The well of Providence is deep. It is the buckets that we bring it that are small.  (Mary Webb)

Do you snack on prayer rather than feast on prayer? Do you believe prayer makes a difference?  If so, would you be willing to lead a prayer movement in your church?

More than 150 participants from 21 churches explored the answers to these questions.  Participants connected through technology with Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey, trainer and leader of the Missional Church Consultation Initiative (MCCI,) across thousands of miles between North Dakota, South Dakota and Ohio. Photos by David Stucke, Dakotas Conference Communications.

Rev. Rebecca Trefz, Dakotas Conference executive director of ministries, shared that churches that are participating in the fourth cohort of MCCI in the Dakotas and the second cohort of Journey Renewal participated as part of their renewal process. “We had the eleven churches that are currently in the recently formed cohorts for MCCI and Journey Renewal attend. But we also had 10 other churches attend. I am so enthused about that all of these churches will begin a Breakthrough Prayer Initiative. I can’t wait to see where God will breakthrough.”

Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey, instructed participants that is about more than just starting a Breakthrough Prayer Initiative. “When we begin to prayer for God’s breakthroughs that is only half of the equation. We need to name the breakthroughs. It is important to ask people continuously, what new breakthroughs have you seen happening in the life of the church?”

Each church represented at the training had at least 5 team members present—the pastor and 5 unpaid members of the congregation.  The teams of participants began to consider how they might begin and lead a Breakthrough. 

Nilson Kibbey presented several examples about how to engage the entire church and community in prayer. One example is Sioux Falls Asbury where the prayer team designed 6:05 prayer. Everyone at Asbury received a prayer card and was instructed to pray the prayer 6:05 a.m. or pm. Rapid City First UMC designed a similar prayer effort called 6:29 prayer. Watch this video to learn more.

Other ideas shared to launch a Breakthrough Prayer Iniative were: virtual prayer map walk, a summer Breakthrough Prayer Initiative with a passport and recording mileage of prayer walking, neighborhood prayer walks, knitted prayer pockets, Breakthrough Prayer rocks, prayer drive routes, praying for a business.

Rev. Nilson Kibbey encouraged participants to consider having children and youth leading and involved in Breakthrough Prayer. “What does it mean to raise up children in our congregations who really believe prayer makes a difference?”

Teams met to identify their next steps to start a Breakthrough Prayer Initiative in their local community. Here are some comments and thoughts from the participants:

“We are excited to try some new things. We are going to try one thing a month.”

“We want to start with a list of prayer needs.”

“I really like the idea of being specific and intentional about prayer.” 

“We are going to try starting our prayer effort with social media.”

“I hope you are overwhelmed with ideas,” said Nilson Kibbey. She invited each of the teams present to take time to identify their next steps to go home and begin to have your church feast on prayer.

The training ended with a commissioning of each of the teams to go back to their communities, begin to bath the entire church and community in prayer and wait to see where God breaks through.