“If there is one work more important than another, it is that of getting our publications before the public, thus leading them to search the scriptures.” (Christian Service 145)
There are a thousand and one ways to creatively pass out GLOW tracts. Frankly, you don’t even need to be creative about it. You could just pass them out or leave them places for people to find and that would be fine. Sometimes, however, that is uncomfortable for people, both the givers and the receivers. I have found that if you attach the Glow tract to some other little object, it’s much easier to give and it is happily accepted!
There is not a right or wrong object to attach to a GLOW tract. You can use anything, but I like to find things that I can buy in bulk and that I can get inexpensively. Many times this tends to be an edible treat, but not always. The first item I ever attached to a GLOW tract was a red and white mint candy that you can buy in packs from Walmart or the Dollar Tree. We made little cards that said “You are worth a MINT to Jesus!” We put the GLOW tract, the card, and the candy into a 4×5 recloseable bag that you can purchase from JoAnn’s on online. One elderly church member was tickled by how easy it was to hand these out and how happy people in her small town were to receive them. People love to get little gifts!! The goal is for people to be so pleased with the gift that they want to read the tract that came with it. Sometimes people are even more interested in the tract than the candy.
One particular time my husband and I were in a restaurant. We were ready to leave so along with the payment and tip, we left a GLOW tract pack with a mint in it. After getting up from the table we made our way to the restroom before leaving. When we came out our server, along with another worker, hurried over to us and, speaking eagerly about the tract as she held it up, asked, “do you have any more of these?” Of course I did! I fanned them out in front of her and they picked the ones they wanted to read. I was convinced that people truly are searching for truth, for comfort, for health, for Life. Sometimes the Source can be found in a tract. Or at least the seed can be planted!
We have also used Lifesavers and we have taken these little Lifesaver packs everywhere. One time in particular we took them door-to-door with the purpose of praying with people and writing down prayer requests. We knocked on the door and let them know who we were and that we had this little treat for them. I then said, “we’re also praying for people in our community. Do you have any special prayer requests that we can pray for?” We had such good response to our offer to pray. Some were in tears. Some were so thankful for the prayers. People had real concerns and were touched that we would pray for them. We have even had people visit our church because of our time out praying for people in our community.
One Christmas season we got the whole church involved in making Christmas Survival Kits to pass out in the community. We needed to collect candy cane mints, tea light candles, gum sticks, Band-Aids, pennies, tea bags, Christmas GLOW tracts, and baggies. Many people volunteered to donate supplies and then one Sabbath afternoon after fellowship lunch, we all worked together to assemble the baggies. We put together five hundred Christmas Survival Kits. Church members took some to give as they did errands. The school group and are family took the rest of them all over town handing them to people and wishing them a very merry Christmas. The towns people were very receptive of our gift. At the bank we were even escorted back to the President’s office so we could share a pack with him. Later we were accompanied around DHS so everyone working here could have a stress relieving pack.
Thanks Amy, for another great post of inspiration! This was post 4 of 6. Come back next Wednesday for another post from Amy!
The Adventist Home Educator 