Cardboard Testimonies

Written By:
Sam Hargreaves
Themes: testimony, praise
Bible Refs:

We first saw this idea used at Willow Creek - it may have originated before that - and the YFC team used it really effectively last week at New Wine.

It is a way of helping people share what God has done in their lives in a simple but powerful way.  People are asked to write on one side of the card a situation or state they were in before God intervened, and then on the other side where they are at now.  They should attempt to do this in as few words as possible - for example: broken/healed, lost/found, friendless/friend of God, wandering/purposeful etc.  Then people line up in front of the congregation and read out the first side, then turn it over and read the second.  We interspersed this with the singing of a worship song like 'How great is our God', 'How great thou art' or 'Awesome God', so that God gets all the glory for the transformations.

The team also developed the idea, by giving everyone a piece of paper and allowing them to write their own testimonies, or difficult situations they are in and then on the flipside the positive outcome they would like to see.  Obviously this needs to be handled sensitively as some people may have hard things going on which they feel are a long way from being resolved.

 

 

 

Sam co-leads engageworship.org with his wife Sara. He completed the LST degree in Theology, Music and Worship, and now teaches in the department two days per week. He also co-leads RESOUNDworship.org, the free worship song website, and has led musical and creative worship at events like Spring Harvest, New Wine North and the Baptist Assembly alternative stream. Their book 'How would Jesus lead worship' was published by BRF in 2009.

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Previous Comments:

Sharon Tedford
19 Jan 2012 14:38
Great idea! I used this on Tuesday and began by reading Psalm 28 as part of the introduction. The Psalm has a clear 'before and after' in it. Verses 1-5 "don't forget me God", verses 6-9 "God heard me and answers". Maybe that's how the Psalmist would have filled out his card?! Really encouraging to hear and read other people's experiences of God moving in their lives through this idea. Thanks
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