We, as believers, have been left on this earth with the Commission to make disciples of all men. We have been left as witnesses to the salvation offered by Christ, heralds of God's grace, ambassadors of the Kingdom of Light in a land that knows nothing but darkness. We are storytellers telling two stories - ours and Christ's - hoping that their collective weight intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually will convince others of their worth and veracity.
But we live in a world that prefers 140 characters at a time as opposed to the great, lengthy novels of old. We live in a society that sacrifices the good taste of a home-made meal for the convenience and speed of a microwavable TV dinner. We live in a world so impatient that people (including myself) record TV shows so they can fast-forward through commercials, even though it's an additional monthly cost to do so.
How do we fulfill our Commission when our main method - storytelling - is in contradiction with the pace of our culture?
In our last letter, I wrote to you about a 3-minute testimony and how we were helping our students write them about their own journeys with Christ. The premise behind a 3-minute testimony is that it packages the Truth of the Gospel, starts and ends within a short amount of time, and it catches people's attention. It's that last part that makes this tool so effective. When people start asking questions wanting to know more, then you know you have their attention, and now you're no longer in sales pitch mode but rather honest conversation mode. In case you had any interest in this tool, I wanted to give you some steps for making one for yourself.
First off, here's an example by one of the students who came to the conference with us:
Simone Gundersen from CCCNEHQ on Vimeo.
Powerful, right? Well, here are some of the tips I've gathered on how to make one these - I challenge you to try! If you do, I'd love to read it! If you figure something out in writing it, let me know!
1. "How do I start?" Every good story has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End. Where were you and what was life like before you knew Christ? How did you encounter the Living God and come to believe His Word as Truth? what has God done in and through you since you trusted Him for your salvation and you began to walk in the Spirit?
1A. Now, more than likely, thinking about answering those questions gives you a whole list of stories, moments, and trains of thought that you need to sift through. If so, move on to tip #2. If you don't have good answers to these, most likely you grew up in the church and the traditional conversion story doesn't seem apparent in your life. However, there must be a moment where your walk with God started, right? There also must have been times where your life was difficult, right? Tell us that story and answer us this question instead: why did you stay with God all this time? why do you still trust Him? If you still feel lost, talk to a close friend who knows you well and can help you pick out the compelling parts of your story.
2. "How do I pick which stories to tell?" Filtering is definitely the difficult part of this process. Here's my best advice: pray about an image, or a metaphor - maybe even one from Scripture - that speaks to salvation and matters to you. For example, my story centers on the idea of the scales of good and bad, and how that distorted my view of God until I learned about Jesus and about faith and grace. Simone centers her story on the "need for a Savior". What image or metaphor can you center your testimony on? Once you pick one, then pick only a few stories that center on and illustrate this idea.
3. "How do I end it?" Your testimony needs to end by putting the ball in their court. At the end of her story, Simone challenges her audience to recognize their need for a Savior, no matter how "good" they think they are. Make a challenge or ask a question that pushes the audience to take the template of your story and try to apply it to their own lives. It's this twist that puts them in a place to consider where they are at in relation to Jesus, and where they want to be. If you put an image or metaphor into the story, look for a question connected to the image. For instance, Isaiah tells us that the redeemed are white as snow while Jesus calls the Pharisees whitewashed tombs. If either of these images works in your story, you could ask if your listener(s) is/are a white-washed tomb or white as snow. Make it simple, short, and clear. Leave no room for middle ground because in God's world there is no middle ground.
4. "How do I use it?" Practice it. Don't memorize it word for word, but become really familiar with it. If it doesn't fit, work on it until it feels comfortable. Then, start telling it. If you finish and people seem unaffected or disinterested, feel free to go no further. You've told them about sin and Jesus and redemption and sanctification and how it all worked for you. You can't make them accept it. Should they want more, however, then keep talking as the Spirit leads. You'll never know from the get-go who's ready to kneel at the cross of Christ and who isn't. Let God figure that part out.
As I said, if this is helpful or interesting to you, let me know! I've enjoyed using it and I hope you find it empowering.
God Bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment