Do Gospel Tracts Really Work?

[bropro]

This was moved here from the General Forum

 

I don't know if this belongs here because I did not see an evangelism forum. Back in 1969 after coming home from Vietnam, a woman gave me a chick tract entitled "This Was Your Life." After reading this tract I felt conviction of sin right away. I would like to say that I came to the Lord shortly thereafter, but it took 5 years before I actually repented of my sin and received Christ as my Savior. The sad thing is, that I experienced this conviction of sin off and on (mostly on) for the next 5 years. I can only guess as to why I waited so long, but I am very thankful to this woman who gave me this tract. The link below will tell of a man who passed out tracts everyday for over 40 year. It is only 9 minutes long, but in my opinion very inspiring. I'm sure you know why. I hope all who listen to this will also be inspired also.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew1srubCw_0

 

Gary

[BeauJangles]

On 3/16/2019 at 2:21 PM, bropro said:

 

I don't know if this belongs here because I did not see an evangelism forum. Back in 1969 after coming home from Vietnam, a woman gave me a chick tract entitled "This Was Your Life." After reading this tract I felt conviction of sin right away. I would like to say that I came to the Lord shortly thereafter, but it took 5 years before I actually repented of my sin and received Christ as my Savior. The sad thing is, that I experienced this conviction of sin off and on (mostly on) for the next 5 years. I can only guess as to why I waited so long, but I am very thankful to this woman who gave me this tract. The link below will tell of a man who passed out tracts everyday for over 40 year. It is only 9 minutes long, but in my opinion very inspiring. I'm sure you know why. I hope all who listen to this will also be inspired also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew1srubCw_0

Gary

Hi Gary, 

Yes, I remember the tracts mentioned, authored and illustrated by Jack T. Chick. There were hundreds of others as well, that were also printed and published. Very strong on evangelism, and not exclusively to the young, they certainly made an impression with a splash of sensationalism. Bless his heart though, Jack felt a calling, and his tracts went into world-wide distribution, and translated into numerous languages. The goal was to get the word out, spreading the gospel and salvation message to all nations. Apparently it did exactly that. God bless!

Shalom, 

David/BeauJangles

Edited March 18, 2019 by BeauJangles

[bropro]

7 hours ago, BeauJangles said:

Hi Gary, 

Yes, I remember the tracts mentioned, authored and illustrated by Jack T. Chick. There were hundreds of others as well, that were also printed and published. Very strong on evangelism, and not exclusively to the young, they certainly made an impression with a splash of sensationalism. Bless his heart though, Jack felt a calling, and his tracts went into world-wide distribution, and translated into numerous languages. The goal was to get the word out, spreading the gospel and salvation message to all nations. Apparently it did exactly that. God bless!

Shalom, 

David/BeauJangles

Hello David. You are right. Jack Chick definitely had a calling to do what he did, and I'm glad he did it so well. I know his tracts had a profound effect on me and I'm sure multitudes of others. What did you think of the link I posted?

Gary

[BeauJangles]

1 hour ago, bropro said:

Hello David. You are right. Jack Chick definitely had a calling to do what he did, and I'm glad he did it so well. I know his tracts had a profound effect on me and I'm sure multitudes of others. What did you think of the link I posted?

Gary

Hi, Gary. I loved the link, and thanks for posting it. God bless you, brother. 

Shalom, 

David/BeauJangles

[B3L13v3R]

@bropro Thank God Gary for that seed planted in your heart by Jack Chick's first tract "This Was Your Life."
It was the first very first tract of over 200 various tracts they went on to print over the years and continues to be one of their top tracts. Jack Chick was 92 when he passed away just a few years ago, but his Christian Tract ministry continues to by run by a friend of his who has worked with him for some years prior named David Daniels. (Who was also Saved by reading a Chick Tract.) At the time of Jack's passing, the Chick Tract ministry had printed over 750,000,000 tracts!

Great little video on the recording of Mr. Genor passing along those little godly tracts that he had!
Looking forward to meeting that both J. Chick and Mr. Genor in heaven!

[bropro]

10 hours ago, B3L13v3R said:

@bropro Thank God Gary for that seed planted in your heart by Jack Chick's first tract "This Was Your Life."
It was the first very first tract of over 200 various tracts they went on to print over the years and continues to be one of their top tracts. Jack Chick was 92 when he passed away just a few years ago, but his Christian Tract ministry continues to by run by a friend of his who has worked with him for some years prior named David Daniels. (Who was also Saved by reading a Chick Tract.) At the time of Jack's passing, the Chick Tract ministry had printed over 750,000,000 tracts!

Great little video on the recording of Mr. Genor passing along those little godly tracts that he had!
Looking forward to meeting that both J. Chick and Mr. Genor in heaven!

I notice that you are involved in street evangelism. Many years ago I was working with a ministry called Teen Challenge in down town KCMO.  We passed out thousands of tracts along with doing Coffee House ministry to people that would come in off the streets. It was quite a rewarding experience. Do you do tract distribution, street preaching, coffee house ministry, etc? If so, how is it going, and what kind of materials are you using?

 

Gary

[Xethea]

Some just need to hear the right words at the right time in their life to turn to Christ, which could be at pretty much any age of being able to understand things. The youngest I recall people being saved was 5 years old. But for me, one of these tracts/tracks would never work to turn me to Christ unless that was His plan to bring me to Him. I had to experience suffering to come to Christ. I know some who gave their life to the Lord when they saw a tract for the first time, but some never would be encouraged or motivated by them. Overall, i seem them as a waste to me, but i know the Lord saves people in many different ways for the same purpose, by His grace, and such. It's not so much of the object or things we use, it's what the Lord wants to do.

[B3L13v3R]

On 3/18/2019 at 4:00 PM, bropro said:

I notice that you are involved in street evangelism. Many years ago I was working with a ministry called Teen Challenge in down town KCMO.  We passed out thousands of tracts along with doing Coffee House ministry to people that would come in off the streets. It was quite a rewarding experience. Do you do tract distribution, street preaching, coffee house ministry, etc?

Hey Gary, Appreciate your working with Teen Challenge in the past! I had thought of working with Teen Challenge years ago, and passed it up. I do stop in thrift stores of theirs and look to reach out to those in the program, and we donate household goods towards their ministry. I really appreciate what they do, and many men and women come out "clean" and go on to live a godly Christian life. I look to encourage them and if they have time teach a few of the men and women if things are slow. I've given many of them a Ten Commandments Coin that Living Waters has.  Perhaps you could still reach out to Teen Challenge a bit too if one is in your area or any other similar ministries? As you know, they're in need of those who can encourage and disciple them in Christ.

I was at a Coffee House ministry of sorts for a while, would help there a lot, occasionally preach, and reach out to the lost and follow up with Christian tracts, Bibles, etc. It was a great time for a few years. The Coffee House went South though, and started getting into some flipping wiggy teachings well outside of God's Word. On looking to reach out to two of the main "preachers" with God's Word, I was met with scorn, and they continue to this day sadly deceiving folks who are looking for Christ with some off the wall preaching and "experiences" that they attribute to God.
These, and those currently like them will face God one day, and it will not be pleasant.

Worked with the homeless in a Christian shelter for some years, enjoyed reaching out to the lost, taught Bible studies there, prayerfully reached out to the down and out that are in society. Tough long hours too. None the less, a rewarding experience, saw a few come to the Lord and continue in the faith. Others would hear the Gospel and not respond, but we know the seed of His Word was planted.
On rare occasion, some would come and stay and hear His Gospel one last time. Shortly after they left they went back to their self destructive lifestyle and wound up in the obituary. Even in this "last call" we can see His mercy.

As a testimony towards prayer, I do recall one of the more extreme "hard cases" that stayed a few weeks. A street fighter, drugs, hard thug life.
Shortly after he left, I felt impressed by the Lord to seriously pray for him one day, thinking he was in some deep trouble. So much so, I marked the day and time thinking I would ask him what happened if I ever saw him again. A short time later, I did, and I asked him what happened on that date.
He looked at me kind of surprised at my asking. Turns out, someone, as he told it, came from behind him with a Rambo knife, and was going to lunge it into his head and he never saw him coming. He told me he did not understand why the knife stopped just short of his skull even though the killer was still attempting to thrust it in. He said the blade "just stopped." I went on to tell him of God having me pray for him that day, and noted he should have been dead letting him know this was his wake up call with yet one more opportunity to repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I had no argument from him, and he was seriously thinking on the matter. I let him know he should not think too long on this, as there may not be a "next time." I never saw him again, and we can all hope he did repent and believe on our Savior at some point!

[B3L13v3R]

On 3/18/2019 at 4:00 PM, bropro said:

If so, how is it going, and what kind of materials are you using?

I'm currently street preaching, whether it be 1 on 1 or speaking to a dozen. And I find Christian tracts as a great follow up, generally folks are thankful, and only too glad to read them. Some on the spot, others later as they put them away.

I find myself speaking towards many that have been hurt in Church. Others in cults, false religions. Reaching out to them with Christ and biblical truths hoping to point some back towards the narrow path, and others bring to the narrow path!
I use a good bit of "apologetic" material too, not just tracts. Pamphlets, CDs, DVDs, books, New Testaments, and full Bibles.

I continue to have a real concern for the Church to get back to it's foundation, Jesus Christ! And that which represents Him, the Bible!
The Christian needs to make the stand, either all of the Bible is true, or none of it's true.
It's not a smorgasbord, and it Words should not be wrangled out of context. 
It's got a first page in Genesis, lets not go before that. It's got a last page in Revelation. Lets not go beyond that.

 

So in that context, things are going great! Like many here, and Mr. Genor in the video, we do not usually "see" the results.
But at some point we will in the not too distant future with God in Heaven.

The Apologetic material I use would be from these Ministries in no particular order:

Berean Call
Christian Ministries International Dr. Ron Carlson
Light House Trails and their many authors
Good Fight Ministries
Mark Cahill
Answers In Genesis
The Institute for Creation Research
One can buy N/T and Bibles in bulk from a number of good resources online.
Full KJV paperbacks and small New Testaments are available at "Dollar Tree" stores for $1.

Ministries I've used for Christian Tracts:

Living Waters
Chick Tracts
Mark Cahill
Pinpoint Evangelism
Faith Prayer and Tract League
One Million Tracts
Vision Publishers
I've also had printers make some business sized Christian tracts. They can be pretty reasonable if you buy 1,000 or more.

Please note, I may not agree with everything the above teach, but overall great ministries, and I'm sure there are others out there as well.

I would add with all the above, I'm looking to keep God as my first love, pray, continue to grow in Christ, and just look to be available. Hoping to see Him, and Him alone glorified.

May we all with our varying gifts that He gives the Body of Christ look to do the same!
Honestly, when we are in Him, no part is any less important than the other as we should all be looking to see Christ our Savoir glorified!

Thankful too for a praying wife who supports me, who I love deeply. She has been with me on a few wild adventures along with her much desired input towards some I'm speaking with. Over the years, she continues to affectionately call me a "radical."

[Takoda]

I find that the Chic tracts are highly offensive for any number of reasons.