Testimony

You Don’t Always Need an Answer

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

We are living in tumultuous times.  Many people are wobbling as our societies lurch between internal and international crises.  And yet, in popular culture, it seems like many are watching Christianity in a way they have not done in previous decades.  High-profile people are talking about the Bible, or claiming to become followers of Jesus.  Christians are getting exposure on high-profile podcasts. Perhaps a time of unprecedented concerns is also becoming a time of unprecedented opportunity for the Gospel.  The people who are wobbling are also watching us and wanting what we have to offer: authentic community, historically rooted tradition, and truth.

And yet, while attention to Christianity may be growing, that does not mean everyone is open to hearing and responding to the Gospel.  Many will respond to Christ’s claims with antagonism.  And many in the church feel unprepared to answer the questions that could be thrown at them.  By all means, let’s train our churches to be ready to give an answer for the hope that they have.  But let’s also make sure they know they don’t always need an answer.  Even when a question is too hard or too harsh, we always have our story.

We need a revival in confidence in the power of testimony.  The story of how we met Jesus and how He changed our lives is a powerful ministry tool.  Why?  Because testimonies are relatable, timely, and irrefutable.  Relatable because our lives will reflect the lives of those we speak to in some way (especially if our testimony is not one of the more spectacular ones!)  Timely because people are craving spiritual authenticity.  And irrefutable because they cannot really argue with your experience.

Actually, some will argue with your experience, but they cannot win that fight.  Take the example of the man born blind in John 9.  Jesus, the light of the world, brought light into this blind man’s eyes (John 9:1-14).  Sadly, that man had to spend his first hours with sight looking at the angry faces of unbelieving Pharisees.  When everyone should have been celebrating this miracle, he had to face a trial before the authorities!

Notice their tactics.  You might recognize the pattern.  They deny the possibility of the story being told to them (9:15-17).  Then they intimidate witnesses to define the narrative (9:18-23).  Finally, they cancel the man who will not play by their rules (9:24-34).  Two thousand years later, the pattern persists – unbelief still denies any worldview that might allow for Jesus to be Jesus.  It still seeks to intimidate everyone into saying the right things for the societal narrative.  And it still shuts down, cancels, and expels anyone daring to speak truth against their newly constructed reality.

It was hardly a fair fight.  The man had received his sight, and the same day they bombarded him with theologically antagonistic questions.  He had not had time to learn to read, much less study Christian apologetics.  He did not have an answer, but he had his story:

“Whether he is a sinner I do not know. 

One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

John 9:25

They could turn up the heat against him, but ultimately they could not win the argument.  He had the truth on his side.  The truth will pierce the constructed narratives of unbelief.  And in this age of artificially fabricated realities, let’s pierce the darkness with the truth of our testimonies.  When difficult questions are fired at us, we may not always have the perfect answer.  However, we always have our story of meeting Jesus and the transformation He brought.

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The Power of Testimony – Part 2

/ Peter Mead / 3 Comments

Hearing the story of God at work in a life can be so life changing for a church, but nerves, timekeeping, and a drift into instruction can undermine a good testimony and bring about a cold sweat for those planning a church service.  Let me explain how we do testimonies in our church and why we do it this way.  It may not be appropriate in your setting, but it may be helpful in some way.

The Testimony Panel – Roughly every six months we dedicate a Sunday to having a “testimony panel.”  The sermon is reduced to a very brief message of a few minutes, leaving 30-40 minutes for the testimonies.  We also keep the rest of the service as free as possible to guard the time.  For the panel, we will typically have two people giving their testimonies, along with an interviewer whose job is to ask questions and weave the two stories together.

What are the advantages of this approach?

1. It is an event.  By so drastically reducing sermon time it communicates to the church that testimonies are important, and these two people are important to us.  We want to hear their stories. Instead of a rushed testimony squeezed into the early part of the service, this is an event where we get to hear more fully from them both.  It says to the church that we value people and we expect God to be at work in people’s lives.  It underlines several values of the church indirectly, but powerfully.

2. A non-nervous person is in charge.  The interviewer is always someone who is comfortable in front of the church and will, therefore, be able to shield the two participants from their own nerves.  It is the interviewer’s problem to watch the clock, to ask the right questions, to bring the panel to an end, etc.  And the interviewer will always have a microphone (no leaving a nervous talker with a microphone alone in front of the church!)

3. It requires preparation without being awkward.  If someone is given ten minutes to give their own testimony it can be difficult to prep them.  They may not realise how a testimony can misfire and therefore resent being asked what they are going to say.  Also, they might be inclined to write a script so it can be checked ahead of time.  This just feels awkward, as does the church leader who is wondering how clear the conversion will sound, how appropriate the pre-conversion stories will be for the listeners, how much tendency there will be to drift into teaching, etc.  A testimony panel requires the interviewer to meet with both people and hear both stories – no script necessary, just an informed interviewer who knows how to direct the conversation on the day.

We have tried interviewing three people and it really needed more time.  Thirty to forty minutes works for us to have two people interviewed.  We did have three elders in one panel, but they interviewed each other, which was different again but worked well.  What have you found helpful when it comes to testimonies in your church?  Feel free to comment below.

One more resource on Testimonies, click here for 10 Top Testimony Tips 

The Power of Testimony

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Hearing how God has worked in a life can be very powerful.  Having someone “give their testimony” can also backfire.  Before I explain how we do testimonies in our church, here are a few of the problems that can create the tension:

1. Nerves.  Public speaking is a frightening prospect for most people.  Talking about self so overtly should be a challenge for believers.  Therefore nerves are normal.  While everyone in the audience will understand that the person feels nervous, this doesn’t change the fact that nerves can lead to losing track of the story, or saying something that is not intended, or to shifting into teaching rather than giving testimony, or to losing all awareness of time.  To stand and give a crafted testimony in a set time without reading a script takes the skill of a preacher.

2. Timekeeping.  Some will rattle through their story and be done in a fraction of the time available.  Others will barely be out of their childhood before the time is done and threaten to drift into the work week unless someone steps in.  Keeping to time is a real challenge (even preachers can struggle with this!)

3. Instructing.  So many good testimonies become awkward because the person feels some compulsion to instruct the listeners.  Where the story of God at work is so powerful, the pointed finger and some generalized imperatives are awkwardly blunt.  Once someone drifts into unplanned teaching they can make theological errors, assume something they don’t understand yet is unexplainable, make promises that their experience is how God always works, or whatever.  It can be a minefield.

And yet, despite all that can go wrong, testimonies can be so powerful.  Why?

1. They can stir worship.  Isn’t God amazing?  What a wonderful story of His faithfulness and persistent love!

2. They can generate hope.  I am not the only one who struggles like that, and they have seen God bring change, maybe there is hope for me?

3. They can foster understanding.  I had no idea they had gone through all that.  I am so glad they are now part of the family and God is still at work.

4. They can unite the church family.  I used to struggle with that person, but now I know their story I can actually celebrate God’s goodness instead of feeling so bothered by their quirks.

5. They can convict unbelievers.  Where you were, that is where I am … I need to respond to God’s convicting work in my life.

And so much more.  Testimonies can have such impact, either positively, or negatively!  Next time I will explain how we incorporate testimonies in our church – it might be helpful.