The Most Persuasive Form of Communication
Every week a pastor faces the challenge of taking the timeless gospel message and communicating it in a timely way that is both stirring and sticky. That is to say, it grabs people’s attention and stays with them.
One of the best ways to do this is to marry the biblical message with a personal testimony.
Pastor Rick Warren, who adds someone’s story to his sermon every week, put it bluntly: “A personal testimony is the most persuasive form of communication that there is – bar none. If it wasn’t, advertisers wouldn’t use it.”
“A personal testimony is the most persuasive form of communication that there is – bar none. If it wasn’t, advertisers wouldn’t use it.” – Rick Warren
Think about it. Madison Avenue recognizes that nothing can top the glowing report of a satisfied customer. “I’ve tried it. You should try it too.”
The Bible is full of such testimonies. In Psalm 66:16, David says, “Come and listen and I’ll tell you what God has done for me.” In John 4:39 regarding the woman at the well, we’re told that “many of the Samaritans in that town believed because of her testimony.” In Acts 22-26, on six different occasions, Paul uses his testimony to share the good news of the gospel. Psalm 105:1 says, “Let the whole world know what God has done for you.”
So why is a personal testimony so potent?
There are several reasons.
A personal testimony is both unique and universal. A personal testimony is just that. Personal! No one else has the exact same story. Yet, there’s some aspect of every story that is common to the human experience. Something others can identify with and relate to.
A personal testimony can’t be refuted. It’s been said that an individual with a testimony is never at the mercy of a person with an argument. People might doubt the Bible, but they can’t deny your story.
A personal testimony is compelling. People love listening to stories – especially stories of transformation and hope. And they can dare to believe that such transformation and hope could be theirs.
People might doubt the Bible, but they can’t deny your story.
For all these reasons, in the church I pastored, we worked hard to incorporate stories into our worship gatherings. We found these testimonies were so sticky, so stirring, that often people remembered the stories long after they’d forgotten the sermon.
Here are a few examples of how we told personal testimonies. Perhaps they will stir some imagination for how you might utilize this powerful tool in your worship gathering.
A Few Examples for Utilizing Testimonies
1. Pastoral Recounting
In this, the pastor shares the testimony of an individual in the church. If appropriate, you could project a photo of the person on the screen. While not as effective as other options, it allows for the story to be told by someone used to telling stories.
2. Live Testimony
Have the person share their own story. It’s suggested that you have them write it out first and submit it for review. This allows for the opportunity to help the individual craft their story a bit and edit for length. It’s also a good idea to practice with the person, giving them the chance to see how it feels to stand on the platform, use a microphone, etc.
3. Interview
This option carries the benefit of allowing the testimony to be more “in the moment.” Being with someone else also can help a nervous storyteller to feel a little more confident. There is a bit more responsibility for the interviewer with this approach. It requires asking good questions, listening carefully, and helping draw out the nuggets of gold.
4. Video
This option is a bit more involved since it requires some degree of video editing. But it is also easier than ever these days in that almost everyone has a video camera on their phone. More than likely, you have someone in your church who has experience creating videos and just needs you to cast a vision for using that skill for the Kingdom.
You can have the congregant simply tell their story on camera or have an interviewer ask questions off-camera to build the story. From there, the video can be edited and appropriate “B roll” added to tie the story together. Here is a link showing an example of this.
There are also ways to tell multiple stories in a longer package.
5. 100-word stories.
With this option, congregants are invited to pen a story on a given topic – for example, God’s goodness, provision, healing or forgiveness – in only 100 words. The first time we did this, we invited anyone who wished to submit a story. These 100-word stories were reviewed, edited as needed, and published in a simple booklet. We selected several of the most compelling stories and invited the writers to read them on a Sunday morning. We created a package weaving together music and stories that was powerful.
6. Cardboard Testimonies.
This is a simple yet deeply moving method of demonstrating transformation. On one side of a large piece of cardboard, the person’s problem is stated. On the other side, the transformation is declared. The individual comes out and shows the congregation the “before” side of the cardboard. After several seconds, he/she flips the cardboard over to reveal the “after.” This is even more affective when accompanied by a musical number. Here is a link showing an example of this.
While personal testimonies can be powerful at any time during the year, with Easter approaching and more people attending who have not yet come to embrace Christ as Savior, a story of a life having been changed might be just the thing to bring someone to a point of decision. I encourage you to give it a try.
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