Why use tracts

[the truth]

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[antz]

First off let me just say you guys are awesome!!! Praise God that there are people out in the mix with the unbelievers and in the higways and by ways of our world proclaiming the good news!! Go hard with the street teams and all the various outreach groups!! You guys rock.

Now, my gripe with tracts. Please understand my post as not to just rag on the use of tracts but to just add some observations i have made. One thing that brings me down about the use of tracts is the fact that many of the users of the tracts don't seem to be too concerned with the picking up and the cleaning up of discarded tracts. Recently just walking through a city in my country i could see where a christian group was witnessing the night before by the share volume of rubbish on the ground. Screwed up tracts everywhere. Now to say that someone might pick it up is just an excuse to not look after the host communities that we are a part of and keep our cities and towns clean.

1 A tract is never embarrassed, timid nor fearful and isn't hurt by rejection.
2 It does not flinch and show cowardice when the Truth it conveys is not believed.
3 It never yields to the temptation to compromise the Truth of the gospel of Christ.
4 It speaks clearly and right to the point.
5 It never argues back when its message is disputed, and it always sticks to the Truth.
6 It glorifies only Jesus as the Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to its readers.
7 It never gets tired and gives up.
8 It keeps on working while you are sleeping, even when you are unable to distribute it.
9 It is always ready to witness to its readers at any time and at any location.
10 It can get inside of a house and stay there, even in secret places where you cannot gain entrance, to be revealed at a chosen time.
11 It cost very little and travels inexpensively.
12 It travels by any mode or class and in all kinds of climate and weather conditions.
13 It requires no food, clothing or shelter.
14 It is easily carried in a pocket or purse and between the pages of a book.
15 It can be used by anyone, any age, deaf, mute, crippled or even in a wheelchair.
16 It can be used by either the intellectual or the uneducated, because no speaking skills are needed to convey its message.
17 It conveys a message that is not ever lost, like a sermon, and can be read over and over again, long after you are gone and forgotten
18. It always catches a person in the right mood, because the Holy Spirit will always speak to the heart as the Word is being read.
19 It needs no translator, when it is in the language of the reader, as the Holy Spirit reveals His Word instantly to the reader. It may be read by scores of people before God is finished with its purpose.
20 You can do a great work for God and lead many people to the knowledge of Christ.
I read these and think, yeah very valid points, but i also think, these can be my biggest gripes about the use of tracts. It just seems inhuman, which it is, i seriously think people need to see someone who could get embarrassed, or not have all the answers, people need to connect with people. With tracts it can feel impersonal as if you're just trying to convert me!! instead of you unconditionally whole heartedly loving me and wanting to impart something of value to you into my life. Paul preached everywhere and anywhere but also the fact that he lived amongst the people he was reaching.

If the early church did well without tracts i think that the church today can spread the gospel and carry out the great commission without being dependant written page.

My opinion is people are bombarded with message every moment of there lives, i believe people not only need to hear the gospel, but smell it by living along side christians, feel it by connecting with christians, see it and taste it by living along christians and see its not about doing right, but a reliance on Christ who is not only active in our lives through bits of paper and books but every moment of our lives.

Thanks for your time
His richest blessings

 

[rocklife]

First off let me just say you guys are awesome!!! Praise God that there are people out in the mix with the unbelievers and in the higways and by ways of our world proclaiming the good news!! Go hard with the street teams and all the various outreach groups!! You guys rock.

Now, my gripe with tracts. Please understand my post as not to just rag on the use of tracts but to just add some observations i have made. One thing that brings me down about the use of tracts is the fact that many of the users of the tracts don't seem to be too concerned with the picking up and the cleaning up of discarded tracts. Recently just walking through a city in my country i could see where a christian group was witnessing the night before by the share volume of rubbish on the ground. Screwed up tracts everywhere. Now to say that someone might pick it up is just an excuse to not look after the host communities that we are a part of and keep our cities and towns clean.

1 A tract is never embarrassed, timid nor fearful and isn't hurt by rejection.
2 It does not flinch and show cowardice when the Truth it conveys is not believed.
3 It never yields to the temptation to compromise the Truth of the gospel of Christ.
4 It speaks clearly and right to the point.
5 It never argues back when its message is disputed, and it always sticks to the Truth.
6 It glorifies only Jesus as the Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to its readers.
7 It never gets tired and gives up.
8 It keeps on working while you are sleeping, even when you are unable to distribute it.
9 It is always ready to witness to its readers at any time and at any location.
10 It can get inside of a house and stay there, even in secret places where you cannot gain entrance, to be revealed at a chosen time.
11 It cost very little and travels inexpensively.
12 It travels by any mode or class and in all kinds of climate and weather conditions.
13 It requires no food, clothing or shelter.
14 It is easily carried in a pocket or purse and between the pages of a book.
15 It can be used by anyone, any age, deaf, mute, crippled or even in a wheelchair.
16 It can be used by either the intellectual or the uneducated, because no speaking skills are needed to convey its message.
17 It conveys a message that is not ever lost, like a sermon, and can be read over and over again, long after you are gone and forgotten
18. It always catches a person in the right mood, because the Holy Spirit will always speak to the heart as the Word is being read.
19 It needs no translator, when it is in the language of the reader, as the Holy Spirit reveals His Word instantly to the reader. It may be read by scores of people before God is finished with its purpose.
20 You can do a great work for God and lead many people to the knowledge of Christ.
I read these and think, yeah very valid points, but i also think, these can be my biggest gripes about the use of tracts. It just seems inhuman, which it is, i seriously think people need to see someone who could get embarrassed, or not have all the answers, people need to connect with people. With tracts it can feel impersonal as if you're just trying to convert me!! instead of you unconditionally whole heartedly loving me and wanting to impart something of value to you into my life. Paul preached everywhere and anywhere but also the fact that he lived amongst the people he was reaching.

If the early church did well without tracts i think that the church today can spread the gospel and carry out the great commission without being dependant written page.

My opinion is people are bombarded with message every moment of there lives, i believe people not only need to hear the gospel, but smell it by living along side christians, feel it by connecting with christians, see it and taste it by living along christians and see its not about doing right, but a reliance on Christ who is not only active in our lives through bits of paper and books but every moment of our lives.

Thanks for your time
His richest blessings

antz, those are some good points. When I see christian tracts around, I pick them up too, or even church service bulletins lying around parking lots. It seems kind of disrespectful to leave them trampled

America is pretty impersonal, a lot of people are kind of used to things that way, and I know before I was a christian, tracts and the bible helped me a lot more than the hypocrit witnessing I saw from most churchgoers (had porn habits, mean, etc). I picked up free tracts from around my neighborhood even as a deadbeat drug dealer, just because I was really poor and had nothing to read (I like to read). I did appreciate them and they helped turn me around, with God guiding

I believe that is just one tool God can use- out of many. And the early christians did leave around signs. I saw in a documentary historical type show, the christians hiding out in the catacombs drew fishes around, that is a type of writing (hyrogliphic type).

anyway, bibles are the best written materials we got too thanks for sharing

 

[1Newcreation]

Thanks the truth, for this great post on tracts. Very encouraging indeed, and I will take note of some of those suggestions.
I have the desire to share my faith with people, I am a little shy, but over time with the help of the Holy Spirit and prayer, I have become much more confident and I thank these wonderful little tools called tracts.

I like the hundred different varieties of subjects of the opening lines in tracts, different subjects for different personalities, or life situations. And of course the message always leads to the salvation of Jesus Christ.

I pray before going out and allow the Lord lead me into which tract should I give to a person, if the opportunity arises. For example I wouldn't give a tract titled 'unemployment', if the person I am talking with is sad about their 2nd divorce. Or I wouldn't give a tract on marriage to a teenager who is struggling in school. So I try and find the right tract that is suitable for the situation, but I still have the traditional type ones too.

Happy witnessing everyone and God bless tract makers and writers.

 

[Sprint3]

Thats a GREAT article. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[the truth]

Thanks the truth, for this great post on tracts. Very encouraging indeed, and I will take note of some of those suggestions.
I have the desire to share my faith with people, I am a little shy, but over time with the help of the Holy Spirit and prayer, I have become much more confident and I thank these wonderful little tools called tracts.

I like the hundred different varieties of subjects of the opening lines in tracts, different subjects for different personalities, or life situations. And of course the message always leads to the salvation of Jesus Christ.

I pray before going out and allow the Lord lead me into which tract should I give to a person, if the opportunity arises. For example I wouldn't give a tract titled 'unemployment', if the person I am talking with is sad about their 2nd divorce. Or I wouldn't give a tract on marriage to a teenager who is struggling in school. So I try and find the right tract that is suitable for the situation, but I still have the traditional type ones too.

Happy witnessing everyone and God bless tract makers and writers.

Tracts also helped me become a better witness when I was first saved I wanted to witness but didn;t knowhow I was praying about it one day on the way to town and when I got back home My now Pastor had left a tract in our door. I believe that was God;s way of teleling me this is how you can witness. God bless.

 

[CalledbyHim]

I like to leave chick tracts and tracts from living waters at places.

 

[Ave Maria]

Thank you the truth for providing those links! I have ordered some tracts to pass out to people when I go places and such. Thank you!

 

[Ave Maria]

The American Tract Society also has tracts for sale. They're not free but they have a number of good ones. Their website is:

http://www.atstracts.org/

 

[TwistTim]

wow, thanks for sharing all of that.... I didn't read all of it, but subing so I can later on when I have time... I use Way of the Master's Million Dollar Bill tracts... often at work (A Grocery store) I walk down the beer aisle and stick several in the beer 12 packs.... I know most of those will be trashed, but even if just one reaches one with the real gospel message....

 

[the truth]

wow, thanks for sharing all of that.... I didn't read all of it, but subing so I can later on when I have time... I use Way of the Master's Million Dollar Bill tracts... often at work (A Grocery store) I walk down the beer aisle and stick several in the beer 12 packs.... I know most of those will be trashed, but even if just one reaches one with the real gospel message....

I read a suggestion the other day on how to use the money tracts. Stick them in the bill slots of vending machines. The machine will usually start to take it and then spit it out holding tighly enought for it to stay in there. You may also want to check out www.customtractsource.com they have quite a few different dollar bill tracts. God bless.

 

[IAmATemple]

Putting them in like 24 can boxes of coke, beer, anything like that is useful too. They fit perfectly. Also, putting them like in a drink machine, where the drink comes out. That way may seem weird but people will probably pick it just to see what it is, and you never know, maybe they will read it and be changed forever.

EDIT: wow, I just saw that someone else does the beer boxes thing too.

 

[the truth]

Putting them in like 24 can boxes of coke, beer, anything like that is useful too. They fit perfectly. Also, putting them like in a drink machine, where the drink comes out. That way may seem weird but people will probably pick it just to see what it is, and you never know, maybe they will read it and be changed forever.

EDIT: wow, I just saw that someone else does the beer boxes thing too.

Those are great suggestions. Again keep up the good work all of you who use tracts. God bless.