Today, we received the following comment on the Lighthouse Trails Facebook page and would like to respond as others may share this person’s sentiments. The comment stated:
I always found the booklets helpful but they are quite expensive in my view. I purchase tracts from pinpoint evangelism and I get a stack of 100 for 5 dollars and up. I always eyed these but to pay about 2 dollars for just one booklet is a bit pricey for me. Please do not take it as an insult, I am hoping you find cheaper vendors to print making it more accessible to those of us who have been called to preach to masses.
Here is what we would like to say about our booklets—
Our booklets are not the size of a tract. A tract generally holds a few hundred words. Our booklets are book size (in dimensions) and anywhere from 3000-6000 words. That’s why we call them booklets and not tracts. There’s a lot of information and documentation in them (and hours of work that has gone into writing and creating them). Tracts are good to hand out to strangers or leave in bathrooms. The booklets are designed to hand out to friends, family members, pastors, etc – people you are acquainted with who have particular needs and issues. Each one has a different topic (e.g., Yoga, Reiki, Meditation, Enneagrams, etc.) so one can prayerfully select the right one for each recipient.
In order to give a person enough information to understand a topic (without handing him or her a 200-page book that may never be read), we believe the booklets are the perfect format and length. Any shorter, and we could not document our findings.
We have yet to see a booklet of the quality in which Lighthouse Trails produces them sell at a lower price (with the exception of some non-profit organizations who rely primarily on donations – Lighthouse Trails is not in that category). However, even though we do not have the advantage of being a 501 (c) 3 organization (a choice we made many years ago), we have given away thousands of booklets as well as pay part of the proceeds of sales to the authors (royalties). Keep in mind that while each booklet is $1.95, we have quantity discounts starting at 6 copies that go as low as $1.07 each.
Lighthouse Trails does something most publishers do not do: we place the entire content of each booklet on our blog, providing a print feature that allows any reader to print the booklet for free. You see our goal and motivation at Lighthouse Trails is not to make money. While we, like any other business or ministry, have a need for money to keep our doors open, we do not have a love for money or an ambition toward it. Our desire and motivation is to help others.
At the risk of sounding defensive or self-promoting, we want to close with this. Several years ago, in the early years of Lighthouse Trails, Saddleback Church (Rick Warren’s church) was sending out e-mails to people (with the hopes of discrediting our work) saying that “Ray Yungen and Lighthouse Trails were sitting on a pile of money.” It became almost a joke here for us because nothing could have been further from the truth. And all these years later, it still is anything but the truth. The editors at Lighthouse Trails work tirelessly, each receiving a very modest salary for the work we do. As for the price of the booklets, when we began creating the booklet project in 2012, we purchased a good used Xerox machine that would do the printing (thus keeping our costs down by doing the printing ourselves), picked out some high quality gloss paper that would increase the longevity of each booklet, contracted with each author for a royalty rate that is higher than any other publisher we know about in today’s publishing industry. And when we figured out all our costs, we came up with a retail price that anyone could afford, then added in several generous quantity discounts. We say all this mostly for those who are skeptical and who think that Lighthouse Trails charges too much for our booklets. We have not said these things to puff ourselves up but rather to describe what goes on behind the scenes that influences our decisions.
It is always our prayer that our books and booklets will be useful to those who read them; and while they are warning about deception, we strive in each one to point readers to God’s wonderful Word and His saving grace through Christ.
GREAT NEWS that God’s set you free from what I’ve come to call “5-Point Fatalism.” LHT’s book “None Dare…” is one of the greatest little works on the topic I’ve ever found.
Grow in GRACE–FREE GRACE
Meanwhile, I just saw something from FaithGateway/HarperCollins Christian Publishing advertising Literature Classics including Wuthering Heights.
At the bottom of the communication is the following: “FaithGateway ~ our mission is to help you grow and share your faith.”
In view of what is occurring in professed Christian circles who allow and/or encourage crossovers and compromises, what was shared in this post about LTR consciously avoiding entanglements appears well-founded.
While serving for over 20 years in a local Christian ministry, I discovered these little gems and used them for quite awhile as a continuing education program for my staff. Everyone was always happy to receive & read them. They are concise and to the point. Much to be learned from everyone I ever purchased and I considered it money well spent. They never seemed to me to be too expensive. Thanks Lighthouse for publishing these!
Nina,
Such wonderful news to read you’ve been healed from that darkness called Calvinism. You don’t know what encouragement your healing is for me and my quest.
Many blessings; you’re free indeed.
I have been very blessed by Lighthouse Trails through the years. I have been careful in how many books I buy and who I give them to. They are precious pearls to share. Their subjects are serious and deep. My thanks and prayers that God’s truth will continue to be shared in this way.
David & Deborah,
I LOVE your ministry and have personally experienced your kindness and graciousness. I have bought so many of these booklets I could not begin to count them and have given them out. I totally agree that these are not the type you leave anywhere for a quick salvation message. These are very specific in different subjects. I love them because they are full of information with scripture and valuable discerning information without giving someone who may already be resisting the message they bring a book that will never be read. I will continue to buy these booklets and HIGHLY recommend them. Thank you for all you do and being Bereans! Nina~
P.S. The book “CALVINISM: None Dare Call It Heresy” led me to much healing from years of ABUSE by that false doctrine. I’m often looking in it for reference, and it’s always a fresh drink of water to my soul when Calvinism starts to rear its ugly head in my heart!
I’ve bought several of your booklets and have found them to be very informative.
Well worth the modest price of each one.
Thank you for all you do.
Debbie
Dear Deb and David,
I have used “copy and paste” from your website before for the odd reference to someone regarding certain articles, as I knew you had placed the entire booklet on the specific post for a reason.
Please carry on with your selfless and important work, and I hope you make more “piles of money.” You have my banking details; please don’t hesitate to use it!
Blessings
Your booklets have been invaluable. They are easy to read, and get right to the point.
They are packed with information that we could not get elsewhere.
The authors of these booklets are very knowledgeable, and help us to discern the times we are living in.
So continue to publishing these booklets!
10 November 2019
Dear David and Deborah Dombrowski,
I greatly value your booklets and other writings. You are to be commended for the way that you run your ministry. You are exposing error and shining the Light on the Darkness; and in all actuality, your writings/booklets are priceless when you consider the biblical content and the opportunities you are providing for those who are searching for the truth!
You and your ministry work reminds me of this wonderful passage that has yet to be fulfilled! Just keep the faith my dear brother and sister!
Daniel 12:3 “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
May Almighty God be with His servants in this adulterous and sinful generation, as we strive to share the true gospel with this lost and dying world that desperately needs the LORD!
God bless and keep you and the authors of Lighthouse Trails as you serve Him in Truth!
With the love of Christ,
C. Read
Your’s is a gracious spirit and ministry and a great blessing to me. I hope I will always have access to your materials.