Quick quiz: of all Matthias Media’s different resources—now more than 200 of them—which do you think is the all-time bestseller? Is it:
- John Chapman’s A Fresh Start
- John Dickson’s A Sneaking Suspicion
- Ray Galea’s Nothing in my hand I bring
- The Just for Starters basic Bible studies
The answer is, in fact, ‘e: None of the above’. The all-time bestseller, by a country mile, is the humble Two ways to live tract (now published as Two ways to live: the choice we all face). We sell hundreds of these little pamphlets around the world every year, and have been doing so for nearly two decades.
What I’ve never really understood is why.
I thought this was supposed to be the new millennium, the age of Gen Y or Gen Z (or whatever the online socio-babble has now declared we’re up to). By now, we should be selling millions of e-books, or video books that you watch on your wristwatch media centre, or virtual Bible studies for use in Wednesday night’s Online Avatar Cell Group.
But stubbornly and counterintuitively, the humble tract continues to sell in large numbers. And it’s not just Two ways to live. The kids’ version, Who will be king?, keeps moving out the door. Kim Hawtrey’s Christianity: A Pocket Guide shows no signs of slowing down; in fact, it’s now available in several languages. And every year around Christmas time, when we produce a little tract or leaflet to give away, we sell bucketloads.
With a little reflection, perhaps the continued popularity of tracts is not so surprising. They might not mount mind-blowing theological arguments, or be masterpieces of literature. They might not be trendy or on the cutting edge of digital culture. But they are short. They are cheap. They are easy to buy and give away. And most of all, if you want to start a conversation with someone—or continue a conversation that’s been going on for some time—they are hard to beat.
Tracts don’t pretend to answer every question. They teach the truth in bite-sized chunks that require a very small investment—of money from the purchaser/giver and of time from the recipient/reader. And so, for gospel-hearted, ministry-minded people who are trying to take one step forward in the gospel with friends, family, neighbours, or visitors at church, tracts are an excellent tool. They provoke conversation. The fact that they continue to sell in such volume suggests that many people recognize this.
Now we admit to being a bit slow on the uptake on occasion here at MM. We’ve always appreciated the benefits of tracts, and have seen for years how enduringly popular they are, but it’s only in the last 12 months that we’ve decided to do something positive about it—that is, to begin producing a larger range of tracts for different people, circumstances and occasions. The first three new tracts in our expanded range are now available:
- When money disappears overnight: A six-panel leaflet bouncing off the troubles of the Global Financial Crisis, and comparing the current situation with Jesus’ words about the Rich Fool (whose money also disappeared overnight).
- Why atheism is definitely wrong: A six-panel leaflet addressing the challenge of the ‘New Atheism’ of Richard Dawkins and co.
- Can we trust what the Gospels say about Jesus?: A 32-page booklet that very simply and clearly presents the evidence for the historical truth and reliability of the Gospels.
Do you know people who would benefit from little nuggets of biblical provocation? Perhaps the best way to make that judgement is to evaluate the new tracts for yourself. You can view a sneak preview of each one at www.matthiasmedia.com.au.
Be part of the ministry revolution of the new millennium. Give someone a tract.
