preschool also runs three or four outreach collections each year that introduce young families to the practice of giving back.
What They Believe
Hickory Flat is a United Methodist congregation and draws its core beliefs from the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The church affirms one true, holy, and living God, revealed as the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and the work of the Holy Spirit in comforting, sustaining, and guiding believers into all truth. Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, is received as revealing the Word of God. The Christian Church is confessed as one, holy, apostolic, and universal, and two sacraments are celebrated: Baptism, which marks entrance into the household of faith and is offered to the children of believers as well as adults, and Holy Communion, a memorial of Christ's suffering and death and a sign of Christian unity. The congregation recognizes and accepts baptisms from other Christian denominations.
Leadership
The congregation is led by Rev. Dr. Dave Benson, who was appointed Lead Minister in July 2021 after serving other North Georgia UMC churches. A 1996 graduate of Candler School of Theology, where he received the John Owen Smith Preaching Award, Dave completed his Doctor of Ministry at Drew University in 2006. He and his wife Theresa live in nearby Holly Springs. Their son Chris is a chef and restaurateur in Asheville, North Carolina, and their daughter Anna is a nurse in Canton.
Nick Yother serves as Executive Pastor and Minister to Youth. A Georgia native and Reinhardt University graduate with thirteen years in professional ministry, Nick and his wife Rachel have two daughters. He frames youth ministry around the idea that a successful team beats with one heart. Nichole Hall is the Minister to Children. A North Carolina native who taught high school math for nine years and worked in K-5 educational product management, Nichole moved to Canton with her husband Patrick and their two daughters, after three years as an assistant preschool teacher at the church.
Worship Leader Melanie Williams holds a Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University and a Master of Church Music from Lee University. A fourteen-year veteran of music education in Cobb County, she leads the Adult Choir, the Worship Team, and a handbell group, and also serves as a collaborative accompanist at Reinhardt University. Stephanie Joy has been part of the HFUMC Preschool family since 2004 and was promoted to Preschool and Kindergarten Director in 2023. Connie Klements has been the Nursery Coordinator since 2006, having transitioned to the role from volunteer service. Nick Bowker directs Production and IT, Courtney Harrell directs Communications, and David Bowker (Nick's father) manages facilities. Bob Coxe and David Williams round out the Production and IT team.
The mission of the church is stated simply: "Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." Members commit to prayers, presence, gifts, and service, and the church's strategy is summarized as Connect, Grow, and Serve, united by the WORD: Worship, Outreach, Relationships, and Discipleship. The church's vision is summed up in the phrase "Empowering hope, joy, and purpose." Giving is available online, by text, by mail, or in person during worship.