The Use of Gospel Tracts

“Josh, I am just calling to apologise to you,” the voice on the end of the line said, “when we were at Bible College, I told you that you were wasting your time handing out tracts and witnessing on the street; I need to say sorry for that.” I was perplexed at this out of the blue phone call, but I was also intrigued, “What brought about the change of opinion?” I asked. Answering, my pastor friend said, “Tonight, a man asked to be baptised; when I asked him how he was saved he mentioned receiving a gospel tract from you in the Queen Street Mall.”

Over the years I have heard many testimonies from people whom the Lord saved after reading a gospel tract; yet despite the harvest that is still being brought in, the humble tract has fallen upon hard times. Today, we are told that simply handing out printed gospel messages will not impact the world, but I must disagree.

Recently, I met a man (who now attends our chapel) who shared his testimony with me; in the story of how he was converted he mentioned receiving a tract through his letterbox many years ago. That simple printed page was then used by the Lord to bring this man to saving faith.

Another man told me that one night he saw a piece of paper blowing along the street, since he wasn’t keen on litter, he picked it up. This leaflet was different to all the other bits of paper he had picked up, so he read it while waiting to cross the road at a traffic light. As he stood there reading the leaflet the Father drew him to the Son.

I know full well that it is a pragmatic argument to point at the fruit and say, “See, gospel tracts work!” So, feel free to call me a pragmatist; but what I can’t get around is the fact that the Lord has sovereignly chosen to use His message printed on paper to bring many people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Tracts have always been an effective tool in the gospel workers arsenal.  

Charles Spurgeon said,

“When preaching and private talk are not available, you need to have a tract ready…get good striking tracts, or none at all. But a touching gospel tract may be the seed of eternal life. Therefore, do not go out without your tracts.”

R.A. Torrey, who worked with D.L. Moody said,

“Comparatively few Christians realize the importance of tract work. I had been a Christian a good many years, and a minister of the Gospel several years, before it ever entered my head that tracts were of much value in Christian work. I had somehow grown up with the notion that tracts were all rubbish, and therefore I did not take the trouble to read them, and far less did I take the trouble to circulate them, but I found out that I was entirely wrong. Tract work has some great advantages over other forms of Christian work.”

Gospel tracts have been used by the Lord in times past, and also today; but what do we look for in a good tract? I have been to Christian bookstores and seen walls of tracts that were not worth the paper they were printed on. Some tracts were devoid of the gospel, and others were borderline heretical; others tried so hard to appear ‘culturally hip’ that they were an embarrassment. So, what should we look for in a good gospel tract?

1. Engaging: Tracts need to have something about them that captures the interest of the person who receives it. This could be a tract that is well-designed with eye-catching colours, or a thought-provoking question on the front. We should do all things well, so let’s make sure our tracts are engaging.

 2. Talks about Sin: It isn’t popular today, but we must talk about the dreaded “S” word – sin. If we want people to be rescued from their sins, then we must tell them what they need to be saved from. As such, our tracts must mention the reality that all people have sinned against God, and that our sin has consequences. Of course, we need to be wise in how we address this subject, but despite the uncomfortable nature of this topic, we still must talk about sin.

 3. Explains the Cross: The cross of Jesus Christ must be mentioned in our tracts. Our message is Christ crucified, so we must speak of the Saviour who died in the place of sinners. It is no use talking about our sin if we don’t mention the one who saves the lost.

 4. Mentions the Resurrection: Jesus isn’t dead, so make sure this part of the gospel is included in the tracts you use. I have seen many well-designed tracts that would have been great tools, but sadly they missed the resurrection. We cannot faithfully present the gospel if we do not mention the fact that Jesus is risen.

 5. Calls for a Response: Once the gospel has been clearly explained, make sure your tract calls for a response. The biblical response to the gospel is to repent and believe; if your tract lacks either of these points then it isn’t worth using. We need to call on people to turn from their rebellion and turn to Christ; we must exhort people who read the tract to trust in Christ alone for salvation.

 6. Further Information: The nature of tracts is that they are short, so we sometimes can struggle to fit all the information onto the page. That is why it is important that church details, a phone number or website is included on the tract, so that people can get in touch if they want more information.
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Gospel tracts are effective tools which we can use in the course of our daily witness. Tracts can (and should) be used by all Christians, not just those in full-time Christian service. Eternity will testify to the millions who have been saved via the printed page, and I suspect that the majority of those tracts would have been handed out by everyday Christians just serving the Lord in this simple way.

For those who read this blog, let me encourage you to make much of Jesus by using gospel tracts.