I was in a business once when I handed the clerk a Chick tract.

He smiled as he took it and said, “Oh, my church used to pass these out!”

I didn’t think fast enough to ask the obvious question: “Oh, really? Why did they quit?”

Many Christians have given up passing out tracts, but they have not replaced that witness with anything else. Somewhere along the way, witnessing simply stopped.

That small conversation has stayed with me because it reflects something happening in churches across the Western world.

A Quiet Church

Many Christians remember a time when passing out gospel tracts, inviting neighbors to church, or striking up conversations about Christ was a normal part of the Christian life. Churches organized outreach events. Families carried tracts in their cars. Believers looked for opportunities to tell others about the Saviour.

Today, those practices are far less common.

It's not that Christians have stopped believing the gospel. Many have simply become quieter about sharing it.

Sometimes it's fear of rejection. Sometimes it's a busy schedule. Sometimes it's the feeling that someone else will do it. Regardless of the reason, when Christians stop witnessing, the church's influence fades.

Around the world, we're already seeing the consequences when biblical Christianity loses its influence in a culture.

In Britain, street preachers have been questioned or arrested for publicly proclaiming biblical truth. Some people have even faced legal consequences for silently praying.

In countries like Russia and China, Christians have been fined and arrested simply for meeting together or sharing their faith outside government-approved channels.

These situations didn't occur overnight.

As fewer people embrace the gospel, those who reject it gain greater cultural and political influence. Before long, Christian beliefs are no longer viewed as a benefit to society but as an obstacle to it. Those who preach Christ are increasingly seen as the problem instead of the solution.

Then come the demands that they be stopped.

Once freedoms are lost, history shows they are incredibly difficult to regain.

Most Christians reading this still enjoy freedoms that millions of believers throughout history never had. We can hand someone a tract at a restaurant. We can speak to a neighbor over the backyard fence. We can tell a coworker about Christ during a lunchtime conversation. We can mail a tract, leave one with a generous tip, or include one in a greeting card.

Those opportunities are precious—and they should never be taken for granted. We should make the most of them while we still can.

Sometimes you'll hear someone say, “I don't pass out tracts anymore.”

There may be legitimate reasons why a person's methods have changed. Perhaps they now have another regular way of sharing the gospel.

But it's worth asking a gentle question:

“What method are you using now?”

For many people, there may not be an answer.

The danger isn't switching methods. The danger is replacing active witness with no witness at all.

Jesus' final command has never changed: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Whether it's through a conversation, a testimony, or a gospel tract placed into someone's hands, people still need to hear the Good News.

One church “used to pass these out.”

May we be found faithful in still doing so.