THE HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY OF CRU

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Sharing Your Personal Testimony

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WHAT IS A PERSONAL TESTIMONY?

A personal testimony is a prepared version of your coming to faith in Christ. It is designed to communicate – in a specific period of time (usually about 3 minutes) – what attracted a person to Christ, how that individual received Him, and the difference He has made in his/her life. A well-done personal testimony can be a powerful and effective tool in communicating the life changing reality of Jesus Christ. The dictionary defines testimony as “the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court.” Another definition says “evidence in support of a fact or statement of proof.” When you give your testi- mony, you are giving witness of the difference Christ has made in your life.

Tips for Preparing Your Testimony

DON’T start with something like, “So…this is my testimony…” or end with something like, “And, that’s my testimony…”
DO have a clear, well prepared beginning and end.
DO have a theme that ties your story together. For example, “My life is a lot like the movie Braveheart…” or “I’ve always thought that a football game is a great illustration of some of the things that have happened in my life…”
DON’T use words that aren’t clear to non-Christians (Christianese). DO clarify terms like “saved,” “sin,” “Christian home,” etc.
DON’T name specific denominations or religions (especially in a negative way). This could offend someone who is of that denomination and prevent them from listening to your story.
DON’T ramble on forever.
DO keep it to around 3 minutes!
DON’T use vague terms like “peaceful,” “joyful,” or “happy.”
DO give details and include specific stories to clarify those adjectives.
DON’T give the false impression that Jesus makes all of life’s problems go away.
DO include a verse or short portion of Scripture that relates to your theme. DON’T use more than two Scripture passages. Keep it focused on how Christ changed your life.
DO be realistic – life is still hard, but a relationship with God is the key to living it.
DO communicate as clearly and truthfully as possible how you became a Christian. By the conclusion of your testimony, listeners should understand how they could also receive Christ. Make it very clear how a person receives Christ; share the words you used when you accepted Him.

Preparing Your Personal Testimony

  1. Memorize and practice your testimony orally. After editing and rewriting your testimony, you should memorize it. Memorization frees you to be natural and communicate clearly, rather than focusing on your next word. Practice giving your testimony to a small group or friend.
  2. Present your testimony to an audience.
  3. Evaluate your testimony with your Cru High School leader.

The testimony worksheet can be uses as a guide to help you think through and write down your Testimony story. Keep the following things in mind: Don’t be concerned if your testimony is not filled with bank robberies, murders, or drug selling. You are seeking to relate to your audience. Hopefully not many of their lives are filled with those things either. Choose a theme you think people will relate to, but it does not need to be sensational and dramatic.

If you became a Christian at an early age, share how Christ has led you over a period of years, or how you came to the point of surrendering your life totally to Christ.

Student Testimony Worksheet

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What they’re saying about Cru

Students today are more relational than ever, and so it makes your job of sharing Christ in a relevant way that much more important. If you are a student, you’ve got a built in advantage. You speak the language, and understand them like no other creature on the planet. You are God’s best weapon for bringing Him to your campus. If we’re honest though we’d have to say it’s tough presenting Christ as the only way to God in our culture.

Ideas are easily swapped in the cafeteria or during practice, but our message demands a response. We want that person to make an intelligent decision about what we communicated. Sometimes we can dance around the issues talking about spiritual stuff, but never really get to the heart of the matter. We often never actually bring them to the point where they can receive Christ. That’s why using a simple tool to communicate your faith can be so helpful.

Using a tool keeps the message simple and to the point.

How often have you gotten into long conversations with a friend about spiritual things, but couldn’t seem to get down to the main issue of where they stood with God. Most evangelistic tools present a simple and complete outline including Scriptures to help you keep on track.

Usually a tool will begin on a positive note – “God loves you!”

This is important, because God’s Spirit wants to draw your friends to God. Presenting God in a positive sight will let them take that first step towards Him.

A tool will always present how to receive Christ.

It’s built right into the text, and usually all you need to do is read it, and lead your friend in prayer.

A tool will give you confidence because you’ll know what to say.

The Japanese have a saying, “I will master something, then the creativity will come.” When a woodworker masters how to use the tools of his trade, he then naturally creates objects of beauty and worth. When you master a tool, you will then be able to relax and be yourself in the context of a spiritual discussion. Something many adults can’t even do well. Christ wants to express His love and concern through you. If you are always concerned about what to say next, that will be harder to express. A tool will help you become confident in the message you want to bring to your friends.

Some students react to using a tool. One guy said, “I’m the only Bible some of my friends will ever read, so I’m just gonna let my life speak for itself.” But can a person really trust Christ by just observing someone’s life? The simple definition of evangelism is to announce or proclaim good news. God has called us to back up our life with words that will clarify and bring to light the reality of Christ in us.

Remember, an evangelistic tool helps us in our mission to present Christ. However, it is only a tool. God is the one who draws people to Himself. He is the One who will open their eyes to spiritual truths. He will be the one to give assurance in their heart for what He has done. It’s not the words in the booklet that will change anyone. A tool acts as a simple outline to lead them to the truth they need to place their trust in Christ.