Engage Your Community.
Your church’s hidden power
ou know the power of a good story. A story heard in childhood can stay with you for a lifetime. The stories we share in community shape us into the people we are—and the people we hope to become.
A testimony is a good story that is also a God story. It is telling, whether in a worship setting or casual conversation, where we see God’s presence and activity in our lives.
The problem is: many people are not sure how to talk about God in today’s world. When we asked why, this is what we heard.
“I haven’t had a lot of practice.”
“I wouldn't want to offend people.”
“I let the pastor do the talking.”
“I just try to show my faith by my actions.”
The Bible says even Moses at first felt uncomfortable talking about God.
At Perkins School of Theology, we wanted to help people overcome these obstacles. Because testimony builds community. Stories told inside the church spill out into wider circles—the cities, towns, and neighborhoods where we live. When we “speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20), we become more connected to people. And we help people connect more with God and with our congregation.
We started Testimony HQ as a hub or “headquarters” to help people learn how to tell their God stories—in a way that is warm and inviting. A way that is consistent with their community’s culture. A way that brings together speaking and listening, words and actions. Here are some resources that can help you.
We have helped many congregations. We’d love for your church to be next.
How we can help you
e are looking for churches that are ready to make testimony a focus of their ministry, in the church as well as the wider community, for one year. Your church can be any size, any denomination or no denomination, and any context. Over the course of twelve months, you will work with us and other churches in a learning cohort. And your congregation will become more ready to weave testimony into many settings, from Sunday worship to casual everyday conversations in the community.
Here are three goals:
(1) Learn how testimony can transform your ministry, as you utilize the Testimony HQ curriculum and training videos.
(2) Benefit from our team of mentors, whose experience and guidance will help your church grow in the practice of testimony.
(3) Connect with other churches to share ideas, enjoy fellowship, pray, and practice together.
There is a one-time fee to help cover our costs, but it is modest and adjustable. Please contact us to learn more about Testimony HQ and what we can do for you.
The Power of Testimony in Worship
by Priscilla Pope-Levison
At work, I am more than just a nurse. I am the hands and feet of God. … I am trying to be family to them. Faith is giving me strength to do that.
The congregational response to this young woman’s testimony, spoken during an online worship service in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, was overwhelming. The people I talked with spoke of being in tears because of her resilient, courageous faith, which she brought to her work in a tactical COVID-19 unit at Dallas’s Parkland Hospital.