By Tim Berends

Tim Berends is a Christian radio host and dedicated "tract passer." He is currently focusing his tract ministry on the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada, "SinCity" as he calls it.

Here are some things the Lord has taught me here in Sin City (Las Vegas), as I`ve handed out tracts. First, I look on handing out tracts as something I get to do, not something I "have to do."

But just how difficult is it for a person to go into a library or store and put a few selected tracts into the magazines, such as Free At Last or Unforgiven? into Ebony or Jet? Here are some other ideas:

Put a copy of How to Get Rich (and Keep It) into Fortune or Gentleman`s Quarterly (GQ).

Go into the autobiography section of the library or store and put This Was Your Life! following the last chapter of an individual`s book.
Go into a foreign language section and put a particular language tract in books in that section.

Then there is the street work. The only competition I have are the folks "handing out" pictures of young women in lewd poses. I say of my tract: "It`s not porn!" and many times they will take  it. But you don`t say that to everyone:

You would say that to most women, although I`ve had some women say, "Then I don`t want it."

I would never say that to four college guys holding a beer. To them I would say, "This is for every Dallas Cowboys fan," if they are wearing a Dallas Cowboys tee shirt.

For a family with kids I might say, "Here`s something you can share with the children —and by the way, it`s not porn!"

A friend and I went into seven "massage parlors" here in Vegas with Chinese tracts. We never got past the head woman, but we trust the Lord that the tracts got to the young ladies, because He laid it on our hearts and He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

There is no set way to hand out tracts. The minute you "put God in a box" by thinking He only works one way, He jumps right out! The important thing for the Christian tract-passer is to be led by God`s Spirit.

Finally, I`ve met people who won`t hand out tracts, because "I can`t disciple every person I give a tract." That`s where the blank space on the back of the tract comes in handy. Get a stamp with your church`s name, or maybe some good websites, such as www.pro-gospel.org (a great website for Roman Catholics). The Chick Publications website, www.chick.com, is already on the tract.

I interviewed a fellow for my radio show one time, who worked with servicemen in Southern California. I asked him about follow-up:

He said: "We have the best follow-up in the world."

I asked, "What is it?"

He said, "It`s the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can follow them to islands that we could never reach, countries we could never get to."
I thought, "How true!" We should do as much as we can and leave the results to God. Let`s not leave the job of the Great Commission to our pastors! Our Lord has commanded all of us to be witnesses.

God bless you in your endeavors to reach a lost and dying world for Christ. I look forward to seeing you in heaven and hear how God has used you. What a day that will be!