Truck 316
The Story
We have learned, in more than 180 years of ministry at Dacula United Methodist Church, that when God gives you a dream, doors will open. Sometimes those doors belong to a food truck.
Truck 316 started with a dream. In the fall of 2016, during a leadership retreat to plan for the church’s future, we discussed how to reach and serve more people in our community, improve worship, and better care for our people. We sought innovative ways to share Christ’s love in tangible and meaningful ways. Then, a voice from the back of the room spoke up: “What if we had a food truck?”
The conversation that day inspired and connected our faith and creativity in a powerful way.
What if we had a food truck so we could feed the homeless in our community?
…so we could give a meal to families that are struggling to put food on the table?
…so we could give comfort to a community struck by disaster?
…so we could feed people spiritually and physically at the same time?
The list kept going. We agreed to continue to talk, pray, and learn about this ministry. This project could have easily taken years to bring to reality. But what seemed daunting and impossible began to materialize almost immediately.
In early 2017, word of our dream traveled to the offices of the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Conference leadership agreed to come alongside our efforts, contributing financially and with expert connections. We have learned from some of the best commercial food truck operators in the nation. We purchased a truck formerly used for linen deliveries and it has been professionally converted into a mobile kitchen.
The Name
The name Truck 316 has dual meaning. In the Bible, John 3:16 is a well known passage where Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We will convey this essential message to the people we serve every time we take the truck out.
Secondly, Truck 316 refers to Georgia Highway 316, a major artery that connects Atlanta to Athens, running right through our county, near Dacula, and a major part of our community life. It’s along this route that we’ll do the majority of our work-serving Gwinnett County and the surrounding areas.
Follow us on the Truck 316 Facebook page as we spread God’s love and feed his people.
SCHEDULING THE TRUCK FOR AN EVENT
Faithful friends and partners of Truck 3:16,
As we head into the fall, we wanted to provide a quick update. The truck is booked up for the remainder of the fall. After the final fall events, the truck is scheduled for some much needed maintenance. The truck will not be available for any bookings until further notice. Thank you for your continued support and prayers for the ministry of Truck 3:16!