Introducing the Living Tract!

Arm and Release into the Wild your Horizon Watch newsletter! Our new newsletter is at the same time something very old and very new; it is, so-to-speak, a living tract. Let me explain.

The Problem

Times are changing at lightning pace. We are successfully communicating with some in more aged generations but we have had little success touching those whose lives are built around the cell phone. The cell phone, with all its benefits and its many drawbacks, is indisputably the center of modern life. To neglect it is to give ground to Satan. Instead let us invade phonerealm with the gospel!

We like to give out 700-page message books like the Great Controversy. But in 2023 few will undertake to read such a massive book. To even get a hearing we have to be there at the lowest point of entry, with short, instantly clickable video. Whole generations suffer from something similar to the Dunning-Kruger effect, where people with limited understanding of something overestimate their ability to evaluate it. After all, in a few clicks they can google the answer! We need to capture their attention at least long enough to get onto their radar. We have to claw our way into the edges of their world so that we are at least in their world.

The Living Tract

Enter stage left the living tract. So fresh Horizon Watch newsletters are released just weeks after one another. Each newsletter fits on one page, can be distributed across the internet, printed out on your personal printer, and hand-delivered to interested parties. Each newsletter contains QR code (quick reaction) links to short videos using current news items to point to Bible passages and to the insights in the Great Controversy.

Prepare Yourself

Here is how it works.

1. You subscribe tot he Horizon Watch newsletter. It is free to you. When a new letter is released, you print out copies. Let’s just start with say printing out six copies on your printer at home.
2. When you have your six copies you should familiarize yourself with the contents so that you intelligently interact with people about it. You can watch the four new videos (it may take you about a half hour), or, you can read the print version of each article.
3. Each article/video is referenced to the page numbers of the standard page numbered Great Controversy. Every article/video on its last footnote says “See Great Controversy, page whatever.” (If you are distributing the newsletter with a hard copy Great Controversy then check the paging and cross out the provided page numbering in the newsletter and write in the corrected page numbering for the edition you are distributing.
4. Z-fold the newsletter. Start with the newsletter laying ion the table directly in front of you horizontally. Take hold of the right vertical edge of the newsletter and fold it over vertically one third of the way from the right side. This folds the page back to land at about the “n” in the word “Horizon” across the top of the page. Then, flip the newsletter back over from the left to the right so that what faces you is the bottom of the page. Then, fold the right edge over again a third so that you finish with a Z-folded page with “Horizon” on the top and two QR codes showing vertically. Your living tract is ready!
5. I bought a small packet of nine x six inch Manila colored clasp envelopes to tuck my newsletter in and I can always keep some in the car so that every time I am at the store or pumping gasoline into my car, I have them with me, and I keep the rain and snow off of them. I just carry it with me into the store.

Go Fishing

Finally, here are two short quotations which our Lord has presented to bring me under conviction. Perhaps you will benefit the same way. I believe that distributing these “living tracts,” continuously-updated short content videos and articles bringing out the prophetic significance of current events, is one of the ways we will be serving Jesus in these last days.

Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The Desire of Ages, p. 195

It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Ministry of Healing, p. 469

The last step takes the most courage. Go fishing! Wherever you are with your newsletter stash, keep an eye out for people whom you can share it with. Remember, you are looking for people who are holding their cell-phone in their hand, younger people, often, people who are alone.

Strike up a friendly, low key conversation with these people. Watch for an opportunity to arise. One of the topics addressed by the latest article/video might provide such an item. Finally, don’t take too long to get to it, but offer them the tract. “Hey, my friend’s pastor produces these short little videos on current things happening in the news and how they relate to some of the last prophecies in the Bible. Here, I have an extra!” Put it gently in their hand.

If they decline, accept that, and kindly keep the tract for the next person. Don’t be shy. Don’t be apologetic. Don’t be offended if they decline. Expect them to take it. You might add the line, “Here, you just point your phone camera at this and it will read the QR code and one tap and it will open the video there for you. Try it out on your next break.” They don’t have to watch it right now. But pray that they will watch it later today. Be able to demonstrate using your own phone if you have one.