Is Tract Evangelism Effective?

[bropro]

3 hours ago, Uber Genius said:

Dr. Craig videos on youtube as a section of animated videos that help establish theism as the best explanation of things like:

1. the beginning of the universe from nothing,
2. why there exists anything rather than nothing,
3. existence of objective moral values and duties
4. fine-tuning of the constants of physics and the initial conditions of the universe to support life
5. a universal search for objective meaning and purpose in our lives.

The videos are conversational and with some work one can use the points in discussion. 

Tracks are easily memorized. If you are familiar with the engels scale you will see that tracks are not effective until right before someone is about to give their lives to Christ. 

I don't use them at all and haven't in 40 years of evangelism. 

You can start by learning the 4 spiritual laws. 

But in order for that to be effective someone must be willing to trust the Bible as a source of knowledge. 

I used to use Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict approach, but found that much of the facts underpinning Josh's premises were not nearly as straightforward or uncontroversial as Josh made out in his great presentations. 

Now I focus on asking the Lord to lead people into my sphere of influence at work or with friends, neighbors, family, or even strangers on planes or at bars. 

I do a pull not a push approach. 

Let them ask you for the gospel. My friends know I disciple people, teach at my church, and do prison ministry. When they engage, so do I. I have also had the opportunity to share the gospel on planes hundreds of times. Bring books that are provocative? On Guard by William Lane Craig for instance. 

When people ask, "What are you reading," I say, "a rational defense for the existence of God and the supremacy of Christianity over and above other religious worldviews." And we are off to the races. 

No rhetorical games or tricks (That means I don't use "Way of the Master." 

Who Would Jesus Manipulate is not a good bracelet to wear as a Christian. 

Handing out tracks that won't be read is a waste. 

Memorizing great material in tracks in order to be able to give a 1-2 minute version of the gospel is marvelous. 

 

Thanks for your answer. I've used tracts quite often, especially when I was doing street evangelism with Teen Challenge back in the 80's. We would pass them out weekly by the hundreds on the streets of downtown KCMO. After doing that for a while, I began doing less distribution and more conversational type ministry, while the others would be passing out the tracts. I don't know if you went to the link I posted here. I moved it to Videos, Biblical Topics, Do Gospel Tracts Really Work. I would be interested in what you think. It's only 9 minutes long.

Gary

[shortangel]

yes & no I think that tract evangelism is effective if you are not pushy with it   if the person's heart has been moved by the Holy Spirit's power then yes giving a tract to somebody is effective & that the person will be more responsive to it

[Who me]

Tracts can be useful, it realy depends how one uses them and the tract.

We used to do a lot of door-door evangelism and one tract we found very useful was written by our evangelist.

The front had in large letters ' No Thanks, I'm not Interested!' as that was the most common responce and offering this either got a laugh and a conversation or a tract that explained the gospel into the home.

The evangelist liked to speack to someone every day about Jesus and would use tracts as a back up. He start up conversations with gas station operators, shop keepers, people in the street. Only if they won't talk would he leave a tract.