40 days & 40 nights
For the heart and soul of trucking
Birthing a Ministry - God Promised - Isa 66:8-9
Faith Freighters is a new thing.
It has no history, it will create history.
It is not a rehash of something else, a new slant on an old lean nor is it a new branch of an old tree. It is not the latest attempt by an old ministry to be relevant or effective.
It is the emergence of a dream planted long in the soil of God’s timing and it’s time has come.
It will unfold to touch the lives of truckers and their families around the world and in so doing, like the trucking industry itself, impact the lives of millions outside of it’s own culture.
Stretching the Church
Tens of thousands of previously uninvolved Christians can be shepherded into evangelism, participating locally but collectively forming part of the biggest “tent revival” in American history.
Reaching an Industry
Trucking in America employs @9.5 million people; if they are just mum, dad + 2.3 kids that is double Australia’s population (I know, I’m Australian - married to a gorgeous American Isa 46:10-11), the industry dwarfs my country’s economy – so when it comes down to it, trucking is bigger by far than most nations on earth and long distance drivers are one of the largest un-reached people groups on earth outside the 10/40 window.
Touching the Heart of a Nation with God's Love
Trucking impacts, directly or indirectly, the life of every American every day.
A spiritual awakening within trucking has the potential to establish an enormous long term harvest of souls.
ON PURPOSE.
Here’s the concept, big picture, minus all the details that the ‘detail people’ will be exclaiming ‘’he hasn’t mentioned this and that and what about that…. Etc …later guys.
We want to introduce 40 days of purpose to the trucking industry, in particular, to “over the road” truckers and their families.
The industry has problems that just come with the territory i.e. the tyranny of distance.
Mobility and distance are the problems that cause these men and women not to be able to commit to regular small groups for 40DOP.
So, here’s the solution …. And HUGE opportunity for Christians new and old who have been recently “purpose injected” or revived, to pull on the jersey and boots, pad up and get out on a field “white unto harvest”!!
There are @4,000 truck stops in America and @ three million plus OTR drivers.
After April 2004 over 10,000 U.S. churches would have complete 40 DOP, how many Christians does that represent? … I don’t know but let’s be conservative and say three million.
Here’s the Faith Freighter vision (for this outreach) – To put audio copies of Purpose Driven Life into as many of the three million OTR trucks as possible - a 20’ x 20’ tent with an inflatable pool (baptismal) at every truck stop …. Crewed 24/7 for 40 days by teams of folks (40DOP completed) from local churches, to fellowship with, minister to, worship with, disciple and maybe baptize truckers … and anyone else who walks in. Headline reads: For the next 40 days and 40 nights you can walk into the Faith Freighter tent at almost any truck stop in America, get born again and baptized right there. Divide truck stops into churches - 2-3 churches take responsibility for a particular truck stop. Building unity in the body along the way.
Ok ok ok … we may not get all truck stops onside…. But lets say we’ll get 2000. That means that every driver that takes on 40DOP will be, no matter what direction he’s dispatched, assured of fellowship and assistance anywhere in America.
It also means that tens of thousands of previously uninvolved Christians can be shepherded into evangelism, participating locally but collectively forming part of the biggest “tent revival” in American history.
I am of the belief that we can secure corporate sponsorship for what will be one of the biggest Christian events in America. To that end we will be consulting with trucking organizations such as National Truck Stop Owners Association (NATSO) – American Trucking Association – (ATA) – Owner Operators and Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) as well as Trucking Companies. We want the industry onside.
During 40 days & 40 Nights … I see 50’ x4’ banners strung across 500 interstate overpasses so every OTR trucker will see them during the 40 days & 40 nights.
Simple slogans like:
Thank God for America’s Truckers … (FF logo)
America’s Truckers – Loved & Appreciated …(FF logo)
40 days & 40 nights . for the heart & soul of trucking. (FF logo)
Jesus hung out with fishermen – ‘cause there wasn’t any truck stops (FF logo)
Truckers Deliver Everything ….. ‘cept babies ..(FF logo)
Benefits to both organizations, tangible and intangible will be enormous, here and into eternity.
Pastor Rick .. you told us to dream big … I did and have done for a long time and right now you’re the only pastor, church, ministry, in this country capable of pulling this off.and the network of the ‘local church’ is the only organization on earth capable of touching this industry whenever and wherever they are.
There is a far bigger picture beyond the “40 days & 40 nights”. Overview of every aspect of the ministry attached - Faith Freighters and the 5th Wheel Worship Center will be the most influential ministry to trucking ever. Addressing all five purposes as well as practical needs of the trucking industry at the same time, i.e. the parking space crisis and driver shortages.
It’s also about reaching and connecting the 9.5 million trucking industry employees and their families to solid local churches.
This industry has huge problems, God has huge answers.
Trucking in America employs @9.5 million people; if they are just mum, dad + 2.3 kids that is double Australia’s population (I know, I’m Australian - married to a gorgeous American), the industry dwarfs my country’s economy – so when it comes down to it, trucking is bigger by far than most nations on earth and long distance drivers are one of the largest un-reached people groups on earth outside the 10/40 window. European trucking is similar in size but an even bigger challenge for the gospel message. The darker the target the brighter the light shines.
This is so “do-able”, but I need your help to kick it off and I dare say with lots of advice afterwards, like net technology, pastoral staff for new centers, curriculum for Big Rig Bible College … etc.
Please talk to me.
Yours in the name of Jesus
Tony Gunter