Journey Renewal is a program for congregational intervention where the Conference partners alongside a church to help them launch a new life cycle. Nine churches were invited by Bishop Bruce R. Ough, resident bishop and the Dakotas Conference Cabinet to be part of Journey Renewal.

In the fall of 2015, district superintendents nominated churches to be part of the Journey Renewal process. Churches considered are ready to start a new life-cycle of ministry because they were at one of these stages: plateaued, experiencing some upward momentum, or starting to experience a dip. 

After prayer and discernment, the following churches were invited to participate in Journey Renewal and made a committment: 

Arthur UMC, SD
Burke-Herrick UMC, SD
Lyman County UMC Parish, SD (Presho,Kennebec, Reliance)
Mandan UMC, ND
The Ark UMC, North Sioux City, SD
Evergreen UMC, Wahpeton, ND

The first step for the Journey Renewal churches was to attend one of the Breakthrough Prayer Workshops held in March. The six-hour training equips the churches with tools and resources to lead a Breakthrough Prayer Initiative in their local chuch.

The clergy of the first cohort of Journey Renewal churches recently met to begin leadership training. "The first meeting of the clergy who are begining in Journey Renewal went very well," said Rev. Rebecca Trefz, Director of Ministries. "The most encouraging thing was to hear how the Spirit is already moving in these churches and bearing fruit through the Breakthrough Prayer Initiatives they are implementing."

Journey Renewal churches will continue to experience lay leadership training workshops coupled with the clergy coaching/training as part of the process. Each church will gain tools to objectively look at themselves and determine the next steps in their journey and be equipped and encouraged to take those next steps.