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Black Church at Yale

Our Vision

Vision Statement

To BE and BUILD a Holy Spirit-filled space and place where you, students and members, LAND, LEA(R)N and LAUNCH into God's best life for you.



Our INVITATION to You

Land—get your bearings, catch your breath. ("Settle")

Lea(r)n—if you are going to stay with BCAY then become better, become brighter. Lean in. Learn. Discover Christ and who you are in Him. Join the fabric of our Faith Family. ("Strengthen")

Launch—leave on top of your future, further in your faith, empowered and lifted. Intentionally and proactively enter the future God has for you. ("Serve")



We envision BCAY can be: a Landing place, a Lea(r)ning zone, a Launch pad. 


BCAY as landing place

  • Place where you can touch down and regroup, find a home base, collect oneself
  • Time and space to get oneself together; people are coming from all different places and it's important to recognize a lot may be happening in someone’s life
  • A "Close to Home" center
  • Place where you can come and not be beat up further, but rebuild and get the energy to continue the journey towards abundant life in Christ


BCAY as lea(r)ning zone

  • Between landing place and launching pad
  • Opportunity to discover healing, purpose, divine mission bigger than personal achievement, divine relationships, personal relationship with Christ, who God is and who I am in Christ
  • We absorb and engage the learner who is leaning into scripture, the Holy Spirit, and this faith family as we together follow Christ


BCAY as launch pad

  • Place where you leave from...a designated area, specified base design for successful "takeoff"
  • Purpose is to support takeoff 
  • The "Launch" part of our launching pad is to acknowledge that there are numerous ways to exit Yale and/or New Haven; we recognize that not every exit is a "successful launch"
  • Many people fall out of Yale or stumble into the next step vs launching into it 
  • Time can "push" students off the "cliff of graduation"; we believe we can help with a successful launch...that God has purposed and positioned us to be a successful launch agent and asset
  • Launching is intentional— helping people get to the next step of life


Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew [their] strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. [Isa 40:31 NKJV]