WORSHIP

MINISTRY | WORSHIP

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story psalm 107:2

Can I Get a Witness?

Harnessing the power of testimonies in your worship services

By JOHN VAN PAY

With tears streaming down her face, endra stood in the baptismal tank telling her story. oon after the tragic loss of her husband, she had recently given birth to their child. mid her despair, endra had heard the gospel and surrendered her life to esus. lthough I m grieving the loss of my husband, I m thrilled about my new ourney in Christ, she testified. esus saved and comforted me. s endra spoke, her tears of mourning seemed to transform into tears of oy. hen her small group leader bapti ed her, she came out of the water re oicing. The congregation responded with cheers and applause.

Testimonies are powerful. tories of life change have always played an important role in communicating the gospel from the arly Church to the early days of the modern entecostal movement and beyond. very Christ follower has a story to tell, and these testimonies are part of the greatest story of all. hen people encounter God and boldly declare to others what happened, they testify that His ord is true.

The man who received his sight in ohn did not offer a detailed theological defense of miracles. He had his story, and that was enough. hen the harisees uestioned him about his healing, the man replied, ne thing I do know. I was blind but now I see ( ohn : 5).

There are people in your setting who can testify of the change God has made in their lives. hare their stories during your worship services. Make space each week for at least one testimony.

When to Testify

There are a number of points during the worship service at which you can incorporate testimonies.

Share stories during praise and worship. There is a natural connection between testimonies and worship songs. Both glorify God and point to His goodness. hen someone from the worship team testifies about who God is and what He has done, the ne t song relating to that testimony will have fresh relevance.

Incorporate testimonies into the sermon. eal life stories from people in your congregation can become memorable sermon illustrations. ( ust be sure to get permission before disclosing private details.)

Consider using a prerecorded video testimony that relates to the sermon s big idea. benefit of video testimonies is that you can also use them on the church website or post them to social media pages. fter the testimony, allow time for the Holy pirit to minister. hen sharing a salvation story, follow up with a bold invitation for people to surrender their lives to esus. If the testimony involves a physical or emotional issue, pray for people who are hurting.

Testify before a time of prayer. Have someone share about a recent answer to prayer. This will bolster the faith of congregants to bring their needs to God. hare a healing testimony ust before inviting people with physical needs to come forward for prayer. rrange for a couple to testify of God s restoration in their marriage before praying over families.

Emphasize giving through stories. eople will grow in generosity when they understand tithes and offerings don t stop at the bottom of a bucket or disappear in cyberspace. se the offering time to share stories and let the congregation know how God is multiplying what they give. ead an email from someone who e perienced God s blessing after giving.

Have the youth pastor interview a student about the impact of a recent church camp. Then thank the congregation for making a ingdom investment in the ne t generation by helping fund the e perience.

Have a live aceTime conversation with a missionary in another country. He or she can share a recent story and talk about the difference the church s offerings and prayers are making.

Use testimonies to promote fellowship and discipleship. nce a month during a unday service, feature the story of someone who is e periencing deeper community or growing spiritually through a small group. how a photo of the group. uch testimonies can encourage newcomers to get involved in the life of the church.

Tell stories about the benefits of volunteering. If you want to see more people serve on undays, regularly highlight the testimonies of volunteers. hen recruiting volunteers, have one or two faithful members share why they serve and how they are growing spiritually as a result. Thank the volunteers and give them a small gift.

Then highlight specific areas needing workers, and let people know how they can sign up. Close the time by praying for God to send volunteers.

An effective testimony gives God all the glory. More than any other detail, listeners should remember what Jesus did.

How to Testify

s you incorporate testimonies into your weekly worship services, remember the following:

Keep it Christocentric. Be sure the stories point to esus. The apostle ohn wrote, nd this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his on (1 ohn 5:11). n effective testimony gives God all the glory. More than any other detail, listeners should remember what Jesus did.

Keep it simple. ncourage those who tes tify simply to share what happened, ust as the healed man did in ohn : I was blind but now I see

Keep it focused. The goal is to share a specific move of God in a person s life, not an entire life story. The recommended time for a testimony is under four minutes.

Keep it inspiring. ach story is uni ue, but the plotline is always about God s grace in the lives of His people. Testimonies should stir the faith of listeners, inspiring them to trust God with their circumstances.

Keep it authentic. testimony doesn t have to involve a big production. eople generally prefer raw authenticity over a presentation that seems too polished or rehearsed.

Keep it prophetic. evelation 1 :1 says, It is the pirit of prophecy who bears testimony to esus. Through the Holy pirit, God s people can serve as prophets, declaring who esus is and what He is doing. cts notes eter was filled with the Holy pirit when he proclaimed, e cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard (verses , ).

Keep adding. Continually collect stories. Then determine the right one for a specific moment.

Keep it going. ncourage those who testify to continue telling others including people who don t attend church about what God did. sk permission to post and share video testimonies on social media. hen a culture of celebrating life stories takes root, get ready for the spiritual growth in your congregation. The faith of those who give and hear the testimonies will rise. eople will begin to view trials as preludes to victory.

This principle is biblical. Consider the words of evelation 1 :1 11: ow have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. or the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (emphasis added).

God is for us ( omans :31). esus is building His Church, and nothing will overcome it (Matthew 1 :1 ). In a world of hardship, people need reminders of these truths. They need to hear stories of life change. othing inspires faith like the testimony of someone who has e perienced the transforming power of esus.

Each story is unique, but the plotline is always about God’s grace in the lives of His people.

JOHN VAN PAY is the founding and lead pastor of Gateway Fellowship Church (AG), a multisite church with 10 locations in the San Antonio area. He also serves on the CMN Lead team.