by Wayne Faison, BGAV Executive Director

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A recent Pastors & Partners Networking Luncheon hosted by BGAV at Columbia Church in Falls Church, Virginia, was a powerful reminder for me that ministry is never meant to happen in isolation. BGAV pastors and ministry partners from across Northern Virginia (NoVA) gathered around tables with our BGAV staff team­—not simply to exchange ideas, but to imagine what faithful collaboration could look like in our NoVA communities for such a time as this.

The conversation was honest, hopeful, and rooted in a shared conviction that ministry is not merely something we discuss; it is something we practice. Together, urgent realities facing many of our NoVA neighbors and neighborhoods were named: affordable housing, healthcare access, immigration justice, prison reform, educational opportunity, homelessness, vulnerable youth, and pathways to citizenship. Throughout the luncheon, one message became clear: we do not have to carry these burdens alone.

Networking creates a powerful space for us to move from conversation to action. When we connect with one another, we discover shared passions, complementary resources, and new opportunities for ministry. Several of us at the luncheon noted that younger generations are searching for communities where faith is authentic, compassionate, and engaged in the real struggles people face every day. This sort of collaboration allows us to embody that witness together.

This networking luncheon also sparked exciting conversations about future covenant networks and multi-year cohorts focused on affordable housing initiatives, immigrant support, youth advocacy, and prison reform ministries. We were encouraged by recent legislation that can help churches utilize property for affordable housing efforts more effectively.

Perhaps most importantly, this gathering reminded me that neither external circumstances, fear, nor complacency should hinder BGAV’s mission to impact the Commonwealth in real, tangible ways. Faithfulness requires courage, hospitality, and a willingness to take the next faithful step—even if it begins small.

As BGAV continues facilitating these powerful networking luncheons across the Commonwealth, we are inviting you to join with us in imagining what God can do through our collective action, shared vision, and faithful love for Christ’s witness in the world.

Rev. Dr. Wayne Faison is BGAV’s executive director.

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