‘I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have done.’

                                                                                         Psalm 22:22

In the past, ‘Testimony Time’ in Kid’s Church went something like this…

‘I had a test and I got an A.’

‘I kicked 2 goals at footy and my team won.’

‘Yesterday it was my birthday.’

The focus was on the kid’s exploits not God’s.  Considering most of their experience at the front of a room had been ‘Show and Tell’, I realized it would be a good idea to teach kids how to give a testimony.

Why Should Kid’s Testify?

• Testifying trains kids to ask God for His help and to expect an answer.
• Testifying encourages other kids to do the same.
• Testifying teaches kids to remember to thank God and give Him glory.
• Testifying prepares them to share with friends outside of church.

Firstly, set some guidelines:

• Keep it simple

You don’t have to memorize your testimony but plan what you are going to say.

• Keep it true

Give everyone the facts.  There’s no need to make it more interesting by exaggerating.  Your testimony is your real life story of what happened to you.  So don’t make anything up.  Someone listening could be experiencing the same problem.

Secondly, follow these steps:

Step 1:  What’s the problem?

Explain your problem to your friends.  What did you need help with?  What were you worried about?

What could have happened if no one helped you?

Step 2:  What did you do about it?

Did you pray a quick prayer by yourself or did you ask Mum or Dad to pray for you?  Did you remember a Bible story about someone in a similar situation?  Or maybe a Memory Verse learned in Kid’s Church came to mind.

Step 3: What did God do?

What changed after you asked God for His help?  Did you have to do something?  What has happened since you prayed?

Step 4:  Thank God and give Him the glory!

What does God mean to you now?  Give God all the honour, so anyone with a problem knows they can ask God for help too.  That’s why giving a testimony is such a powerful thing to do!

Teaching your kids how to give a testimony will strengthen their relationship with God.  They’ll know He’s interested in them, that He hears them and He will help them.  God does not let anyone down.  Proverbs 30 verse 5 says, ‘God keeps every promise He makes.  He is like a shield for all who seek his protection’.  Now that’s something worth talking about!