#557. Creating tracts that look like money.
Jun 10th by JonA few weeks ago, while walking in the parking lot at Wal-Mart, my daughters and I found two five dollar bills on the ground. My first thought was, “Nice, free money!” My second thought was, “Wait a second, this might be a Christian trick.”
That’s a weird thing to think when you find money on the ground, but before I picked it up, I tried to see from a distance if the money was real or not. My fear was that I would get my hopes up, grab it and then realize it was a salvation tract disguised as money.
That happened to me once and even as a Christian, I found it kind of traumatizing. And it’s not that I hate tracts. I think tracts can be a good thing. I don’t like that sometimes people, myself included, beat them up like some sort of Christian piñata, making fun of the people that hand them out. I think for some people, handing out tracts is an honest expression of worship. The truth is that there are probably people reading this site today that could easily say, “Someone giving me a tract on the street really meant a lot to me.”
But is there anyone that picks up what appears to be a ten dollar bill, flips it over, finds out it’s actually a message about the Bible and says, “Phew, I thought this was free money for a second. Let’s see what this John 3:16 is all about instead?”
I doubt it. The first reaction is probably anger. Followed by embarrassment for falling for a trick. Followed by throwing the tract away or bringing it home to show all your friends and family members how mean Christians are.
There are really only two ways to fix this problem. We can either stop creating tracts that are disguised as money or we can create an even worse tract so that when people do get the fake money tract they can at least say, “Wow, I don’t like this fake money but at least it’s not as bad as that other tract I hear is going around.”
I would like to pretend that this blog is powerful enough to make number one happen but let’s be honest, it isn’t. So instead, I think we should lean into option number two as hard as we can.
What would be worse than fake money? I thought long and hard about this because there’s already a fake parking ticket tract going around. Abraham Piper wrote about that a few months ago. After much consideration and a desire to be topical and relevant, I decided that the worse tract we could create right now is a fake pink slip. With as many layoffs happening and as many people finding their jobs “eliminated” or my favorite new term, “sunsetted,” I think a little tract that looks like you’re getting fired would be most horrible.
Imagine you come back from lunch and there’s a note on your keyboard. It’s pink, it’s official looking and across the top in a font that looks all serious it says, “Please pack your things and leave the keys to your desk in one of the drawers.” You open it up and inside it says …..I’m not sure.
That’s the challenge with writing a bad tract, you have to make a wild segue from “you’re fired” to “here’s Jesus.” Here are a few headlines I think we could use on our fake pink slip tract:
1. “You might not have been fired, but speaking of fire, imagine how hot hell might be.”
2. “You might still have a job, but did you know your real job is to worship the Lord?”
3. “Your job wasn’t eliminated, but you know that fear in your heart that you just felt when you thought it was? God wants to eliminate that.”
4. “Want a job you can never lose? Become a follower of Christ.”
5. “Who knows when you’ll get fired, but today you could be hired … for the Lord’s army that is.”
6. “Want to work for a Jewish carpenter?”
Those are horrible, but unfortunately not far off from what happens sometimes. Let’s stop trying to trick people into Jesus. I would love everyone that reads this blog to become a Christian and know the insane life transforming joy that I sincerely believe a relationship with Christ offers, but I have to trust that God is big and beautiful and powerful enough not to need me to help Him out by tricking people into His arms.
Comments
I agree. We need to try to have a winsome witness — not one that might leave people with a bad taste in their mouths.
I think tracts in general are fine, but are most effective when used as a supplement to personal evangelism–when you can sit down with a person and lead them through the four spiritual laws or what have you.
I think too many people use tracts as a type of fire-and-forget spiritual missile. We fire off the missiles and say, "there, I've evangelized."
There's a lot of personal growth that happens in evangelism that just doesn't happen through spreading tracts. If I leave 1,000 tracts in a parking lot and 1 person comes to know Christ, I'll never know. And if 850 people laugh and ridicule the tract, I'll never know that either–and there is value in experiencing both.
Them are my two cents. Tracts are great as a tool or supplement to evangelism, but are a very poor substitute.
i use to work sunday lunches at this pizza place and the sunday church crowds were the worst. they would never tip and always leave tracks. One imparticular i will never forget was when i was waiting on a ten top and they left me two dollars and a 'fake money' track. Im now christian, but at the time i was athiest. I was so pissed I called the preacher (his church name and number were represented on the back) and told him he needed to have a sermon on tipping. for a long time that made me feel at ease for not believing because i did not want to be one of those people.
Hmm…Good thoughts. I personally don't care for tracts but in some rare instances, I'm sure the Holy Spirit uses them. Although I will say in our society using silly tricks is a real turn off no matter what your message is. My main problem is when people say use them as an "easy" way to share about Christ. Yeah…it's easy to hand out a tract to someone, but much harder to live out your relationship with Christ before the world. And personally, I think living it is much more effective.
Hey Jon, the pink slip tract is probably the funniest thing I have read on this site ever.
I have a friend who is a waiter at restaurants and he despises the money tracts. All the waiters at his restaurant hate to work Sunday lunch because Christians are the worst tippers. And that is coming from a Christian waiter! He also says that he tries to let the "Christian" patrons at his table know that he is a Christian because they will tip him better. That is sad. My name is Jeff, btw, I just didn't want to sign up for a Google account.
"Preach the gospel and if necessary, use words" – St. Francis of Assisi
I cannot tell you how many times I received money tracts INSTEAD of tips when I worked in a restaurant. Everyone, including myself (a believer), hated waiting on "church people". Very rarely would we make 15% on a table of dressed up people on a Sunday morning — and if we got a glance of the tip and got excited, then it was often a tract. If you're going to leave a tract with a server, then leave at least a 20% tip with it. If you really want the tract to be given a chance, leave 25-30% tip. And be nice! In Texas, servers only make $2.13 an hour.
That might be a good idea for a blog. "Being stingy with our money after we've tithed" or "being lousy tippers."
I used to put tracts in grocery bags with a bottle of water, crackers, small can of tuna and a granola bar. We'd give the bags out to homeless people who congregated at stoplight intersections. Then one day we were at the stoplight long enough to see them take the bag back to the group and rifle through everything, throwing the tract on the ground and trading the other "more valuable" things with other people.
I failed to mention something in my first comment. If you leave a tract instead of a tip, God's probably not happy with you. After all, He's the one that said not to steal, and that's what you're doing. When you sit at that table and have someone wait on you, you are essentially agreeing to pay for their services (whether they are a good waiter or not, by the way). When you cheat them out of their fair wage, you have stolen from them and worse yet, you associate God's name with the theft. To obey is better than sacrifice and/or leaving tracts.
I live in Miami, we dont have tracts or christians handing out tracts, we dont really have churches. Anyway I thought this was hilarious! Man how else can we piss off the rest of the world. Jesus loves you!
Just heard about these…someone passes out ones for a million dollar bill on them…is there even a million dollar bill?? and how stupid did I feel not knowing THAT!
What Klif said…
I encountered something similar on my college campus years ago. This table was set up in the quad and the folks there had sodas and balloons and all those other freebies that make college students so very happy. This guy was yelling out something about a "free trip" to anyone who stops by the table. Yup, you guessed it. He meant Heaven. He was handing out those little green pocket sized New Testaments.
I was SO mad. Not that I felt duped (which I kinda did when I went over there) but that now all my college buddies would now have reinforced ammo for how lame and tricky Christians can be. You want people to get a "free trip"? Then love them like no one has ever bothered to before. Serve them like no one has ever cared enough to before. They'll see your works and praise your Father in Heaven. I think I read that somewhere…
Good post Jon!
Remember, people are not offended at the vessel… you proclaiming the gospel or a gospel tract. They are offended by the message of the cross… them not being righteous in themselves and needing the righteousness of another. Jesus called us to be fishers of men. The "fish" will jump into the nets, we just have to throw a net out there and a gospel tract that uses the law lawfully to point out sin and gives the gospel to show the grace that has been shown to us makes a great net!
Oh and regarding the bait and switch comments…that cracks me up! All these church sending 20,000 mailers telling their unchurched neighbors to come to church to find out how to have great sex and then getting a legalistic message of following these 5 steps. Maybe a 30 second alter call where, oh yeah, Christ died for your sins, ask him into your heart and you can go home and have a "don't come a knockin' if this trailer is rockin' life!"
Sister Cin
@anon at 7:55,
In my experience passing out tracts (which isn't much), it seems that the only people that wouldn't accept them are Christians. So I unfortunately can't give an exact number, but my unofficial acceptance ratio would be 9:1.
@jewda,
LOL! That cracked me up!
I know handing out tracts are a great thing but when you are at Indy for the 500 I am not sure. They end up being the target for all the ridicule that goes on. The problem is that everyone feeds on this and the people that want to stop and ask questions feel embarrassed. They were handing out cards that look like trading cards.
I just wish they would try a different tactic.
I know they are still doing a great thing for God. Plus they are some of the most bravest people on earth.
Tithing vs. Tipping? Great topic idea!
That's not exactly what I said. And not what I meant.
Check out this blog post.
@Bruce – while it's certainly true (and Biblical!) that people are offended by the scandal of the gospel, I don't think it follows that they aren't offended by the vessel. Personally, I find it pretty offensive when people try to manipulate me, insult my intelligence with gimmicks, or treat me like a project instead of a human being – all things that Christians do (with or without the help of tracts) and justify in the name of fulfilling the Great Commission.
I don't doubt that God honors and blesses pure-hearted intentions, even when we fumble the execution, but I can't say I'm convinced that such intentions exist very often.
(Your second paragraph, though – right on with that.)
4 and 5 were hilarious.
Jon – good, though provoking post.
If I may add to your response to Colin's argument about "tricking,": First off, let's be honest and use the right word – "lying."
"Hey, guy who's out of work and wondering where the next meal is coming from, here's five bucks for you… NOT! Hee, hee, sucker! Okay, now let me tell you about the love of Jesus…"
Contrary to Colin’s belief that Jesus lied his butt off to people, hoping to dishonest them into heaven, He never did that. In fact, He made clear that the father of lies was not the Father of Heaven, but rather the guy working against heaven.
(And make no mistake, the guy who is out there lying for G-d is in actuality working for the devil, whether he knows it or not.)
Once we’ve convinced ourselves that it is okay to be a little deceitful as long as the goal is good – evangelism in this case – then it becomes easier to become more deceitful.
Have a couple of people been turned on to G-d by a disingenuous tract? Sure.
Have even more people, but the boatload even, been turned off to the whole idea of a two-faced Christianity by dishonest tracts? Yep.
In the history of restaurants, have one or two waitresses found the “tip” of a misrepresentative tract to contain the words they needed at the moment? Maybe.
Have hundreds, if not thousands, of waitstaff declared that they would never darken the door of a “worship house” that trains its congregants to be cheap and condescending? Oh yeah.
And from there, we start believing the lies we tell to trick people into Jesusfication. “Believe in Jesus and you will never have a problem again.” “Believe in Jesus, and you can sin all you want and not worry about the afterlife, because G-d loves a grateful sinner!” “Believe in Jesus and you will make lots and lots of money, because that is the root of all happiness!”
Slippery slope. Slippery slope.
This would be a good blog topic…"Being Wait Staff vs. Human Responsibility" Will bad tips and gospel tracks left prevent the lost server salvation?
What if the server was left a 4% tip, a gospel tract and a winning (unknown at the time left) Power Ball ticket. What then?? Gospel tracts… good or evil????
Is "server" a politically correct term?
I'm not a big fan of tracts, I call it "hit and run evangelism." Someone handed me a tract without even once asking about my relationship with the LORD… sigh.
My sisters were servers (and yes Bruce that is the PC term
) they'd get the money tracts all the time.
My favorite of all time is the 100 million dollar bill tract. They're out there. The bookstore I used to work at sold them.
I wonder how the homeless hungry person feels when he finds the $100 tract on the ground…he goes from, "Alright, I get to eat this month!" to "@$@%#$%#@ Christians! I'm STILL HUNGRY!"
Money tracts seem like they'd do more harm than good…
One reason why I’m very cautious about tracts is that although they advertise a relationship with Christ, they are probably the most non-relational way to introduce Christ. At least at huge events and concerts there's a talking head on the video screen that looks like a person talking about Christ…with tracts it's just words…it's like saying, "Hey! Start a relationship with Christ…but you're going to have to do it on your own because I only had time to leave this little booklet and didn't have time for a conversation."
I'm a youth pastor and the youth ministry world has been turned on it's head the past couple years moving toward a relational based ministry instead of a programmatic one. Now I’ve never handed out tracts, but I could definitely see them being affective if they are a) written well, not corny; b) treat people like they're people instead of lost little children; and c) handed out as a supplement to an authentic conversation. Those that hand them out can't be afraid to invest in the people that they are handing them to…if they are, then it comes of as cheap and heartless.
my .02$
WV: bractuf
-what a person with their jaw wired shut wants to do when they're really angry.
"I'm soooo angry I just want to bractuf!"
Even worse than fake money tracts: fake arrest warrant tracts… even better if the name of the person you're witnessing to is on the fake arrest warrant.
It could say that they're wanted say that they've been charged with the crimes of lust & gluttony. And if they hate someone – that's a capital murder charge! It should say that they are scheduled to appear in the highest of high courts on Sunday. There is no jury of their peers because they were born guilty. But all charges will be dropped if they ask for forgiveness 'cause Jesus all ready paid the death sentence.
Worse than fake money tracts?
How about a water table on the side of the road during a marathon with empty cups with a piece of paper at the bottom of each cup saying "Jesus is the Water of Life…if you drink of Him, you'll never thirst again."
wv: phest
a party in Philadelphia
"Hey, are you coming to the Philly Phun Phest?"
SFL, I friggin' love you.
And good idea, Anna.
That is all.
Here's a fun twist…For a number of months a few years ago on the college campus where I work a campus evangelist would stand on the stairs in the busiest part of campus and offer students REAL money as he preached his message. He'd typically give out $5s and $10s. It was interesting to watch the wary students walk by him and refuse the money, assuming there was a catch. The students who did take the money seemed genuinely grateful and, I'm guessing, became quite a "witness" for the guy on the stairs.
No time to read all the comments today, unfortunately, but I have to agree with you John.
I'm a Christian and the money tracts even make me mad. So if that's supposed to make someone come to Christ, I don't think it's going to work very well. But that's just me…
Oh, and if you leave one on the table for a waitress, that's the worst thing ever. Just sayin'.
My senior year of college, I was a waiter and one of two Christians on staff with a bunch of ex-cons and current-cons in a Mexican restaurant. One lunch, a caring, Christian customer decided that the $100 tract was tip enough for any waiter. Eternal life, right? There are some things money can't buy, for everything else, there's fake money tract! Yeah, good thing I got the stupid thing instead one of the other waiters!
Hey people, actually Jon did write a post about the tipping thing once, check the archives, its a fun read. I have been given tracts and was utterly offended because the very act made me feel judged. No I was not hating on the gospel because I never got far enough to read it. I just looked for the beseedy trash bin, which I noticed was littered with tracts on and around it already. The only way I can see a tract ever being useful is as an adjunct to a conversation, and I don't mean a conversation started just to explain the tract.
I used to work as a waitress at Bob's Big Boy (a coffee shop) years ago. Nobody wanted to work Sundays. The Christians would come in before or after church all at the same time, were generally very picky about everything, would run you ragged, and then leave a tract in place of a tip. It was infuriating and embarrassing as the non-Christian servers would mockingly read the tracts aloud in the break room and curse the church people. The excuse church people used was that "we are trying to be good stewards of the Lord's money."
I have radically overtipped on Sundays ever since. And never, EVER have I given a tract to anyone anywhere anytime. I think they're just manipulative. (Ever read a tract from Chick Publications? Puh-leeeze.)
I can't believe there are people in here that say they LIKE Chick Tracts. Chick Tracts are the most hateful judgmental disgusting things I've ever seen and the exact opposite of what Jesus preached in the Gospel. If Jesus saw what was being handed out in His name, He would weep. Jack Chick will have a lot to answer for in the next life.
"Chick Tracts are the most hateful judgmental disgusting things I've ever seen…"
"Jack Chick will have a lot to answer for in the next life."
Are you being judgmental of Jack Chick? Seems ironic.
Am I just out of the Christian loop? What are Chick tracts? I work at a church and I've never heard of them. Can someone enlighten me please? And I've never even heard about leaving a track for a tip…how…weird. I always just give a huge tip, I see it as being generous with the money God's given me.
Hey guys,
Most of the time, when I've handed out tracks, it's been obvious that it wasn't money. This must have been a really weird track to actually look real.
Most of the time the tracts are like one million dollars or zero dollars, and obviously not real. Or they're weird colors. IE: We handed out a bunch of "Santa Bucks" that segwayed into the naughty/nice list and sin.
Klif said…
I've yet to meet anyone who can say "Someone giving me a tract on the street really meant a lot to me." I say that person doesn't exist.
Hate to break your bubble. Here's an amazing story about how one man can make a difference:
http://www.freecdtracts.com/testimony_11.htm
(using tracks, interestingly enough)
> < > Brian
PS: Really, listen to the story about the little man on George Street.
From Rik,
Whoa, whoa, whoa…
Jon,
I must say I love to read a lot of your posts (now that the obligatory niceties are aside), but there have been a few that have brought concern to me.
Good tracts and bad tracts can and should be judged on their visual presentation (money, pink slips, etc), but this judgement is miniscule (there is no spell check here) in comparison to their actual presentation of the Gospel.
In my experience, these million dollar bill tracts have a short but perfect Gospel presentation. While, many many others seem to sell Jesus to the lost with "come to Jesus for a better life, more fulfilled life, carefree life, etc."
I think so long as the Gospel is being placed in the hands of the lost God is being glorified.
Certainly, there are some limits to how one presents the Gospel, money tracts are not pushing any envelopes.
What do you think?
I love the arrest warrant tract and the empty cup table during the race. You just got Punk'd by Jesus!
Well, I was about to post a link to the amazing testimony from George Street, but I see that Brian beat me to it.
Here it is again on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxQeGKzqV5E
For Bad Alice and those others out there who "hate tracts" please take time out of your day to be inspired by this dedicated man of God.
Carrie,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_tract
Jack Chick is an ultra-conservative fundamentalist nut.
Jon, thanks for the thoughtful response. I know from reading your site that we definitely agree on the fundamentals of evangelism – there just seems some disagreement here over the means.
The woman at the well is a great example of exactly what I mean by "trick." Despite the method Christ used there, which you accurately describe, the philosophy of the discourse was to take knowledge that she had, and subsequently change, alter, or otherwise redefine that knowledge in a radical way. In a sense this isn't "clarification" – in the way you describe it – that is, to take existing knowledge and make it less blurry or easier to see. Doctrinally speaking, every intent of our heart is evil (Gen 6:5. and "There is none righteous, no, not one… there is none who seeks after God." (Rom 3:10-11). Clarifying that existing knowledge is not going to lead to salvation.
So we do need to be "tricked" in the sense that our world must be turned upside-down by the gospel. Of course we don't need to be victims of underhandedness or deception. But I think a money tract has its place – provided that it is used as tracts should be used – as an ice-breaker for an gospel conversation. In other words – let people know that you are handing them a "gospel message" or a "gospel tract."
I suspect that many people's qualms with money tracts (but who agree with the ideas of evangelism and sharing the gospel) lie more in broader disagreements over means – in fact, this is evident in the comments – where most are expressing problems with tracts in general (not specifically "money tracts.")
I think this goes back to not throwing the baby out with the bathwater – simply because a thing can be abused does not mean it should be categorically avoided (for comparison, see: gifts of the spirit, guns, spandex).
The only time I was ever in favor of a tract was when I took a mission trip to another country and the language barrier was an issue. The tract had English and the other language side by side so I could make conversation with people who didn't speak English.
Other than that, I usually think tracts are a poor form of drive-by evangelism. I think it would be nice if our lives were more attractive and less a tract-leave. It would give us credibility to open our mouths and speak truth rather than leave it on a table in the form of a fake $10. Not to be harsh – just keeping it real.
w/v – dogissub – what the mutt gets at Subway
I love you, Stacy from Lousville;)
How about we write to the people that make these these tracts suggesting they make it very clear in the instructions they give that the tracts should never under any circumstances be used instead of a proper tip?
Rhonda: My father was one of the people who bought those Halloween tracts! It was the most humiliating day for us kids when we returned to school. Our house was vandalised, my siblings and I were harassed and I seriously was ashamed. If you as a parent choose to give them out, you could at least give candy as well. Plus you should really talk with your children about why you are doing it and ask them to help you give it out. I would have declined, but didn't have the option and also didn't have any ammunition for the harassers, so I was miserable.
Later in life, I was a server and constantly had people leave me tracts. They never engaged me in conversation, nor did they leave a tip.
"Gosh random penny pinching customer, I already have a heart full of Jesus, but a 10% gratuity would be really helpful for me to pay for the mission trip I am saving for!" Notice how I didn't even ask for the customary 15% because God only asks for 10%. See what I did there?
Here's a thought… rather than tacky tracts, why not hand out Bibles?
http://xxxchurch.com/getinvolved/theindustry/jlps/index.html
My sister to me at the Rise Up conference in St. Louis:
"I'm only wearing my nametag so someone doesn't come up and start witnessing to me."
–
I wasn't wearing my nametag and a very polite girl (probably about 14 years old) gave me a tract. It wasn't fake money, but I do believe it had a bloody cross on it.
I used to send tracts in the envelope with payments. The tract said "Paid in Full" I didn't do this to 'trick' anyone into thinking my bill was paid off in its entirity. They knew it wasn't. But I prayed that someone opening the mail might read it and at least have their interest peeked. Did it work? I don't know. But wouldn't it be neat, if when I get to heaven someone comes up to me and says "I read a tract that you sent with your bill payment, and because of that, I found Jesus." I think that if just ONE person is saved from a tract, then it is worth all the tracts ever printed!
As a waitress, I see a lot of tracts. Both myself and my co-workers have received tracts with or in place of our tips. Often the tracts look like legitimate $5 bills folded up. I fully support spreading the gospel, and for some people, tracts are their best opportunity. However, I do not support the people who leave the tracts in place of a tip. The ones that look like money have a message on the folded inside that reads something like "Disappointed? You wouldn't be if you had Jesus in your life." To that my only response was, "Yes, I am disappointed and I already have Jesus in my life. I'm not working this job to gain salvation, I'm working to earn a living." Sometimes people forget that.
The sad thing is, sometimes the other servers who get these tracts in place of tips get a terrible glimpse at Christians- people who come in to eat, smile and make nice, tell you how wonderful you were, and then leave nothing for a tip. I think a greater way of exhibiting the Gospel is being a great customer, voicing your appreciation for good service, leaving a reasonable tip, throw in a tract if you so desire, and then tell a manager what great service you got (this is, of course, assuming you did indeed receive good service.) I think people would be more receptive to the message if it came with a positive experience.
On the flip side of things, I once received a $100,000,000 bill with an advertisement for a local magician. I vowed to hire him if ever the appropriate event arose. It has not yet, but I still have that ridiculous $100,000,000 bill.
to be fair, i read about 20 of the comments before i got tired, so if no one reads this… OK…
that being said,
i work at a mega church, but love church plant philosophies, i think that might give me some varied audiences…
so with the tracts… totally with you on "pretending to be money but not" really? that's the worst possible way i can imagine to converse with someone that is already sceptical.
can tracts be powerful… absolutely – esp. when passed along by someone that actually loves you, and wants your best.
i think the key is DO YOU LOVE PEOPLE? if you do… pass things out. if you don't… monitor yourself, get it clear.. and then pass things out.
anyway. i love your boldness. and i see you not bending to naysayers… but keep it up. and keep talking to your beloved about it all, because she will encourage you which will make it easier.
One of the worst 'witnesses' I've
ever seen was when my non-Christian friend got handed one of these instead of a tip after serving a party of 20 on a Sunday after church. It wasn't pretty.
(the worst was when I overhead a woman who'd just come from church tell her kids she'd get them a free meal by pretending the lipstick on her glass wasn't hers. She was extremely rude and the only customer to ever bring me to tears. We told her she wasn't welcome there anymore. Believers — be kind, tip well, and make up for this kind of representation!)