When we train the Church Planters on module one, on Evangelism, we provide many tools to do evangelism. One of the effective tool we provide is 'Sharing their own testimony'. Each testimony is unique, personal and the Church planters can share it with authority, as this is their true story. People like to listen to life stories, as they can relate the stories to their own life. But most of the Christians share their testimony in a way that is not helping the non -Christians. The reason is the focus is on "themselves" and they talk about the negative past life more than the positive change have taken place in their life after accepting Christ. See the picture below;
Therefore, we show them a new way of sharing their testimony. Here the focus is on "Jesus", who He is? and what He can do?. Also the negative aspect of past life is shared less and what God is doing at present is given the focus. By this the Church planters are able to see the paradigm shift that is needed in their thinking.
In our Last training session, when I asked the Church planters to share their testimony, they were keep on sharing the way they used to share (wrong way) as this was their way of sharing. It came right from their head. It didn't make much impact.
Then I called few of them to come to the front and asked them questions then they began to share with feelings and emotions, as they travelled back to the day they experienced God. It came from their heart. As they began to open their heart, sharing how unhappy they were, sharing their miseries and how they cried out to Jesus, and how He helped them. It was a holy movement in the training, people praising God with tears, thanking Him for Who He is, and What He has done.
Then we asked the Church planters to sit with two by two to share the testimony with one another. When each of the Church planters started sharing their life, everyone of them were greatly encouraged and God's renewed their spirit.
Then again we called few of them to come to the front to share their testimony in the "right way". Everyone was awe of God and thanked him for the miracle in their lives. Everyone in the room cried and praised God for the way God touched them.
At the end they say with Peter and John, in Acts 4:20, We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.
It is indeed joy to see the transformation taking place in the lives of the Church planters.