Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone.
-Dr. Jennifer Aaker, (Behavioural Scienti
A guide: creating and sharing testimony videos
What you'll find on this page:
A powerful tool for evangelism
As was evident throughout Jesus' ministry, storytelling is a beautiful and captivating way to share the gospel. That same effective method for evangelism can be used today through the sharing of testimony videos.
A recent survey found the average TikTok user spends 58 minutes a day consuming video content. This shows us people are already engaged with hearing stories and experiences online. So, why not seize the opportunity to reach people with beautiful, personal stories with the goal of spreading the gospel?
3 tips for filming testimony videos
1. Know your audience and communicate accordingly
- Be mindful, non-Christians may not know the full context of words like “saviour” or “redemption”. Be sure to give context where needed.
- Be aware, people may not consider the Bible with the same authority if referencing or quoting scriptures.
- Avoid Christian jargon. Instead, use words or phrases you would say if you were talking to your neighbour who’s never been to church.
Instead of using... | Replace it with... |
| non-Christians | people who don’t know Jesus |
| saved | God rescued me from my old life |
| born again | |
| gave my life | |
| salvation | being reunited with God |
| our relationship with God being restored | |
| grace | God’s goodness to us, even when we don’t deserve it |
| sin | offense that separates us from God |
| holy | dedicated to God |
| saviour | Jesus who died for me so I am not separated from God |
| sanctification | the process of becoming more like Jesus |
| the gospel | the story of who Jesus is and why He came |
| repentance | turning away from the bad and turning towards God |
| give your life | making a choice to follow Jesus and His teachings in the Bible |
| give your heart | |
| fellowship | being around other Christians |
2. Don't be afraid of emotion
- Testimonies can be emotional to share but also to hear, especially when people are vulnerable and sharing serious hardships they may have faced in their lives. This is a powerful way to connect with viewers.
- A good setup, quality lighting, and quality sound can captivate your audience by adding emotional and visual interest to the video. Here’s a training resource on how to create a good setup:
3. Make it relatable
Help the person who is giving their testimony feel comfortable by interviewing them conversationally.
- First, do some prep work. Ask them to write down their testimony or send it to you as a voice note a couple of days before shooting the video. This helps you form interview questions and direct the conversation. It also helps the person giving their testimony time to think about their story and get thoughts in order.
- Avoid having them write and memorise a script (unless they’re professionals). This makes the testimony video more authentic.
- Conduct the interview from the side of the camera so the interviewee is looking at another you rather than the camera. If you want to capture direct eye-contact to the camera (which can create an increased sense of intimacy between the viewer and person speaking) you can use something called an EyeDirect. It’s pricey, but can be worth the cost if budget allows. It is also possible to rent this device from specialist broadcast suppliers.
- Break the ice! Start by asking simple questions like “What did you have for breakfast?”. Get them used to talking and speaking clearly. Then, slowly guide the conversation into their testimony.