What is a Testimony? A personal testimony is not simply a story of how God rescued you from a life of horrible sin. It is your personal story of how God has transformed your life and is an expression of how God uses each of us as we are.
How do I write a testimony? An effective testimony generally includes three parts: the Introduction, the Body and the Conclusion. The Body consists of what your life was like before you received Christ, how you received Christ, and how your life is different as a result of receiving Christ.
Start with the Body of the testimony and then later you will add the Introduction and Conclusion. Make a list of events, ideas, and thoughts of what is most important about your testimony and then arrange them in a logical order of presentation and then create sentences. Separate your sentences into paragraphs to provide a structure and a nice even flow to your message.
Before you received Christ: Start at a time in life that relates to your experience with Christ. Remember that this is not a biography from childhood. What was most important to you? What did your life revolve around and why was that important? (Examples: money, marriage, career, etc.) What basic need were you attempting to fulfill and how did you try to satisfy that need?
How you received Christ: When did you first hear the message of Christ and what was your reaction? When did you first begin to feel positive toward the gospel and why? Why did you make the decision to trust Christ and how did you specifically do that? In answering these questions you are seeking to identify specifically the process that brought you to the point of receiving Christ.
After you received Christ: Describe the changes in your life since you became a Christian. Changes might include relationships, goals and priorities, good or bad habits, attitudes, the atmosphere in your home, etc. Share how Christ enables you to walk through your problems, rather than removing them from your life.
Introduction: Start with your name and then mention what it is you struggle with. Consider using an interesting quote, a startling question, or an illustration that really captures the attention of the audience.
Conclusion: Your conclusion is a summary statement of one or two sentences that relates back to your needs and that Christ now fills those needs. Remember that your goal is to explain what Christ has done in your life and to stimulate others to think about their own lives. Leave your audience with a challenging thought.
Helpful Suggestions: Develop a theme. A theme is a phrase or idea that is mentioned in the introduction, repeated throughout the testimony and mentioned again in your conclusion. Using a theme helps your audience to better understand and remember your testimony and keeps the testimony on track.
Preparation is key and the goal is to communicate effectively with your audience. Read through your testimony and make adjustments as needed. Rehearse it so you can give it naturally. Be realistic and be yourself. Avoid being too explicit or sensational. Don't over emphasize how bad you were. Be positive and avoid critical or negative comments about any group or individual.
