The itinerate church planting boat ministry is an unusual approach to fulfilling the Great Commission. Although it may not be something you run across every day, it is, in it’s simplest form, a tool or method that is region-specific. Let me illustrate it with the following imaginary scenario.

Think of the stretch of I-44 that runs through Missouri. St. Louis is at the Northeast end and Joplin at the Southwest end. For this illustration you live in Springfield where there is only one Gospel preaching church.

What if all the other towns and cities up and down the interstate have no Gospel witness? Whether it is Joplin or Sarcoxie or Halltown to the South or Strafford, Marshfield, Lebanon, Rolla or St. Louis to the North. You have the only Gospel preaching church of all these towns and cities. So, you wake up tomorrow to the call of God for you to start churches in each of these places that have never heard.

What do you do? Well, you hop in your vehicle, whatever it is, drive to the towns and begin knocking door, witnessing and preaching; people get saved, congregations are formed and churches are started and organized. This is all pretty straight-forward.

But what if you woke up with the same call of God but for whatever reason I-44 has vanished, there is now not a single road between you and the other places that need to hear the Gospel. What would you do then? You might fly, drive your 4X4 cross-country, ride your mountain bike or horse or walk. Whatever you choose to take, you could still get the Gospel to where it needs to be.

Now it’s time to place you in our situation. Same day, very same call of God to preach the Gospel. However, this time there is nothing between you and your responsibility to win the lost but deep, cold water and high, treacherous mountains. People are still going to hell. They still must hear the Gospel. But your only way to get them is by air or sea. Sure, you could fly. But since there are more planes in the ocean than there are boats in the sky and since flying in Southeast Alaska is most always dicey we have elected to use a 50 to 70 foot boat to transport the Good News of Jesus Christ from where it is to where it is so desperately needed.

Southeast Alaska is comprised of the Alexander Archipelago. This isolated portion of Alaska is roughly the size of the state of Florida. There are only 3 towns that can be reached by road from the outside. The other communities are separated by ocean and mountains. The challenge that travel presents may very well be our greatest hindrance.

This boat will allow us the flexibility to go where we need to go and to stay as long as we need to stay in order to do all that God has called us to do. It will also provide us with a place to sleep and a way to take care of ourselves, eat and stow our ministry gear without having to take anything or ask anything of the people to whom we are trying to minister.

Below is a link to download a powerpoint presentation that will explain in more detail what we are desiring to accomplish.  Please take a look at it.  To the left is a button with which you may financially help us with this new and exciting ministry.