From Las Vegas (Sin City) to the heart of Baltimore's toughest neighborhoods, Tim Berends and pilot Mike Cahill set out to distribute Chick tracts. When Tim handed a tract to a police officer, the officer warned, "You're in a dangerous neighborhood. You shouldn't be here." Yet, despite the location, they were met with an unexpected response. Instead of violence and rejection, the people roaming around Baltimore’s gritty streets gladly took almost every tract they had.

Start Them Young

Tim’s father was a Baptist minister who believed in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This included sharing the gospel with complete strangers.

One day, Tim rode to the gas station with his dad and was told to give a gospel tract to the gas station attendant. Slightly embarrassed, Tim asked, “Do we have to give one to everyone?” His dad made it clear that the answer was ‘Yes.’

That moment stuck with Tim as he grew up, moved away, and eventually became an evangelist who makes it his mission to pass out tracts to everyone he meets. Today, Tim is 79, and he estimates that he’s probably passed out around 1 million tracts —all because his father started him young.

A Coat can Bridge the Gap

“God is so creative!” is something you’ll hear Tim say often. He has seen the Lord give him opportunity after opportunity to share the gospel in the most unique of circumstances.

Just recently, he saw a homeless lady while driving through Las Vegas, where he lives. After giving her some food and a coat, he gave her a Chick tract. He asked her to read it, thinking she would later on in the day. To his surprise, the lady stood right there and read the entire thing on the spot! She then asked him if she could go to church with him the following Sunday!

All because he was able to hand out a coat to someone in need, a precious soul was given a tract and had the gospel seed planted.

Everyone Has a Testimony to Share

Tim is always ready to seize opportunities to share the gospel. He received one such opportunity during an informal visit to a Mormon church. After talking with an elder, he was invited to stay and listen to testimony time.

After several “testified” of Mormonism and Joseph Smith, Tim felt the Lord prompting him to stand up and share the truth about Jesus Christ.

With courage, Tim quoted scriptures from Romans, passionately explaining why the Bible is the true Word of God. He was eventually escorted out, but not before the entire congregation heard the gospel (and several tracts were handed out). He went on to repeat the pattern with other Mormon congregations in the US. In fact, this method was so effective that the Mormon organization sent him a letter barring him from entering all Mormon property!

Tim rejoices for the opportunities God presented and prays that those who heard the gospel will accept it. For Tim, creative evangelism is all about seizing opportunities to speak truth in the most unexpected moments and places.

Giving Out Tracts from Las Vegas to Israel

Tim’s unique mission of creatively sharing the gospel and passing out tracts has taken him around the globe, from the streets of Las Vegas to the land of Israel.

He loves living in Las Vegas because, as he says, “I may not be able to go to Saudi Arabia and freely share the gospel. But in Vegas, Saudi Arabia comes to us. The WORLD comes to us!”

If you visit Las Vegas, you might just find Tim on the MGM bridge passing out tracts. He has seen God work in amazing ways as he passes out tracts to people from all walks of life. He hands out tracts to Muslim tourists, prostitutes, gamblers who won big or just lost it all, families, and everyone in between. Tim uses every encounter as a chance to creatively share the gospel and offer a tangible reminder of Christ’s love through the tracts he distributes.

Together with pilot Mark Cahill, Tim has gone on 57 global trips solely to share the gospel in far-flung corners of the world. He has faced challenging encounters with orthodox Jews and Israeli cops, handed out tracts to devoted Catholics in Montreal, and witnessed to Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, and a multitude of people of all religious persuasions.

No matter how receptive (or not!) people may be, Tim remains steadfast in his mission to share the gospel by using tracts to reach as many people as possible. Handing out tracts, for Tim, is planting seeds of the gospel—seeds that have been an effective means of salvation for a generation.

Preach the Gospel

In Mark 16:15, Jesus tells us to “preach the gospel to every creature.” Tim’s example of passing out tracts perfectly demonstrates how we can follow that command. By handing out these little paper preachers to those we come in contact with, we can fulfill the great commission in the highways and byways of our cities.

Passing out tracts doesn’t have to be complicated, and many are happy to receive a cartoon tract for free. Simply wear a smile and wish everyone a good day as you give them out. You’re sure to receive smiles in return and maybe even a “thank you!” or two.

Partner with Tim!

We can’t all be Tim, but we can partner with him to get the gospel where it’s needed most! Each tract, each interaction, is an opportunity to change lives for eternity. But he can’t do this alone. He needs tracts —and lots of them. If you want to help, you can call Tim at (702) 771-4040.