Tips for writing your testimony Do:

Your testimony is the story of how God revealed Himself to you. In this brief story, tell about your life before you came to Christ, how you became a Christian, and how your life has changed since you gave your life to Christ. A carefully prepared testimony will be your most powerful witnessing tool in almost any situation that will effectively present the Gospel in a clear, simple, and personal way. The beauty of it is that no one can take away your story.

Use a three-point outline:
1. Before: Use one minute to tell about your life before Christ. Share about your life experiences and what you felt like inside before you had a personal relationship with the Lord. Do not beat around the bush but also don't emphasize how bad you used to be.
2. Becoming: Use one minute to tell how you came to know God. Where was your need? What led you to this decision?
3. After: Use one minute to tell about the changes in your life. (Ex. peace, freedom from fear, etc.) Do not give the impression that the Christian life is a "bed of roses."
* If you have been a Christian since you were very young, tell about something God has done in your life that has made an impact on you. Any story or good thing God has done will be an encouragement to those you are witnessing to.
* Use at least one, at the most two, Scripture verses.
* Begin with an interesting, attention-getting sentence and close with a good conclusion. * Give enough details to provoke interest, but still keep it short, simple and to the point.
* Pray! Ask the Lord to give you wisdom.

Don't: * Don't use churchy words such as "saved," "convicted," "converted," "born again," and "sin." These words confuse many non-Christians.
* Be too wordy, beat around the bush, or emphasize how bad you used to be.
* Speak critically or negatively about any individual or group.
* Be afraid to share what God has done in your life. No one can argue your personal experience.
Paul's Story * Paul was not always a Christian (vs. 3-5)
* He committed his life to Christ (vs. 6-13)
* Paul’s life became different in Christ (vs. 14-15)
Tips for Sharing Your Story
* Relive your story and present it from the heart with the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
* Speak loudly and clearly in a natural, relaxed tone of voice (try to avoid speaking too fast or too slow).
* Smile often! Ask the Lord to give you a happy, radiant face.
* Avoid mannerisms when you speak, such as: rubbing your nose, jingling coins in your pocket, swaying, clearing your throat, and using “uhs”, “ahs”, or “ums”.
* Avoid preaching at people. Present your testimony, not a “preach-a-thon”.
* Practice speaking your testimony out loud until it becomes natural.
After Writing Your Testimony
* Ask your pastor, youth pastor, parent, or other spiritual leader to read over your testimony and give you suggestions. Then go back and make any helpful changes.
* Memorize your story. (It may sound funny because it’s your story, but if you don’t know it by heart then you get up in front of people and ramble because you don’t know what to say.)
* Practice reciting it to friends and family. Allow them to give suggestions for improvement in your delivery. This is key in becoming more comfortable in sharing your story in front of an audience.
* Bring your final draft with you to training so you can use it on your mission trip.
* While at training, you are going to practice sharing your testimony to your other teammates. Be sure to have it memorized and be ready to share!