5th WHEEL WORSHIP CENRE
World’s first 24/7 365 Truckers Church
It will act like the hub of a wheel
World’s best facilities for truckers
Non Profit - Self funding in operation and duplication
5000 seat auditorium
Headquarters for Faith Freighters International & support ministries
THE WHY... To awaken vast numbers of truckers and those who love them, as to who they are in Christ.
To inspire and activate them into faith, purpose and destiny.
First Saturday morning home after U.S. visit 2001, in that half awake region, God turned on the screen of my mind and I saw skeletons driving trucks on a U.S. highway. Can these bones live? He asked. I said ‘you’ve asked that question before’ and turned to Ezek.37 as I read the words “son of man prophesy to these bones …..” I knew without doubt what my life’s purpose was and words fail to explain the confirmation in my spirit of all that had gone before.
There are any number of “trucking ministries” and that’s a good thing. The problem is a trucker can’t become a ‘this ministry’ or ‘that ministry’ but a trucker can become a Faith Freighter. When Jesus spoke to a group of fishermen he talked fishing and gave them an identity - fisher’s of men. Every sporting body and military unit knows the value of an identity. You don’t go to a ball game and hear Go Denver! - Go Los Angeles! - Go Tennessee! No sir! At the game, we’re Broncos - Raiders & Titans!!
I believe the only reason Jesus hung out with fishermen - there wasn’t any truck stops.
It’s time for Freighters of Faith - Truckers of Truth - Carriers of Revival.
We can raise up that army of dead bones to become one of the most significant spiritual strike forces on earth, by giving them a bigger reason for driving a truck than just driving a truck.
Truckers themselves are the industry’s greatest resource. They’re hardy, self reliant and a repository of traditional American virtues such as ‘shoulder to shoulder’ in hard times, individualism and patriotism. Despite these qualities, I see many becoming listless, lonely and unmotivated. Most do not see a purpose to life and lack vision.
Chron 28:10 - 12 So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as a sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work." Then David gave Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surroundings, including the treasuries, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, and the inner sanctuary where the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--would be kept. David also gave Solomon all the plans he had in mind for the courtyards of the LORD's Temple, the outside rooms, the treasuries of God's Temple, and the rooms for the dedicated gifts.
THE WHAT... The Fifth Wheel Worship Center will the hub to a multi service base, that will, like a balanced spoke wheel, provide a spiritual home and the most far-reaching, solution based, results oriented ministry the trucking industry has ever seen. The need is big, the opportunity bigger!
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration more than 700 people die and 20,000 more injured due directly to fatigued commercial drivers. When a large part of the answer is simply more parking space, the opportunity for Fifth Wheel Worship Centers to expand across the country is huge, and with federal funding available for truck parking it’s also very do-able.
THE CALL... January 1990 whilst doing a word study; it was one of those ‘print leaps off paper’ experiences. 1 Chronicles 28:10, “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary.
"Be strong and do the work.” It began at Vs 9 and included the rest of chapter 28 and 29.
Special verses stood out more than others. I had no idea what He was talking about because I certainly didn’t see myself moving toward building or pastoring a church.
For eleven years I asked him about the plans and other details of the building. Was it real or a metaphor or an analogy?
He was mainly silent, except for a few Father & son arguments.
One in particular, after numerous prayer fights about the magnitude of the task and size of the vision and the insignificant size of the visionary. The Holy Spirit spoke “ When I birthed the dream in the heart of Nehemiah to rebuild a city he wasn’t even a free man. He was a cup bearer, a test pilot for bad booze. You will also find favor with a king.” I have never questioned Him since that day.
In the same way Joseph or his family would never have connected his child like dreams to the prime ministership of Egypt, I never contemplated that encounter in ’90 would spell leadership of the world’s largest ministry to transport. God got Joseph’s attention with the dream and progressively prepared and revealed things to him, God has revealed the extent of the Faith Freighter vision piece by piece. In the middle of worship on a Sunday morning, the story of Abraham’s servant looking for Isaac’s bride came to me and the words “water him water his camels” seemed to be put on repeat in my mind. Not long after there was a knowing in my spirit that God would one day give us a 24/7 facility for truckers - the following is more of that revelation.
Driving south from the Mid America Truck Show, Kentucky, 2001, I cried out to God “how on earth can I do this? I don’t even live here! “ His answer was immediate “how can you serve?” My mind went straight to two articles I had read on the crisis in relation to safe parking for trucks. I have since read much on the subject, and depending who’s research you believe there is a shortfall of between 28 - 40,000 parking spaces each night across America. As my mind focused on the problem, without me speaking again He said, “Build a parking lot”, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Mile Marker - a transforming moment
“I refuse to just hand out tracts to men and women who need a hot shower, good food, safe parking and somewhere to call a spiritual home and feel cared for - the opportunity is bigger than that”. (ABG)
“Decide what is unacceptable Then decide to do something about it!”
He has since expanded the dream bit by bit, even down to the type of power and sewerage system. (see 1Chron.28: Spec 9-11 & 19-21) I woke one morning with visions / pictures rolling over in my mind so many and so clear.
I prayed, “lord speak to me please” - He replied, “I am”.
One day a reporter will begin … “On Sixty Minutes this week, the largest truck stop on the planet, but here’s the catch - it’s a church and it’s parking lot for 1500 rigs is full seven nights a week!”
GLORY TO GOD!!!!!!!!!
With three theme restaurants, a 5000 seat auditorium, multiple specialty communication and health services, shops, theatres and conference facilities it will be home away from home.
It will become an oasis for truckers and it’s own tourist attraction for others.
Ministry will be available in various forms 24/7.
Above the main entrance will be a roof mounted rig carrying a full length neon
“If Home Is Where The Heart Is - American Trucking Lives here”
Saturday night at the 5th Wheel will become a tradition
Sunday morning an experience.
It’s do-able, self funding for duplication once operational and will capture the hearts and imagination of an industry and a nation. For many Christians in trucking it will become home church no matter where they are and services will be available over the net 24/7. Pastoral and prayer support by phone will be available 24/7. The lot will be well lit and security patrolled 24/7. It will be a safe harbor for their trucks and their hearts.
THE WHERE... We will provide facilities and services of quality and capacity never before seen in the industry. It will be Office Headquarters to Faith Freighters, Big Rig Bible College, 5th Wheel Media and house all the resources for production of ministry materials that can go in the cab of a truck.
We will be people driven not dollar driven.
The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life.
Henry Ford
We have located a number of possible locations but have a strong conviction that the first one will be in the vicinity of Nashville Tennessee. We are currently praying about a suitable location on I-40 about 65 miles outside Nashville.
Into the future
I see a time where there will be a 5th WWC within an “Hours Of Service” drive of most places in the US. At that point we will have made a significant indent in the parking and related health and fatigue problems, hopefully saved lives, expanded the kingdom on earth and seen millions of lives impacted for the cause of Christ