Questions to focus on: Angie’s Story - Testimony Tutorial

These questions can be used at different levels. You can take 30 seconds to think about one or two. You can discuss them in a team or group of like-minded Christians. Or they can be used in a college class, including assignments and research projects, and answered in writing at any depth. They may be freely reproduced for this purpose. Please email us additional questions that could be added to this page.
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  1. How many written testimonies, in your experience, use the style of Angie's first version, even when attempting to communicate with non-Christians?
  2. Find some published testimonies, and analyze them for use of Christian jargon and concepts.
  3. At the end of her first testimony, do you have a sense of knowing anything real about Angie?
  4. Is there anything in her first testimony that non-Christians can identify with?
  5. What techniques has Angie used in her second version to make the story memorable?
  6. What 'Christian' words has she used in her testimony? What other Christian concepts has she explained in neutral everyday language?
  7. Does real quoted dialogue enhance her story? Why?
  8. Compare the use of a 'first person' testimony, and the 'feature article' approach. Can you suggest situtions where one might work better than the other?
  9. Does a feature article by a third person give a story more credibility?
  10. Which type of articles do people usually turn to first, in any newspaper or magazine? Why?
  11. Why are Christians tempted to exaggerate their testimonies, or give the impression that their lives are now wonderful and problem-free? What is the role of honesty in a testimony? What honors God the most?
  12. Make a brief survey of some church websites. How many include testimonies of members, or even short bios of a few church members or leaders?
  13. How many times is Paul's testimony recorded in the New Testament? How did he adjust its content according to the listeners?
  14. "You can't argue with a testimony." Discuss.
See also the questions on the Testimony Guideline page.