General Category > Evangelism

Passing Out Tracts

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OsoWeakbutHeIsStrong:
I've never passed out pamphlets before, but recently I aquired a large box of Bible tracts.  I was very excited to get started so I prayed that God would lead me to where I should go.  Today was a nice enough day (not rainy), so I decided to put them on car windows at a location where there are a bunch of differents bars and restaurants in one area.

As I was putting the tracts under the wiper blades of random cars, I wondered if that was such a great idea.  Am I being lazy by not handing them out to individual people...face to face?  Is there a more effective way I could be doing this?  My goal, of course, is for these to be read and not tossed out.  I know that even if I hand them out the same thing could happen, but at least it would mean that the recipient was willingly accepting something. When I put them on car windows, I'm kind of forcing something on them.  Or am I?  Maybe this method is okay.

I was just wondering if anyone could give me some feedback.  Have you passed out Bible tracts before?  How did you do it?  Do you have any advice or tips for me?  Is the car window idea a good one or not?  Thank you for any and all advice.

By the way, yesterday I actually gave out my very first tract to a person who knocked on my door.  They were asking for a donation for their little league.  One thing I know for sure, if you're a random person who knocks on my door, from now on, you're gonna get a Bible tract. 

Kenneth Winslow:
Just do it.
They are only for people who might be saved anyway. They won't do most people much good since most people reject repentance and faith.
The main question, is the Lord pleased with what you are doing and how you are doing it?

someguy85:
Take opportunities when you see them. Always keep some with you. This is what I've been doing for a while, leave them in phone boxes, restrooms, a computer terminal at a library, a booth in a restaurant after you've eaten, letterboxes in your local neighbour hood. Don't ask yourself "should I be handing these to people directly", ask yourself "is this somewhere it will be seen".

Another tip too, if you're in a city where homelessness is a problem, if you come across someone who asks you for money for food, if you're able to share some food with them, or buy them something from a nearby store, then hand them a gospel tract as well. There are a million and one places to leave them, and sometimes God says "put one there". The drawback about spreading the gospel this way is you'll rarely if ever know how many people have come to repentance through it. But as Paul said, it's up to some to plant, some to water, but ultimately God gives the increase. Go nuts  :)

Rowan M.:
One thing I used to do, and maybe could do again, was be a sort of "Gospel mailman" and just drop tracts in letterboxes. In New Zealand, most houses have letterboxes (or mailboxes, as I think you call them in the States) at the end of their front path. It is rare for a house in this country to have the letterbox/mailbox in the front door. During the two years that I lived in the US though, the house my parents rented had a letterbox in the front door, and I think most houses in our neighbourhood were the same. With that, you have to go onto people's properties a lot more and run the risk of being attacked by guard dogs. But in NZ, it's possible to stay on the street (although some letterboxes can be awkwardly positioned up or down shared driveways - my city is a very hilly one). I remember getting to know my local neighbourhood a whole lot better with this method. I would go on outings and target specific streets. Depending on the length of a street, I might do a single long street or several shorter ones.

In more recent times, I have also been leaving tracts on cars. Like you, Annalisa, I put them under a wiper blade. Occasionally, I even hand them directly to people! When I do that, I usually just ask them, "Would you like something to read?" Most of the time, they quite happily take it, and then I wish them a nice day and move on. Sometimes, I have seen them reading it as I've walked away. I usually say a little prayer for them in that case. (Well, I pray for them anyway, but if they're actually reading the tract in that moment, so much the better.) While most people seem to take the tract without any questions, someone will occasionally ask what I'm offering. So I will then say it's a Gospel tract. If they're observant enough, they can also work it out from the title.

Every once in a while, someone will refuse to take a tract from me. So far, they have always been polite about it, although I do remember one woman getting a little irate with me some years ago when I tried to leave a tract in her letterbox (she was just coming home as I left it, I think, so she took it out and gave it back to me). I usually just say, "OK, no worries, have a nice day" and move on. I used to use Chick tracts a lot, but have reservations about some aspects of them now (though I kind of like their latest offering, called Trust the Science!) At the moment I'm favouring tracts I bought some years ago from a guy who no longer sells them. They're in a "business card" format, which makes them ideal for leaving on cars and also for carrying around. They use the KJV and preach the Law, which I like. They do give the Gospel too, although they could be a bit stronger on repentance.

Aside from letterbox drops or leaving them on car windscreens (plus giving them directly to people), I have also sometimes left tracts on the table of a restaurant I went to, left them on buses or left them on an outdoor shop display. A few weeks ago, I actually did give a tract to a beggar, along with a small amount of money (I wasn't that generous with the money, but he looked the sort that might drink, so I didn't want to fuel his habit).

I don't know whether anyone has ever been saved from the tracts I've left, but there are a lot of people in my neighbourhood and general local area who will be without excuse on the last day, and their blood won't be on my hands. I do like the idea of giving a tract to people who come to your door too.

Joshua JZB:
As long as they aren't scary looking like these!



A few months ago, two of these pamphlets were left on my windscreen one evening. They greeted me as I entered my car after my shift which finished at midnight - gave me a good fright lol :o It was to advertise for a local Seventh Day Adventist Reformed Movement event (not sure how they are different from regular SDAs.)

Encouraging to hear that you're getting material out there. :) This year I really want to start doing some public evangelism and getting material out there myself - to me this seems like a really good start.

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