Sowing The Gospel - One Tract At A Time

Tract (noun) – A short piece of writing, especially on a religious or political subject, that is intended to influence other people’s opinions (Cambridge Dictionary)

In the Lim Ah Pin congregation, we have the regular practice of meeting once a month on the 3^rd Saturday of each month, to give out tracts to houses in our neighborhood. On average, tracts are given out to about 3,000 households per session. Usually, two tracts are given to each household – one is specific to an event such as an “Evangelism Sunday” (where the sermon is tailored to visitors and friends), and one is a generic tract, designed to spark the reader’s interest in God and one’s eternal destiny.

A lot of effort goes into each session. Not only do the tracts have to be designed and printed beforehand, but brethren then meet up to go floor to floor, and door to door to give these tracts to the neighbors in different housing blocks. On average, each person gives out tracts to about 100 households per session (or about 1 medium-sized HDB block’s worth).

Some may wonder – does giving out tracts work as a method of evangelism? After all, how many people would actually read the tract, let alone act upon it by contacting the church or requesting for a Bible study?

 I’ll like to flip the question around – if 1 truth-seeking soul can be won over to Christ through the influence of a tract that he received, can we afford not to give out tracts? We have living, breathing, members in our midst who became aware of the Lord’s church that meets at Lim Ah Pin Road through a tract, and who later rendered obedience to the Lord through water baptism. If we had not given out those tracts, perhaps they might have never been introduced to the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Your effort in giving out tracts matters. It matters to the soul lost in sin, who is searching for the truth (cf. Acts 17:26-27). It matters to your fellow brethren, for your presence alongside them in giving out tracts is an encouragement to us all and a reminder that everyone’s effort is important (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:6, 9). Most of all, it matters to God, for He sees that you are putting in effort into sowing the gospel – one tract at a time (cf. Hebrews 6:10; Matthew 28:18-20).

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:36-38)