ISEMA Newsletters
What Should a Soul-Winning Tract Contain?
by Bob Porter (from the Soulwinner, P O Box 7980, Roanoke, VA 24019, (703) 986-2021)
In recent months, I have received several letters from Christians wanting to know what to look for when ordering soul-winning tracts. I am taking this opportunity to answer the question from my vantage point.
First…a soul-winning tract should be printed on a quality grade paper. On occasions, I have tried to read tracts that were printed on a poor quality paper. There was always present a bleed-through that made it difficult to read the print.
Second…the color of a soul-winning tract should be pleasant to the eyes, and easy to read. If the type is difficult to read, as a general rule, the reader will disregard it. Satan will do everything within his limited power to discourage a lost person from reading a tract.
Third…a soul-winning tract should be brief and to the point. Many of today’s tracts are wordy, and express everything but the salvation message. There is but one purpose in a soul-winning tract…and that purpose is to lead a person to the saving knowledge of Jesus.
Fourth…a soul-winning tract is not complete if the need for repentance is eliminated. I am one of those old-fashioned evangelists who does not believe there is genuine salvation divorced from God-breathed repentance.
I am convinced that one of the reasons many “professing” Christians are living as if they were never saved is the fact they do not have a biblical understanding of repentance.
In time past, I have read several hundred tracts that were referred to as being soul-winning tracts. However, the need to repent was never mentioned once among them.
Fifth…a soul-winning tract should always contain a prayer of decision. Once again, the majority of tracts I have read do not include a prayer of decision. How interesting that a person would write a tract pointing a lost person to Jesus…and eliminate the important spiritual truth to pray, receiving Jesus into their life. How tragic it is to direct a spiritually lost person to a point of decision without further instructions.
Sixth…a soul-winning tract should include a place for a person to record their decision. The tract should also include an address for the new convert to mail their decision so that someone can assist them in follow-up.
The Rekindling of Hell
There it was–right on the cover of U.S. News and World Report (3/25/91). Despite years of indoctrination in humanism, the percentage of Americans who believe in heaven and hell is increasing! A Gallup survey done for the magazine indicated that 78% of Americans believe in heaven and 60% believe in hell, up from 71% and 53% nine years ago and the highest percentages in forty years.
On April 1, the cover of Newsweek read “Violence goes Mainstream. Movies, music, books–are there any limits left?” with a picture of “Hannibal the Cannibal from `The Silence of the Lambs.'” This movie about a serial-killing cannibal is one of the top-grossing (literally) movies on the market. Then on April 5, the TV news show “20/20” featured a 14 year old girl having a demon cast out of her. This show generated tremendous controversy and high ratings. Many people thought “The Exorcist” was something that only happened in the movies; now they were seeing the real thing on TV. What is happening? It seems that the war with Iraq, together with the many social problems facing our nation, has forced us to confront the reality of evil. Like most Americans, I was taught from childhood that man is basically good and that poverty, bigotry and crime are social diseases that can be cured through education.
In the 1950’s we quickly forgot about Hitler and the fact that millions of highly cultured, educated people blindly followed him. Our society degenerated rapidly over the next forty years. Today, we face overwhelming social problems–crime, drugs, homelessness, AIDS, bank collapses, etc. It appears that nobody has any real answers to these and other problems.
With Saddam Hussein, like Hitler, we were once again confronted with evil personified. We were elated to see the war end quickly with few American casualties. But soon we saw the pictures of some of the tens of thousands of Iraqis who had died in the war. Then we realized that thousands more were being killed by Saddam in their attempt to get freedom. And we saw pictures of suffering Kurds attempting to flee Iraq, many of them also dying. There seems to be no solution to the many problems facing our world.
Perhaps this is what is behind the increased belief by Americans in hell, demons, and evil. People know that hell is needed because there are evil people. However, according to the U.S.News article, 78% of all Americans think there is an excellent or good chance they will go to heaven, while only 4% think they will probably go to hell. What most do not realize is the seriousness of their own sins, and that they will be judged by a Holy God if they do not repent of these sins and trust in Jesus Christ.
According to the article, many evangelical pastors avoid preaching about hell and some well-regarded evangelical theologians, including Clark Pinnock and John Stott, reject the idea of eternal punishment. The best comment in the article was made by theologian Martin Marty: “If people really believed in hell, they wouldn’t be watching basketball or even the TV preachers. They would be out rescuing people.” Do we Christians really believe that people need to be saved from eternal Hell? If so, we will do everything we can to rescue people from this horrible fate.
Mailbox Club
from the SOS Ministries Newsletter
Most people who come to Christ do so before they are eighteen. That is why it is so important to witness to children. We distribute a children’s tract called “7 Important Questions.” On the back of this tract is a prayer and a place for a person to put their name and address and write us for more information. Many children send in the tract and request literature. For years, we have searched for some good discipleship material for children.
Recently, we have begun using Bible correspondence courses produced by the Mailbox Club. Each course is a series of about eight lessons. When a child finishes the first lesson, we grade it and return it with the second lesson. Right now we have two 13 year old girls taking the course. There is a space on each lesson to give the name and address of a friend, so each has given me the name of a friend to send a lesson to. We are excited about this new ministry, and expect it to bear much fruit as it grows. If you are interested in this kind of ministry, you can contact the Mailbox Club, 404 Eager Rd., Valdosta, GA 31601.
Coming Events
June 28-July 6 SOS-San Francisco. Guest speakers include Ray Comfort and Phil Aguilar. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (415) 531-5325.
June 28-July 4 Taste of Chicago Outreach. Contact Christ in Action Box 100, Chatsworth, GA 30705, (404) 695-1868.
July 2-4 Freedom Festival & Freedom Parade ’91, Houma, LA. Contact Pastor Jules Boquet, Christian Community Fellowship, 1105 Little Bayou Black Dr., Houma, LA 70360, (504) 876-7213.
July 6-15 Jesus Loves You-New York. Contact Abounding Grace Ministries, 7040 Colonial Rd.#3-G, Brooklyn, NY 11209, (718) 836- 2957.
July 21-24 Evangelism conference and outreach, Salt Lake City. 300,000 attend Mormon Parade on July 24. Contact Jack Perry, Metro Fellowship, Box 1626, Salt Lake City, UT 84110, (801) 363-0564.
July 25-August 3 Twin Cities for Jesus, Minneapolis-St. Paul. Contact Forerunner Ministries, Box 6084, Minneapolis, MN 55406, (612) 722-0751.
July 29-August 3 Miami Outreach. Contact Rescue Atlanta Box 965039, Marietta, GA 30066, (404) 924-0201.
July 31-August 4 Milwaukee Outreach. Contact Heart-fire Ministries, Box 14031, W. Allis, WI 53214, (414) 445-9490.
August 17-25 Rosebud, ND Outreach. Witnessing to American Indians. Contact Forward Edge, 15121-A NE 72nd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98686, (206) 574-EDGE.
August 30-31 St. Louis V.P. Fair. Contact No Greater Love Box 263, DuQuoin, IL 62832, (618) 542-4503.
September 26-28 National Street Ministries Conference, Dallas, TX. Contact Scott Hinkle Outreach Ministries, Box 380306, Duncanville, TX 75138, (214) 331-6902.
Half Price Sale
For those of you who have put off joining ISEMA, now is your chance. The year is half over, so we are offering 1991 ISEMA memberships for half price–$10 for individuals, $17.50 for churches and ministries. This will also give you a chance to get the 1991 International Street and Evangelism Ministries Directory plus ISEMA membership for only $15. I believe you will find the directory very helpful in learning about evangelism ministries in your area and around the world. It is filled with valuable information not available elsewhere and is very easy to use and easy to read.
Also, I want to remind you to write us. Send us evangelism reports from your community and a schedule of upcoming outreaches. We would like to share this news with other ISEMA readers. “And let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works…exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the day (of Christ’s return) approaching” (Heb. 10:24-25).
Our Tape of the Month is “Ministering Christ with Signs and Wonders” by Sondra Berry Young. Sondra is one of the founders and a director of ISEMA. She has organized outreaches to the Rose Parade for many years and has done extensive evangelism in South Africa. Over the years, she has often seen God confirm His word with signs and wonders. In the Book of Acts, many people were saved following the working of miracles. We need to seek God for an increased anointing in this area in our own evangelism.
The eighth annual National Street Ministries Conference will be held in Dallas, September 26-28. Guest speakers include Tommy Barnett, Mario Murillo, Sonny Arguinzoni, John Dawson, Chuck Girard, and Ray Comfort. This is a great opportunity to meet others involved in street ministry and receive practical instruction and encouragement. I would like to attend, but right now our funds are low. Perhaps some of you could make a special contribution for this purpose.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
