Sharing your story is powerful! One of the benefits of sharing your story in a gathering is that you are equipped to share it in your own life with friends and those you meet.

Here are three simple tips for sharing effectively:

  1. Focus on the personal narrative of your story. Most of the power of your story is usually in your lived experience. While the how, why, when etc may be helpful, spend most of your time on the narrative of your story, rather than devotional reflection.
  2. Share at least one scripture (more only if essential). It could be the scripture that brought change to your story, or a scripture that helped make sense of your story.
  3. Stick to time! The longer you speak, the less effective your story will likely be!
    1. Good or God: Normally less than 1 minute.
    2. 60-sec Testimony: Less than a minute is a good challenge! See video below.
    3. Testimony: Normally, 3-5 minutes allows some "before Jesus", "meeting Jesus" and "after Jesus" narrative.
    4. Story as a Sermon: When your story is the main part of the message, aim for less than 8 minutes. The preacher/host will usually introduce you and the passage and hand it over to you. Once you're done sharing, the preacher/host will close in prayer.
  4. Ensure you're encouraging others. Even if your story contains grief and suffering, aim to encourage others in their season.

If you're keen to learn how short and sweet your story can be, watch this 4-minute video to inspire you: