How to Prepare a Brief Testimony to Share with a Pre-Christian
This Guide will encourage followers of Christ to prepare to share what Christ has done and is doing in their lives with those who do not yet know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Consider asking someone who made a decision to follow Christ as a youth or adult briefly share their experience with the church and emphasize the people who were involved in his or her spiritual journey. Ask the person to practice his/her testimony during the week. Limit the presentation time to three minutes, maximum. Suggest that the person write out what he or she intends to say. Then practice saying it while using a watch or, better yet, a countdown timer to help them stay within three minutes. An oven or microwave timer works well for this activity.
Hearing someone in the group give their testimony as suggested above serves as an encouragement for other Christians in the group to learn to do the same. Encourage all Christians in your church to do this: practice in private, share with their sympathetic and spiritual family in church, pray for an opportunity to share with a pre-Christian, and then seek out an opportunity to do it.
In learning to share one’s faith in Christ with pre-Christians:
1. Remember that fewer words will often be more persuasive and better remembered. The Holy Spirit will let you know when a longer session is appropriate.
2. Jesus said that we are to be his “witnesses”. A witness does not give opinions. He or she only states what they know by their own personal experience.
3. Faith is simply that—faith. Something accepted by faith cannot be proved. One’s salvation experience was never intended to be proven by science, psychology, logic, or other human means. Never argue your religious position. Never “put down” the beliefs of another person. Never fear rejection, for such is the other person’s problem and God’s opportunity.
4. An opportunity to share what God is doing in your life today may present a more accepted and effective witness than even what God did years ago to bring you to Himself.
5. Always recognize that, even without an obvious indicator, God’s Spirit has already gone before you and set up the opportunity for you to share your testimony. He will stand by you during the time of witness. And He will work out his will after you are gone. Many times, you may not see an immediate response. However, always be ready to take such an opportunity to help the person make a decision for Christ when the Holy Spirit encourages you to be bold and lead that person to Jesus.
6. Memorize several basic verses from the New Testament that relate to God’s love for us, his sacrifice for us, our sin and sinful nature, and how we are saved. Have your church seek out and prepare a list of 10 such verses. Then, using an easy to understand version of the Bible, have the congregation learn one new verse each week. Practice the verse during the week and repeat it, one new verse, and each previously learned verse every week until all ten can be recalled easily by the group. This will take a few minutes each week for up to three months. Begin with John 3:16-17. Some may already know those two verses.
Resources:
Consider learning the Bible verses that have come to be known as “The Roman(s) Road”. You can find these verses accompanied with brief statements for your use in witnessing on many websites. Two such sites are:
or: theromanroad.org
We highly recommend that your church consider taking a few weeks of training in one of the following truly non-threatening, easy to accomplish, and practical courses:
Share Jesus Without Fear can be purchased online at: lifeway.com.
CROSS Training can be purchased online at: bgco.org.
Also see: mostimportantthing.org for online testimonies and other helps (relates to CROSS Training).
