Download a Printable copy of this page for your family and church members as a guide to Publishing their Testimony.

Why publish your testimony?
Contacts made in our Soul Winning Booth at Fairs, Festivals, Flea Markets and Parades receive information with this Web Address (www.AndresUSA.com) and come here looking for help, encouragement, direction and much more.  Some come out of curiosity. Your Testimony and/or how God has used you since, would be vital to those newly saved or possibly on the edge.

Besides, wouldn't any of us, who truly know Jesus Christ and His life changing power, want to jump at an opportunity to tell just one person what happened to us?  This could be your chance to tell 100's, maybe 1000's or more.

Once your Testimony is put into a printable form, print it and put it in the hands of people you know, in the mail with your check for bills or anywhere you would put a tract.

The most powerful point for relating Testimonies is that even the hardest skeptic cannot argue against your experience. 
* They may argue Bible verse meanings.
* They may argue Theory.
* They may argue Doctrine.
But they cannot argue against what happened to you.

Illustration
Occasionally, at public events, someone will come by who believes that a person must be Baptized to be saved.
I seldom bring up the Bible, because they are usually laying in wait with a string of scripture verses, which will only cause a big argument.
This is what I say, "In January, 1976, I was saved.  God filled my life with Himself and the most wonderful peace and love imaginable.  I was a changed person.  And the change was not one that I made.  God changed me.  Made me a new person in Christ. Then in April I got Baptized."
Even the most ardent "Baptism for Salvation" apologist cannot answer that.  The best they can do is change the subject and that is when I excuse myself and suggest they try the carnival rides next.
Experience is a powerful thing.

Illustration
The Bible says a thing is not founded unless there are 2 or 3 witnesses.  A witness is one who has "seen or experienced" an event.  When a person is called to verify something as a witness, they are not expected to relate anything but what they have seen or experienced themselves.  This is taken as truth, because an experience is a powerful thing.
Incidentally, the label for a person's experience is "Testimony".
We need yours.

But my testimony is not exciting!
There was a deacon in the church I pastored for many years, who was saved at the age of 5.  I often used him as an example when people would quiz me about kids claiming to be saved in Children's Church.  They would ask, "Can these kids really be getting saved?  Do they know what they are doing?"  The Testimony was very short, but very powerful because the nay-sayers could not argue with the experience of a Christ loving man.

What are the Steps?
Write out your story as to how you were Saved or Restored or Surrendered to Christ or all the preceding.  Pastors frequently ask for Testimonies in church services.  I am asking Pastors to also give their Testimony, even Evangelists and Missionaries. Every saved person has a testimony.  Relate it to someone who is searching.

Guidelines
* Must be Emailed or sent on CD or Floppy
  (to negate the necessity of our re-typing).
* Less than 3000 words (way less would be better).
* Remember some of the readers will be recent or even
   prospective converts.
* We will edit for spelling, redundancy, grammar, etc., but will leave your God-given Testimony in tact.

Some Suggestions
These do not have to be followed precisely, but keep them in mind.

* Do not use a lot of Christian-type words: grace, redemption, repentance, Gospel, etc.; most people do not understand them, including some Christians.
* Give personal details as to your thinking, feeling, emotions, doubts, etc. For instance, do not say you had doubts, but mention what the doubts were, so others can identify with you. If you hated, tell us the extent and why and who. If you sorrowed, tell us how and why? If you were emotional. Do not say you were very emotional. Tell us that you cried all night, or tears flowed constantly. Give some description.
* Write something with which readers of all types can identify: open and frank details of the lows and eventual highs of salvation and surrender or restoration.
* The lost, backslidden and new converts do not know much about what “pleases God”, what a “Christian home” is. Tell about your home: if it was Christian, mention the things that made it so; if it was not Christian, mention the things that made it that way, too.
* If you loved or loathed reading the Bible, say why, be specific.
* If you enjoyed or despised Church, say why, be specific.
* How does being saved today help? Be specific in a manner which would be helpful.  Remember What, Where, Why, Who, When and How.
* Of course you may use scripture in the narrative, but do attempt to use verses which say what you intended to say in a plain and simple manner. Do the chosen scriptures prove your point, If so, how?
* Do not use “evangelistic exaggerations”. No one reads their Bible every day and praises the Lord continually. Be real, sound real.
* Do not be concerned about being lengthily with appeals to others to do the same. Just write what the Lord did for you. Be sure to give God credit.
* Remember, do not write to the Christians in your church, but to lost, backslidden and new converts who can identify with the true ups and downs of life.
* After someone reads your testimony, will they say, “I care”? Or will they brush it off with the thought that you do not seem real or relevant.
* If you like, give your Testimony a Title or assign some subtitles.  We will probably give it subtitles if you do not, so it can be given a Table of Contents.  Subtitles also afford a means to break up the text into readable "White Space" and keeps the narrative from looking lengthily.
* See other Testimonies to get ideas.
* Encourage your wife, husband, son, daughter, mother, father, etc. to do the same.

These are Stringent Rules, some may say
These are not rules at all, but suggestions. It is up to you to present YOUR testimony.

Use Your Own Testimony
Take the time to write something that will be, not only useful for this Web Site, but something of encouragement for your family, SS class, fellow members, or even a useful tool for your own Web Site.
Print up a few copies to keep handy to give to people you witness to and new converts.  Everyone loves to read about a person's personal experiences, Everyone!

Illustration
When we were first saved, there was a couple in the church who invited us over to their home every Sunday evening after church.  They told us over and over what had happened to them when they were saved and to others to whom they had witnessed.  These evenings were a college degree for us.  Incidentally, the husband was saved very dramatically at an older age, the wife was saved much younger, but both meant very much to us.

Want it back in Printable Form?
When you send your testimony, let us know if you would like for us to put it in "Tract" form, so it could be copied and distributed by you and your family.

If you do not want your name used, sign it with initials or a first name only or just "Grateful", etc.  But if you make up a signature line, attempt to find a word that truly describes YOU!

Get busy.  Write it down.  Go over it a few times.  eMail it to us.  We can comb out some of the tangles.

Send it
eMail your testimony to us so we can include it with the rest and encourage many, many people.

G. Steven Andres

Name Index
Alexandru, Grigorescu (Romania)
Andres, Pat
Andres, Steve
Asuncion, Edgar (Cambodia)
Asuncion, Grany Thea (Cambodia)
Byrd, Jessie
Crebo, Jason
Dorsey, Tommy
K, Jennie J.
Kari H.
Keith H.
Kohl, Art
Nichols, L
Nutter, Barbara
Sinde, Brian
Stamnitz, A W "Sam", Sr