Some of these ideas may seem extreme or way out of your comfort zone to you, but please read all the way through and you may connect with one of them. The ideas I want to share will hopefully inspire you and/or show how fun and fulfilling being involved in the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) can be!
1. GOSPEL TRACTS
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about gospel tracts. I did a blog addressing the importance and debunking some of the misconceptions here if you want to take a look: What are gospel tracts and why use them?
I began using tracts shortly after I became a born-again Christian. If you don't know what that means or are familiar with that term please feel free to check out my testimony here. They have truly been an invaluable tool in sharing my faith with thousands of people I have met over the years.
Living Waters in my opinion makes some of the best gospel tracts. I have been to their facility and met the founders and employees. I was part of their Ambassador's Alliance training seminar and they are the real deal and very godly people. Their #1 mission is to reach the lost. I will discuss different tracts with each opportunity and provide links.
2. BLACK FRIDAY
Black Friday is an interesting event. It's at times a war-zone and we can see what appears to be the total depravity of man...but...it is a great opportunity to hand out tracts or strike up a conversation. You have big lines and events at multiple times on Thursday AND Friday where no one is going anywhere in a hurry as they wait for the sales of the century. I used to wake up early and go to different stores and bring stacks of the Million Dollar Bill tract or Santa tract.
I usually use money tracts for big events, but never as a gift to an employee somewhere or accompanied with a tip. I'll share what I use for that later.
I would go to the front of a line or wherever I could and hand these out down the line OR hand a stack to someone in line and tell them to please pass them back. I've never had someone turn me down when asking someone to pass them back. If you hand it to someone individually you can say, "did you get your million today?" "here, have some Santa bucks", or come up with your own creative phrase. It's best to say "did you get..." rather than "do you want..." as they feel they are missing out on something, which they are! If someone says they are a Christian then you can tell them to give it to someone you can't reach. I wrote a blog one Black Friday about what transpired. If you would like you may check it out at Oh Black Friday...
*I know it's late notice to order for Black Friday, but if you live near me and want to do this I have thousands of tracts and can get some to you! Just let me know!
2. FAMILY GATHERINGS - the lion's den of evangelism...
Sharing your faith with family members is a tough thing for many and especially at family gatherings. However, this is still a great opportunity. Many pray for opportunities to share the gospel, but honestly as Americans we have many opportunities and freedoms to do so already. If I waited for someone to just come and ask me why I live the way I do, why I believe what I believe, or what I think about religion then I would have never shared my faith. I have shared my testimony (accompanied with a gospel presentation) with family members, given them tracts, DVDs, and CDs. Yes, the hardest thing was me striking up the conversation, but I'm glad I did. If you do not feel comfortable then give and ask them to listen to a CD or DVD. Tell them it's important to you or ask for their feedback on it to start the conversation. I use Hell's Best Kept Secret and The Greatest Gamble. For the record, I don't just use Living Waters for tracts nor do I get anything from sharing their products. You can also go to Gospel Tract Planet or One Million Tracts if you prefer different ones. I personally purchase from all three sites. I love the Man Card from One Million Tracts and we get our Star Wars tracts from Gospel Tract Planet! : )
3. FAST FOOD, RESTAURANTS, AND RETAIL EMPLOYEES
One of our family rules is that if we can't tip 20% then we do not eat at a restaurant as I believe it is very important to be generous no matter the quality of service, especially if you are giving a gospel tract. I said earlier I do not use money tracts at restaurants. Many employees have been burned and given million dollar bills as a joke or in place of a tip. I've heard numerous stories of waiters and waitresses having disdain with these tracts. Instead I give a Gift For You tract with the $ inside or if we use a debit card I give them a non-dollar bill tract and write a nice message on the receipt. These are my favorite and I'm always sure to have at least one on me. Yes, I sometimes jingle as I walk because of these... They are also fun to do coin magic tricks with for kids! : ) 10 Commandments Coin
Depending on your funds you can give these to multiple waiters or retail workers. I love to give the Gift for You or 10 Commandments coins to cashiers and thank them. If you go to a fast-food drive through restaurant or dare I say it..Starbucks, you can pay for the person behind you and give a tract to the employee and ask them to give a tract to the person behind you with the purchase. If you don't have funds to purchase tracts then cut out Starbucks for a month and you should be set! If you buy 10 or more of a certain DVD, CD, or tract from Living Waters it is a lot cheaper though.
We budget funds for tracts and Gift for You's every month, but started out doing it only in December. For more information on budgeting I recommend Dave Ramsey, ha! Hey, it works! Seriously though if you want to try using tracts and do not have the funds please let me know and I'll send some your way.
4. PARADES
Are you creative? Get yourself in a parade! Be the Gospel Tract Santa or get a different costume or no costume at all. I once rode a gorilla costume on a moped in a parade...no joke. I wouldn't suggest it if I haven't done it..
There are lots of parades going on during the holidays. Handing out tracts during a parade works very well. I will use money tracts if I am at a parade. You can either hand them out on the sides with those watching, those in the parade, both, or get in the parade and hand out from the street. I've only had one person turn a tract down from me years ago and another tear it up in front of me. This was because I was using Obama Trillion dollar bills. The person thought I was trying to send a political message. Needless to say I don't use those anymore...
5. EVENTS AND YOU
If you throw a holiday party, gathering, or volunteer somewhere bring some tracts with you or have a space available with or without a sign for people to take tracts. I've asked family members at weddings and other events if I could just set out tracts on a table, which has worked great.
Have a talent? Use it for God's glory! I don't consider myself a great pianist, but I sometimes do a "Guess that song" contest on Facebook and I would play a song and send the winner a free CD, DVD, with a couple of tracts. There are a ton of different ways you can get the gospel and tracts into peoples hands. Consider your talents, strengths, job, and connections to identify and make those opportunities.
If you have ideas I haven't mentioned or do something differently I would love to hear it. Trust me, I was and still sometimes the biggest introvert and NEVER thought I would ever be able to share my faith with anyone let alone hand a tract to someone. No matter what you think of yourself you can do it! It is a biblical command, but it is also a choice you make and can make. Being involved in evangelism is fulfilling and challenges you in the best way possible. If you do try this for the first time please let me know how it went or let me know if you have any questions. When it comes to evangelism pray for strength, guidance, understanding, patience, boldness, and love. And remember, don't quit!
Thank you and may God bless you and yours!
In Christ,
Joey
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