I always buy a book from the Logos book store when it’s docked in Hamburg.
The Logos is an Operation Mobilization ship that does mission work
It carries Christian and educational literature around the world to places that really need it.
Plus, there are hardly any Christian bookstores in Germany.
Hamburg (a city of 2 million), my current location, has none.
So, browsing the books on the ship I came upon Ken Taylor’s biography. I only picked it up because it had a noble book cover and was just 6 Euros.
I had no idea who he was, and restricted myself from finding out.
Wanted to be surprised.
And I was very surprised.
Ever heard of the New Living Translation, Life Application Bible, or Tyndale House Publishers?
That’s Ken.
But one story really grabbed me.
His father, George, purchased a spot in the local paper, the Queen Anne News, that published weekly.
So, every week he hammered out on his typewriter a 5-inch, single column ad.
Ken remembers his father writing and re-writing the “ad copy” (as he called it).
For 3-5 hours a week he sweat over this mini publication.
George always came up with fun titles like “Man Bites Dog” to draw eyes.
And to ensure it targeted men, he purchased a spot in the sports section.
The ad would finish with a clear and simple gospel presentation.
At first he paid for the ads with their tithe.
Later wealthy friends helped him out and he published in much larger newspapers.
He did this for...get this... 35 freaking years.
It doesn’t surprise me that his son became such a famous Christian writer.
But what would George say about email?
I think he would be amazed first, “They have spell-check. Endless typewriter ribbons. They click a button and it is live for the world to see. You can do this for free!”
Yet, he would likely scratch his head, “Why are they only publishing maybe once a week?”
Or probably, “Why aren’t they being more evangelistic.” Christians tend to write to Christians. But that is a different topic.
In any case, 100 years ago, George was writing entertaining ads that invested in the Kingdom of God.
He came up with 1000s of hooks to draw men toward the gospel.
This is what you as a Christian writer can do every day by writing an sending emails.
Hook readers and draw them further into the Kingdom.
Ken wrote about this on page 10.
It would have been enough to stop the book there, leaving Ken Taylor a mystery.
George inspired me more with his little ad, than his son did with his mega laundry list of publications.
Blair
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