My husband and I bought our round-trip tickets and boarded the train early. We anticipated the day-long adventure on the historic, narrow-gauge railroad from Durango to Silverton, Colorado.

The engineer blew the signal, and the train lurched forward. As it chugged through town belching soot and slowly picking up speed, the passengers waved at motorists yielding the right-of-way at every intersection.

We hadn’t gone far when we noticed a beautifully-restored vintage car speeding down the street parallel to the train. The vehicle raced to the nearest stop sign and waited for the passenger cars to lumber by. The driver smiled and waved. The passengers, mostly senior adults, murmured their approval of the pristine condition of the antique vehicle.

Soon, however, we noticed a pattern emerging. At nearly every intersection, there sat the same car, its friendly driver waving. Finally, we recognized what was happening. The car was actually a moving billboard for a local vintage car restoration business. The driver was merely seizing the opportunity to market his services to specific consumers — senior adults. He probably makes the same run every day as the train chugs through town. That persistent proprietor understands at least two marketing principles: (1) to get your message across, you must present it repeatedly and (2) to the appropriate audience. His determination reminds me of our mission as Christian educators. We’re commissioned to present God’s Word in a manner that is appropriate to our targeted audience. Then, we must emphasize the biblical, life-changing principles again and again without growing “weary in well-doing” (Galatians 6:9).

The passengers on the train didn’t bail off at the next stop and rush to the man’s business to have their vintage cars restored. In fact, most of them, like us, were probably from out of town. But surely a few did return to Durango and visit the shop. And again, like us, the rest would never forget the shining example of one man’s skill and his advertising savvy.

─Shirley G. Spencer