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The Come Away Conference
A congregation in worship, one hand raised toward the light.

A call to come away from life’s bustle and find healing, renewal and rejuvenation in God’s presence.

The Come Away Conference returns in 2027. Stay tuned.

2027  ·  Dates to be announced

Register for updates

Register

Stay tuned for 2027.

The dates, venue and line-up for next year’s conference are still being prepared. Register below and we’ll let you know as soon as they’re announced.

Life can be full. The Come Away Conference is an opportunity to deliberately slow down from our busy lives and turn our focus to Jesus, relearn to be still, hear dynamic teachings of God’s Word, engage in beautiful worship, renew strength and experience the healing and restoration that comes from God’s presence alone.

Your details

Past conference

2026: For a Time Like This.

Three days of worship, teaching and prayer in Alexandria, Virginia. The line-up, the schedule and each day’s recording are kept here.

Theme
For a Time Like This
Dates
Friday, September 18 – Sunday, September 20, 2026
Venue
Sandburg Middle School, 8428 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, VA 22308.
Host
The Come Away Conference is presented by NewSong Assembly. newsongva.org

Line-up

Who ministered in 2026.

Portrait of Fikayo Olu-Ayeni.

Fikayo Olu-Ayeni

Author  ·  Conference speaker  ·  Pastor, NewSong Assembly, Alexandria, VA

Fikayo Olu-Ayeni is an author, conference speaker and pastor at NewSong Assembly, in Alexandria, VA, alongside his wife, Kofo.

He is known for his simplistic, practical and relatable approach to teaching the Word of God and pastoral counseling. His life’s mission is to know God, be known by Him, be known for Him and to make Him known.

He enjoys quiet long walks (preferably scenic), travel and spending time with his wife and extroverted daughters.

Portrait of Deji Olu-Ayeni.

Deji Olu-Ayeni

Pastor, Lighthouse Church, Ottawa

Deji Olu-Ayeni serves as pastor of Lighthouse Church in Ottawa alongside his wife, Bukky. He is called to raise a generation of priests unto God and kings who reflect God’s dominion and influence in every sphere of society for His glory.

Deji considers it a profound privilege to shepherd God’s people. He is passionate about seeing lives transformed through the power of God’s Word, teaching biblical truths with clarity, simplicity, and practical relevance while inspiring hope and purpose in people from all walks of life. He relies wholeheartedly on the Holy Spirit to bring lasting life change to everyone they have the opportunity to serve.

Beyond ministry, Deji and Bukky are devoted parents to their two children and balance the demands of family life with thriving professional careers. In their leisure time, they enjoy traveling, watching movies, and following sports, creating meaningful memories together with family and friends.

John Wallace

John Wallace

Church planter  ·  Pastor  ·  Pioneer

John Wallace has been in ministry for about forty years. In that time, he planted and pastored a Church, opened Christian schools across 3 nations and led about 50 domestic and international mission teams. The work of these teams spanned several nations including Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Dominica, Dominican Republic, St Croix and other islands of the Bahamas.

John and his wife Gayla founded Calvary Christian School, a Northern Virginia area school that serves grades k-12 and has been operating for 39 years. The impact of his ministry ranges through street, hurricane relief, orphanage, gang line, drug rehab, veterans’ transition ministries and many other forms of outreach for the cause of Christ.

Ministering to people one-on-one, proclaiming the Gospel in small villages inside a dormant volcanic rim, declaring God’s Word to thousands in canvas tents, and through all the various places that the Lord has worked in him, John continues to maintain a sense of gratitude that God would use a flawed man such as himself to accomplish His will. John and Gayla Wallace have two children and four grandchildren.

Portrait of Dammy Olu-Ayeni.

Dammy Olu-Ayeni

Lead Steward, Prevailing & Borderless Church

Dammy Olu-Ayeni is a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. He serves as the Lead Steward of the Prevailing & Borderless Church which, in just 4 years, has grown into an active global community of over 26,000 subscribers and followers online. He is also the Lead Steward of the Hang Out With JESUS Global Revival Movement. He is deeply passionate about soul winning and has a special evangelistic call of God upon his life.

In the corporate world, Dammy is an accomplished Wall Street investment banking executive with a proven track record of advising top Fortune 500 CEOs & Boards. Dammy is currently Managing Director at Santander Bank USA. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director at Bank of America in New York. And before that, he was Senior Vice President for Bank of America with coverage responsibility for 4 nations in the Middle East & Gulf region. He has on-the-ground banking experience in New York, Dubai, Charlotte, Johannesburg and Lagos, Nigeria.

Dammy resides in the New York tristate area. He is happily married to his wife Ope and they are blessed with two children.

Schedule

The Conference Breakdown

Six sessions across three days, with the minister for each one named below.

Friday, September 18

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

  • 6:30 p.m. Doors open
  • 7:00 p.m. Session 1 — Wisdom for a Time Like This Pastor Deji Olu-Ayeni

Saturday, September 19

11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • 10:30 a.m. Doors open
  • 11:00 a.m. Session 2 — Positioning for a Time Like This Pastor Dammy Olu-Ayeni
  • 12:30 p.m. Session 3 — Prayer for the Nation Pastor Fikayo Olu-Ayeni & Pastor John Wallace
  • 1:45 p.m. Snack break
  • 2:00 p.m. Session 4 — Help for a Time Like This Pastor Deji Olu-Ayeni
  • 3:15 p.m. Session 5 — Healing & Deliverance for the Sick

Sunday, September 20

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

  • 10:30 a.m. Doors open
  • 11:00 a.m. Session 6 — Empowerment for a Time Like This Pastor Dammy Olu-Ayeni
Fog moving through evergreen ridges at first light.

“Come away by yourselves to a desolate place, and rest a while.” — Mark 6:31

Giving

Three ways to give.

Every gift carries this conference — the room, the sound, the hospitality, and the people who travel to be here. Give in whichever way is easiest for you.

Online

Give securely by card through MoonClerk, the same giving page we use at NewSong.

Give online

Zelle

Send your gift by Zelle to the address below.

hello@newsongva.org

Check

Make checks payable to NewSong Assembly and mail them to:

PO Box 6106
Alexandria, VA 22306