Wow.
People around here at Chick are saying
I am acting just like Jack did, when a new tract came out.
Over the last 16 1/2 years I have written a lot of tracts,
many with Jack, and some he let me write by myself.
But Adopted is the first tract to have my name on it.
And that feels totally different.
In the last few days, I have talked with a number of people
I handed tracts to.
And fellow Christians have said some interesting things,
and asked some intriguing questions.
I prayed about it, and I'm going to
answer some questions and share some insights gained
from passing out tracts these last few days.
Hopefully you will learn some new ideas,
as I just have.
Hi, I'm David Daniels from Chick Publications.
This picture of Jack was taken decades ago.
I got this from Jack's personal collection.
I've looked over and over at it, and I can pinpoint
when it was written.
First, look at Jack.
This is clearly 1970 or before.
Second, look at the tract.
That is Holy Joe, which was published in 1964.
But it's also a large format, so it is from
between 1964 and 1970, when the tracts shrunk
to their present size.
And it has to be from late 1967 to early 1968,
just before Jack met George Collins, because George
wasn't part of this yet.
And Jack started a program, later called OSC --
Operation Somebody Cares.
And to promote the idea, he went to churches
to encourage them to pass out Chick tracts
and get actively involved in winning souls.
In this picture, these men and ladies
are critically viewing Holy Joe.
Take a look at their faces.
And Jack -- look at Jack!
He's smiling one of those, "I don't know
how they are going to react to this," nervous smiles.
You see, when a new tract came out,
Jack always wanted to know how it was doing.
Are there any testimonies?
Reactions?
Do people like the tract?
Are they buying it to hand out to others?
Jack used to put it this way, "I just want to see if my baby
has all its fingers and toes!"
Well, Brothers and Sisters, that's how I feel.
I am handing out Adopted everywhere I go,
just like Jack handed out Holy Joe after it came out in 1964.
And I am paying close attention both to reactions,
and to questions people ask.
A couple of days ago my wife Deborah and I
were in a restaurant, and a nice lady with a couple of kids
sat down.
I started talking to her and offered her a copy of Adopted.
She looked at it and said, "Is it kid-friendly?
Because my daughter reads everything."
I assured her it was.
And in fact, I used words that
a 3rd grade child would understand, since I had been
a 3rd grade school teacher.
Then she let me give them to her and both of her kids!
This is an important principle: Know the tract.
Be sure you have read the tract yourself,
before you hand it out.
I'll come back to this.
I gave some to the workers at our favorite taco place,
one of whom we've known for years.
So first, I called to her and offered her one.
Then I asked the others if they wanted one, too.
They did!
That was an easy way to get a bunch of tracts out!
On another day they had a different crew,
one that I didn't know.
I said to them, "Have you seen the newest one?"
And I offered them four Adopted tracts, one for each.
No pressure.
I just offered.
They could always say No.
It's just that they don't usually say No.
So they grabbed them, opened them up and started looking.
And I overheard the most interesting conversation:
"I was adopted."
"So was I!"
"I was, too!"
That's three of the four people I just handed tracts to!
I had no idea, and I never would have known,
had they not reacted to the tract in front of me.
But here's a suggestion.
When you hand out the tract, you might want to say something like,
"Here's something to read on your break,"
because sometimes they just stand there
and start reading them, and forget about their customers
and their work.
We don't want to get them into trouble!
When they put them in their pockets, you know you've communicated.
In a quieter time, they could actually
consider the salvation message.
And that's what we want.
At our favorite spaghetti place the other day,
I gave a copy to the server, and she said,
"Oh, I have to put this with the collection
in the back."
So there is a collection of Chick tracts
somewhere in that restaurant.
And people read them!
I also hand out at least one to the people at the front counter
whenever we enter.
Last week at the courthouse, where I filed
my son's wedding papers, I had to go to three windows.
So three court employees got Chick tracts!
And they were happy to receive them!
How awesome is that?
I'm telling you, when you believe in
what you're doing, you can really get them out.
I had to keep refilling my pockets with tracts,
and putting packs into my jacket pockets.
I can't tell you how much I love doing this!
I have a tract that says exactly what I want it to say,
and I'm handing it out, because I believe in the message.
And people say it shows.
People also wrote and texted me
on Facebook the last few days.
One said, "I would like an assortment of tracts."
We sell a tract assortment pack, in Spanish and in English,
over 130 titles to choose from.
Here's mine, from over 23 years ago!
I still have it to this day.
Deborah, our kids and I spent entire days
just reading the tracts and talking about them.
When I found ones I really liked, I could buy more of those
and give them out.
One person wrote to me that he wanted to get tracts
to hand out, but he didn't want
to take the time to read them.
I recommend to everyone: before you hand anything out,
read the tracts yourself.
Read them through so you can talk about
questions they might have.
Read the scripture verses and be familiar with them,
so you can help the readers look them up,
and you can show them those verses.
And again, whether it's on your cell phone
or in your pocket, I really recommend
having a complete Bible you can use at a moment's notice.
That's part of being "instant in season, out of season"
from 2 Timothy 4:2.
You definitely want to read them, before you choose them
to hand out.
Since 1961, we've made 264 Chick tract titles
with different stories, not counting
different editions of stories or stories targeted
to different groups.
We want you to know what you are handing out.
That is why we have all our tracts that are in stock
online for you to read at chick.com.
This actually happened.
Someone wrote me a whole letter
about a single word I used in a vlog
about Adopted.
She said I shouldn't use that word in the tract.
Then she admitted that she hadn't actually read the tract
for herself.
But it was right there online, and I posted the links
in numerous places.
So I just wrote back, encouraging her
to read the tract for herself.
What else could I do?
I really hope you will take the time to read Adopted.
And if it works for you, I hope you will pass it out.
I'm just as anxious to find out what happens with
my first official tract as Jack ever was.
Sometimes in the office, I'd look at him, and say,
"Would you like me to check how our new tract is doing?"
And Jack would say, "Yes, let's go ask!"
Our goal is the winning of souls.
I really hope this tiny paper missionary
will help you to win the lost.
I think Jack knew that the desire to win souls
would wrap itself around me.
And it has.
My sole concern, is a concern for souls.
I hope it is yours, too.
And I hope God will use me even a tenth as much
as He used Jack during his lifetime.
And I pray that He will bless your efforts
at winning souls many times over.
Let's do what we can, while there's still time.
God bless you, and have a wonderful day.