Gospel Tracts For Contemporary Society
(How To Write and/or Choose Truly Effective
Ones)
Imagine turning on the television and watching a commercial that
was originally broadcast regularly in the 1950’s. First of all, it would be in
black and white, and any music would sound nostalgic to our ears today. The
commercial would also appeal to the mindset of consumers who lived in that
decade. Although it may have a nostalgic entertainment value, from a consumer
point of view, it would not be taken seriously as a modern day commercial that is
intended to appeal to people in this present generation. In a similar way,
tracts that were effective a generation ago are generally ineffective today due
to dated visuals and manner of writing that were both meant to appeal to the
generation in which they were written.
In
order to be true to the gospel message, all tracts must communicate the gospel
as it is written in the Bible. While the message is sacred and unchangeable,
the method of its communicating is not.
Jesus said to GO and preach the gospel, signifying
that we go to their turf, to their culture, and communicate the
message in a way that they can understand.
The Apostle Paul expressed it this way:
“I have become
all things to all men so that by all
possible means I might save some.”
(1 Corinthians 9:23b)
There are two vitally important components in
a tract that determine its ‘up-to-date-ness’, and its ability to engender
credibility, so that the reader will choose to read it.
1.
Visual Appeal
Visual content (graphics and design) can
determine whether people will choose to read a tract that is given to them. This
is particularly true among younger people. Tracts that look ‘old-fashioned’ may
communicate the idea that the message it contains is also ‘old-fashioned’ or
irrelevant to people today.
2.
The Way in Which the Message is Communicated
In today’s busy, fast-paced
culture, generally people want anything that they read to be short and to get right
to the point. The challenge in writing effective tracts today is in
communicating the gospel message clearly in a way that demands a response from
the reader, yet with as few words as possible.
Tracts can be designed in such a way as to intrigue
people into reading them in their entirety, resulting in an understanding of
the gospel message, and the decision that needs to be made in response. Here are some guidelines:
Effective Gospel tracts:
ü have attention-arresting cover pages.
o
Contemporary appearance and
sparse but intriguing wording are vital to
this.
ü communicate the gospel message clearly without being too wordy.
o The message needs to include the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ as the substitutionary payment for the sins of all
people, and forgiveness of sins to all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ
for their eternal salvation.
(1 Cor. 15:3-8)
ü contain an appeal to respond to the Gospel.
o
A presentation of the gospel
is incomplete if it does not demand a response from the reader.
ü warn of consequences of rejecting Christ
o
A presentation of the gospel
should warn of the fate of a person who dies in their sins. (John 3:18)
ü tell how to begin the Christian life.
o
People need to understand
that if they receive Christ as Lord and Savior, they are not only new creatures
in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) but they are entering into a new life and need to begin
to learn the basics of the Christian life a.s.a.p.
ü
be
superior in quality and appearance
o
Literature that is of high
quality is perceived to have high value and engenders greater credibility than a
tract of an inferior tract.
ü
contain contact and follow-up information.
o
New believers need to become a
part of a fellowship of believers
You can view examples of gospel tracts that
follow these principles this in their entirety at:
