Effectively Sharing the Gospel With Tracts

A gospel tract is a simple and fairly effective method of sharing the gospel. The are easy to obtain and easy to give to sales clerks, waitresses, and people one crosses paths with while out and about. Sadly, a lot of Christians have ruined the effectiveness of this method of sharing the gospel, by not paying a tip and leaving a tract instead, or leaving tracts in places where a custodian is going to have to pick them up. 

I like to keep several things in mind when using a gospel tract.

#1-Keep it personal. Hand tracts to a person-do not leave it in a public bathroom, waiting room, or lobby for someone to have to discard. It is not only a rude, but cowardly and impersonal method of sharing the gospel.

#2-Don't just pass out gospel tracts like candy. The message of the gospel is personal and sacred and should be accompanied with a personal and friendly conversation-not just passed to a sales clerk with the comment "this is of you" (I have been guilty of doing) without any further conversation. If the gospel means something to us, it should not be passed off carelessly.

#3-Choose good tracts. There are a lot of tacky and un-scriptural tracts available. A catchy phrase is not what sharing the gospel is about. Make sure the tract is not only biblicaly sound, but does not try to scare a person into salvation. True salvation only comes by a person being repentant of sins, not simply afraid to go to hell. I make sure the tracts I use focus on man's depravity and need of a Savior, not on hell-fire and damnation.

#4-Prayer-I don't just hand out tracts to anyone and everyone without being assured that the Lord is leading. I accompany each tract with prayer before giving it to anyone and after giving it to someone. 

#5-A major reason I don't like to be liberal at passing out gospel tracts is because very often there is no way to follow up with a person after the tract has been given. I sold a name-brand cosmetic for some time and found that getting a phone number and asking if you can call in a few days and see what the costumer thought of the product was an unobtrusive way to get costumer feedback. I see no problem with carrying this into sharing the gospel. If I am genuinely concerned for a person's soul, I should be willing to follow up with them. 

Favorite Gospel Tracts: Bridge Illustration/Romans Road

Recently, I completed a simple gospel tract sharing our family's testimony. I have been given several personal tracts from friends, and have found that they are probably my favorite type of tract. Not only are they personal, but you can give it to a person after they have seen you and it generally intrigues them far more than a standard tract. I greatly encourage every person/family to spend the time to create their own tract.