A Simple Tract Can Help Transform Lives, Literature Ministry Leader Says

Have you ever hit rock bottom and found hope from an unexpected source? For a 16-year-old girl from California, that hope came in the form of a pocket-sized Signs of the Times tract given to her by a stranger on a train. 

The teen was heading back to the group home where she lived after running away to a friend’s house, where she had fallen into regularly using drugs, neglecting food and sleep for days. The novelty had worn off, and, missing her family, the girl accepted her friend’s help of a train ticket home. 

Boarding the train at 5:00 p.m., she found a seat alone, texting her boyfriend constantly to help ease the anxiety brought on by her drug use. A man a few seats away, talking on his phone, kept glancing at her with concern. Overcome with emotion, the girl had begun to cry. The man handed her a pocket Signs tract with a cross on the cover that was titled “Someone Cares about You.”

The compact tract was jam-packed with promises such as Genesis 18:14 — “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” and Psalm 40:1-3 — “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He … heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth.”

In a rare handwritten note to Signs of the Times, the teenage girl wrote about receiving this surprise gift. “That’s when I cried even more. I told my boyfriend what had happened, and he texted me a prayer to help me feel better. After that, he told me it was a sign — a sign that it’s time to change. It really meant something, and ever since that day, I haven’t touched drugs.”

Sharing Hope, One Tract at a Time

There are countless stories of how a simple tract and other literature can spark transformation in recipients. Sometimes these people did not receive a tract directly from another person but rather found it in a bathroom, at a restaurant, on a plane, or on their car windshield. 

NAD literature ministries director Carl McRoy said that distributing tracts “doesn’t require any expertise. You just look for opportunities to share.” Having a piece of literature allows the average church member, without theological training, to reach those around them. 

McRoy noted that tracts and other literature often help plant seeds for people to receive the gospel, stating, “There are a lot of stories of people who have been baptized, and if we talk to them, we see the interaction with literature at some point.”

He added that when people like the 16-year-old girl reach out, they seek a human connection to help guide them in their faith journey. The tract is just the starting point. He has found that literature evangelism is most impactful when members distribute spiritual materials in person and consistently return to the same area to follow up with those they have reached. 

“Whatever setting you find yourself in your daily life — grocery store, doctor’s office, gas station, restaurant — that’s where you can share literature,” McRoy said. He emphasized that by being intentional and consistent, “you increase the odds of the Word becoming flesh.” 

Testimonies abound of how easy and fun it can be to distribute tracts. Here are a few from an outreach event sponsored by the Southern Union Conference Publishing Department, directed by William Smith. 

“We just finished distributing at the Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta, [at the] Georgia vs. Notre Dame [game]. What a great group! A good number of youth. So happy to see their involvement! Praise God!” participant Willie Mae shared. 

“We had a blast giving people silent preachers,” another participant said at the giveaway on October 19.

McRoy reports that between Signs, Vibrant Life, and El Centinela, 2.6 million tracts were sold last year. While that is a decent number, he said, “We should be able to challenge ourselves to do more in a division with more than 375 million people to reach.”

Perfect Gift for the Holidays

Pacific Press Publishing Association regularly offers special deals on tracts, usually in bundles of 100. The tracts cover topics including health concerns about specific diseases, mental health, smoking cessation, grief, and Bible topics such as the Sabbath and the Second Coming.

“Holidays present opportunities to share tracts because we’re typically sharing things anyway, and people are more open to conversation from people they don’t know very well,” McRoy said. He added, “There’s also holiday loneliness. Holidays are a very lonely time for many people,” especially those who have lost loved ones, he said. Having lost his mother on New Year’s Eve, McRoy said he could relate to the impact of a message of hope and healing during such a bittersweet time. 

In an email newsletter, Dale Galusha, Pacific Press president, offered some eye-opening statistics and a challenge for the holidays.

“With the holiday season just around the corner, the US Postal Service anticipates 1.6 billion holiday cards will be sent this year. According to online card and gift giant Shutterfly, more than half — 54 percent — of Americans say they still mail their greeting cards versus sending digital cards. And two-thirds prefer to receive physical cards instead of digital ones — including Millennials and Gen Zers.”

He continued, “Are you planning to send holiday cards to friends and loved ones? If so, why not include a tract with each one?” Not only can you slip a tract easily into a card or envelope, but its lightweight material also ensures it will not increase postage costs. 

This holiday season and beyond, consider harnessing the power of a tract to spread the love of Jesus.

The original version of this story was posted on the North American Division news site. Tracts are available from Adventist Book Center Online.