Paul Linnell, Leicestershire and East Midlands

How do you hand out gospel tracts effectively without being a distraction? Below is an edited transcript of a seminar which explored three key principles that help believers make the most of tracting in the open air.

Today we’re going to think about tracting — giving out gospel literature.

For some, tracting is exciting: “Give me a big bundle of tracts and let me go!” For others, it’s daunting: “I’d rather stand back and listen.”

Both responses are common, but tracting is an important part of our open-air ministry. Here are three key principles to keep in mind when giving out tracts.

1. Preaching is Primary

  • The main focus of open-air work is always the preaching of the gospel.
  • People walking past should hear the message without being distracted by someone pushing literature at them.
  • Tracting should support the preaching, not compete with it.

Practical guidelines:

  • Position yourself so that people see the preacher first, then naturally encounter you.
  • Avoid standing opposite the preacher and creating a distraction.
  • Use literature that connects with the message (e.g., if the preaching is on the cross, use a tract like Why Did Jesus Die?).
  • Don’t overdo it — people don’t want to feel like they’re in a “car wash” of tracts.

Principle: Make tracting serve the preaching, not overshadow it.

2. Focus on the Person

  • Tracting is about individual people, not numbers.
  • Try to make eye contact, create a moment of connection, and remember each person is a precious soul.
  • Don’t be a “tracting machine.” A mechanical hand-out approach is unhelpful.
  • Aim for sensitivity: read the person quickly — are they open, hesitant, dismissive?
  • Be ready for surprising encounters; sometimes someone will say, “That’s exactly what I was thinking about today!”

Principle: See the person, not just the paper.

3. Work as a Team

  • Tracting must also fit with the team dynamic.
  • Don’t stand in front of someone else handing out literature.
  • Stay reasonably close to the preaching; don’t wander off with a bundle of tracts and disappear.
  • Remember: people are watching not only what we say, but how we work together.
  • Sometimes the best role is simply to stand and form part of the crowd, showing support for the preacher.

Principle: Work together, not in competition.

Practical Tips

  • Think about an opening phrase when offering a tract:
    • “God’s good news for you today.”
    • Or simply read the question on the tract cover: “How can we know God?” or “What about your soul?”
  • Be clear — don’t hide the fact that it’s a Christian tract.
  • Don’t double up — if someone has already taken a tract, don’t give them another immediately.
  • If they refuse, smile, wish them a good day, and move on. Sometimes they come back later and ask for one.
  • Use sincerity. A genuine “God bless you” is better than a mechanical phrase.
  • Occasionally, you may be able to follow up with a gentle question: “What do you think of that question?” — but be sensitive.

Conclusion

Tracts are silent witnesses. We’ve put time and effort into getting the wording and pictures right so they clearly present the gospel. Used well, they can be powerful tools.

So remember:

  1. Preaching is primary – let tracting serve the message.
  2. Focus on the person – each one is a precious soul.
  3. Work as a team – be sensitive to one another as well as to those we meet

For more advice on giving out gospel tracts, download a free copy of ‘Silent Messengers’.

To view the range of gospel leaflets available from OAM, visit our shop.