Pro-life activism

[RightIdea]

Ooooo.... I like that! I can get about 100 cards for $5, I'll likely do that soon. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Poly]

Does anybody remember those tracts "Children, things we throw away" from Last Days Ministry?

 

[Servo]

You might want to consider putting the cards in library books. One or 2 books per shelf so the staff, upon learning of their existence, will not know which books contain the cards. I've done this before with gospel tracts. I've distributed about 1,000 gospel tracts this way.

Wow! Good idead.

Where do you get the cards?

Here?

 

[Jefferson]

Wow! Good idead.

Where do you get the cards?

Here?

Yes. The gospel tracts I used were THESE.

 

[RightIdea]

Well, personally I dont' believe in salvation tracts. That's apples and oranges. People come to Christ through relationship. Faith comes by what? Hearing. By hearing the truth from someone who has that truth. Not by pawning them off on some tract or telling them to go to church, where they don't belong.

Generally, tracts are a crutch for the unequipped. If you're not equipped... then get equipped! But regardless of whether you think you're capable... open your mouth. God has used 10-year-olds to lead someone to Christ. It's not about whether you're capable, but about whether God is capable through you.

Just my two cents.

 

[Jefferson]

People come to Christ through relationship.

I didn't. I came to Christ after reading C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity."

But as long as you are evangelizing I'm not going to criticize you. God bless you for your efforts.

 

[RightIdea]

I didn't. I came to Christ after reading C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity."

But as long as you are evangelizing I'm not going to criticize you. God bless you for your efforts.

Jeff, there are rare exceptions to almost every rule. But what does God's word say? Write something down and give it to them? No, it says that faith comes by hearing. And how will the hear if there is not someone speaking the truth? This is a calling of every single Christian in the Body of Christ. You're drafted into this war, like it or not. It doesn't mean you're called to stand on a street corner like some of us. But people need to hear the truth. And if you think you can count on some other Christian out there to tell this person the truth.... that's like playing Russian roullette with someone else's head.

If you had a friend with a drug or alcohol problem, wouldn't you say something? Wouldn't you tell them the "good news," .... which inherently must include the "bad news?" Namely thta they have a problem, and that the good news is there's a solution? Would you just hand them a pamphlet and run the other way... or would you talk to your friend.

Care enough about someone to tell them the truth. :thumb:

 

[Poly]

Well, personally I dont' believe in salvation tracts. That's apples and oranges. People come to Christ through relationship. Faith comes by what? Hearing. By hearing the truth from someone who has that truth. Not by pawning them off on some tract or telling them to go to church, where they don't belong.

Generally, tracts are a crutch for the unequipped. If you're not equipped... then get equipped! But regardless of whether you think you're capable... open your mouth. God has used 10-year-olds to lead someone to Christ. It's not about whether you're capable, but about whether God is capable through you.

Just my two cents.

I agree that it's best to "open your mouth" if possible and that tracts might cause one not to "be ready in season and out" but when Paul speaks of faith coming by hearing I don't think he means that they must literally hear with their ears. It's simply that they must be made aware of the gospel. If somebody encourages another person to read scripture, an article or a tract, you can't really say that this is wrong. I do agree that if one is able, he should share the gospel in a way that would more personal. A conversation might be more effective in that it shows the length that one is willing to go to in sharing. But if a person is an introvert, yet really wants to be effective, he might start out with tracts in hopes of finally reaching a point where he can personally share the gospel in coversation which would have more of an impact. I just wouldn't want somebody to get the impression that handing out tracts is a wrong in sharing the gospel, just maybe less effective.

 

[Jefferson]

...No, it says that faith comes by hearing. And how will the hear if there is not someone speaking the truth?

I think if the guttenberg press had been invented during the time of Christ, He would have included "reading" in that verse. The masses did not own their own scriptures. Hearing a rabbi read from them was the only way they ever "heard" them.

Would you just hand them a pamphlet and run the other way... or would you talk to your friend.

I do both.

 

[RightIdea]

Well, that's an interesting assumption... but aren't you speaking from silence?

George Barna's widely respected research looked at the 3 basic ways people come to accept Christ (in a way such that 5 years later, they are still "practicing Christians." (By no means a perfect measure, but it's about as close as anyone can come.)

First, a big event, such as a Billy Graham crusade, etc. Second, a chance encounter with a stranger, a brief conversation, then parting ways. Third, an ongoing relationship with someone in their life.

The first two resulted in an 85% failure rate. That is to say that 85% of the people who did appear to accept Christ... turned out to not have a real conversion at all. (That's not even counting hte people who ever even seemed to convert.)

In category 3, it is the exact opposite. 85% success rate.

Relationship is how God reaches people. Not just barking something at them or handing them a pamphlet. What really impacts people is reaching them through ongoing relationships. I mean people in your life -- family, friends, coworkers... even enemies. These are the people that you can reach. And if you lean on a tract instead of speaking to them... I really believe you're doing a disservice to them. As I said, you're speaking from silence in your post above. Besides which, Paul was hardly talking about unbelievers coming into the churches and synagogues to spontaneously listen to preaching, reading aloud from the Bible. That passage refers to people going out to the lost. We know that faith comes by hearing. This is the rule of thumb.

A piece of paper can't answer questions, show personal caring and understanding, have a relationship with the reader. Ours is a relational God! That is how He reaches people. Relationship.

 

[Jefferson]

George Barna's widely respected research looked at the 3 basic ways people come to accept Christ (in a way such that 5 years later, they are still "practicing Christians."

Do you have a link to that report? I remember learning several years ago (from some source which now escapes me) that a HUGE percentage of people have become Christians via literature. I remember thinking at the time how much sense that would make because people don't like to be "sold" - especially on something as important as the purpose of life. They want it - rather they need it - to be their decision. So they often come to their decision while they are "alone with God" in their home or in a park.

Now, I don't at all deny the influence that personal contact has on conversions. In fact, I think most of the time the reason why nonchristians begin to read the Bible or apologetic books on the Bible is because they have first become intrigued by the peace and moral character of some, or several, Christians that they know. They have also become intrigued by the answers about God the Christians give them. Often, at this point, a Christian will suggest the unbeliever read the Gospel of John or perhaps an apologetic book and suggest they talk about it further when the unbeliever is finished reading it. I see nothing wrong with this. I know of many Christians who have come to the Lord via just such a scenario. The interesting thing is that they prayed the sinners prayer after personal contact and then reading, not reading and then personal contact.

And if you lean on a tract instead of speaking to them... I really believe you're doing a disservice to them.

Like I said in my previous post, I do both.