A young participant of the Southern Union Publishing Department's outreach event smiles as she hands out tracts at Atlanta, Georgia's Mercedes Stadium. Photo provided by Carl McRoy
Have you ever hit rock bottom and found hope from an unexpected source? For a 16-year-old girl from California, that hope came in the form of a pocket-sized Signs of the Times given to her by a stranger on an Amtrak train.
The teen was heading back to the group home where she lived after running away to a friend’s house; there, she had fallen into regularly using drugs, neglecting food and sleep for days. The novelty wore off, and, missing her family, she accepted her friend’s help buying a ticket home.
Boarding the train at 5 p.m., she found a seat alone, texting her boyfriend constantly to help ease the anxiety brought on by her drug use. A man a few seats away, talking on his phone, kept glancing at her with concern. Overcome with emotion, she began crying. The man then handed her a pocket Signs with a cross on the cover titled “Someone Cares About You.”
The compact 5.5- by 3.5-inch tract was jam-packed with promises such as Genesis 18:14 — “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” and Psalm 40:1-3 — “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He … heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth.”
In a rare handwritten note to Signs of the Times, she wrote of receiving this surprise gift:
“That’s when I cried even more. I told my boyfriend what had happened, and he texted me a prayer to help me feel better. After that he told me it was a sign — a sign that it’s time to change. It really meant something, and ever since that day, I haven’t touched drugs.”
Sharing Hope, One Tract at a Time
There are countless stories of a simple tract and other literature sparking transformation in recipients. Sometimes these people did not receive a tract directly from another person but rather, found it in a bathroom, at a restaurant, on a plane, or on their car windshield.
Carl McRoy, NAD Literature Ministries director, asserted that distributing tracts “doesn’t require any expertise. You just look for opportunities to share.” Having a piece of literature allows the average church member, without theological training, to reach those around them.
Tracts like this one, received by a downtrodden 16-year-old girl, are a powerful entry point to reaching people with the gospel. Photo: Pacific Press Publishing Association
McRoy noted that tracts and other literature often help plant seeds for people to receive the gospel, stating, “There are a lot of stories of people who have been baptized, and if we talk to them, we see the interaction with literature at some point.”
He added that when people like the 16-year-old girl reach out, they seek a human connection to help guide them in their faith journey. The tract is just the starting point. He has found that literature evangelism is most impactful when members distribute spiritual materials in person and consistently return to the same area to follow up with those they have reached.
“Whatever setting you find yourself in your daily life (e.g., grocery store, doctor’s office, gas station, restaurant), that’s where you can share literature,” said McRoy. He emphasized that by being intentional and consistent, “you increase the odds of the Word becoming flesh” (see John 1:1).
Testimonies abound of how easy and fun it can be to distribute tracts. Here are a few from an outreach event sponsored by the Southern Union Publishing Department, directed by William Smith.
"We just finished distributing at the Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta: Georgia vs. Notre Dame. What a great group! A good number of youth. So happy to see their involvement! Praise God!" shared Willie Mae.
"We had a blast giving people silent preachers," said another participant on October 19, 2024.
Finally, McRoy shared that between Signs, Vibrant Life, and El Centinela, 2.6 million tracts were sold last year. While that is a decent number, he said, “We should be able to challenge ourselves to do more in a division with more than 375 million people to reach.”
Perfect Gift for the Holidays
Pacific Press Publishing Association is currently having a tract sale until the end of the month: $6.99 for a bundle of 100. Click here to take advantage of this special, and here to subscribe to the Adventist Book Center newsletter for info on upcoming sales and other updates. The tracts cover relevant topics, including health pamphlets on specific diseases, mental health, smoking cessation, grief, and doctrines such as the Sabbath and the Second Coming.
The holidays present a unique opportunity to deliver tracts in person or with holiday cards. Photo: Getty Images
“Holidays present opportunities to share tracts because we’re typically sharing things anyway, and people are more open to conversation from people they don’t know very well,” said McRoy. He added, “There’s also holiday loneliness. Holidays are a very lonely time for many people,” especially those who have lost loved ones. Having lost his mom on New Year’s Eve, McRoy could relate to the impact of a message of hope and healing during such a bittersweet time.
In an e-newsletter, Dale Galusha, Pacific Press president, offered some eye-opening statistics and a challenge for the holidays:
“With the holiday season just around the corner, the U.S. Postal Service anticipates 1.6 billion holiday cards will be sent this year. According to online card and gift giant Shutterfly, more than half (54 percent) of Americans say they still mail their greeting cards versus sending digital cards. And two-thirds prefer to receive physical cards instead of digital ones—including Millennials and Gen Z'ers.”
He continued, “Are you planning to send holiday cards to friends and loved ones? If so, why not include a tract with each one?” Not only can you slip a tract easily into a card or envelope, but its lightweight material also ensures it will not increase postage costs.
Galusha especially recommended these four tracts to accompany holiday cards (click on the links below to purchase):
This holiday season and beyond, consider harnessing the power of a tract to spread the love of Jesus. As Ellen G. White, a co-founder of the Adventist Church, emphasized in Colporteur Ministry: “Some would receive more benefit from papers and tracts than from books. Papers, tracts, and pamphlets that focus on Bible lessons all play an important role in the canvassing work, as they are like little wedges that open the way for larger efforts'" (p. 139).
Additional Information and Resources
- Click on the links below for inspirational stories from the division’s youth canvassing programs:
- Pentecost 2025 – Click here to access Pacific Press resources for the NAD’s movement inviting Seventh-day Adventists in North America to collectively hold 3,000 or more proclamation events throughout 2025. Click here to learn more about Pentecost 2025.