Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

Revelation 22:1-3

  For over four decades, YWAM Virginia has sought to “Know God and Make Him Known” throughout Virginia through schools, ministry, and prayer.  The entire journey has been guided by a belief that God knows what He is trying to accomplish, and though He has invited us, we must remain in a position of listening and responding. When we sensed Him emphasizing the verse above, we knew things were about to change. Coming into 2024, it was clear God wanted us to step back and be honest about who we believed we were and how we were serving from that understanding.  At that time we had 3 main operating locations, several unofficial locations, and an abundance of schools and ministries.  There was nothing we were doing that we felt was not valuable, yet there was a clear sense God wanted us to submit it all to Him so that we could fully understand His invitation to us. As we sensed certain words – unity, rest, young generations – we began making decisions to ensure we aligned with what we were hearing.  2024 closed with many significant changes in the works; it did not compare to what we encountered in 2025. It became undeniably clear that God wanted us to commit to a time of prayer and fasting as a full team to start off the year.  Called “Midday”, we spent several weeks in collaborative worship, prayer, and fellowship as a way of “Loving God and Loving Others” with intentionality.  We felt like we should put everything on the table – our schools, our ministries, our plans – and be willing for God to remove or add anything He saw fit. Midday became a powerful shared experience.  An array of verses and words came, giving us a growing sense of a new direction God may be taking YWAM Virginia.  In fact, most emphatic was a new identity: YWAM River City.  The passage above was one of many God used – along with words and pictures – to cast a vision around this idea of a “river city” and “living water” that would shape who we are and how we served. The heart and reach of YWAM Virginia remains the same, though the foundations have been restored and our commitment renewed.  This is about more than a change in name in branding; in the coming months you will learn more what God has been revealing to us, and what He has in store!