Are You Missing the Gold? Why Some Ministries Don’t Recognize Testimonies

Introduction

Sometimes the treasure is buried right under your feet.

You’re praying for growth, impact, and clarity.

Meanwhile, people are quietly being transformed in your gatherings, groups, and programs.

But no one’s writing it down. No one’s sharing it out loud. No one’s connecting the dots.

Why?

Because many ministries simply don’t recognize testimonies when they happen.

And when you don’t see the gold, you can’t steward it.

You can’t multiply it.

You can’t even celebrate it.

In this post, we’ll explore why ministries miss testimonies, what that blindness costs them, and how to start noticing the gold God is already pouring out.

Reason #1 – Testimonies Don’t Always Announce Themselves

Not every Jesus story comes wrapped in a bow.

Sometimes it sounds like:

• “I finally slept through the night.”

• “I stopped feeling like I needed to impress people.”

• “Something just clicked while we were praying.”

• “I actually opened my Bible on my own this week.”

To the untrained ear, that sounds like a life update.

To the Spirit-led leader, that’s the Kingdom breaking in.

Testimonies often arrive in whispers, not shouts.

And if your team isn’t tuned in to listen with discernment, you’ll walk right past them.

Reason #2 – Ministries Expect the Wrong Format

Some leaders expect testimonies to look like this:

“I was blind, but now I see. I was lost in addiction, but now I’m 5 years sober.”

That’s beautiful. But it’s not the only kind.

The everyday Jesus story might look like:

• A high schooler forgiving a parent

• A business leader trusting God with a risky decision

• A couple choosing faithfulness in the face of infertility

These don’t always resolve cleanly.

But they reveal the presence of God just as powerfully.

If you only validate dramatic turnarounds, you’ll miss 90% of the fruit in your community.

Reason #3 – We Don’t Ask the Right Questions

Ministries that wait passively for testimonies tend to get very few.

But those who ask wisely—get gold.

Here are better prompts than “Does anyone have a testimony?”

• “What’s something Jesus is showing you lately?”

• “Where did you notice God’s peace this week?”

• “What lie did you stop believing because of Him?”

• “When was the last time you felt God’s love personally?”

Questions like these open the vault.

And you’ll start hearing stories you never imagined were sitting in the room.

Reason #4 – Testimony Collection Isn’t Systematized

A moment of transformation without follow-up is like harvesting a field and leaving the grain on the ground.

If you don’t build systems to capture stories, they will drift into memory and fade.

You need:

• Quick forms after events

• Staff prompts during meetings

• One-minute “what did God do today?” roundtables

• A culture of celebration where stories are honored, not just tolerated

Remember: stories untold don’t multiply.

But stories shared build faith, spread the mission, and leave a trail of glory behind your work.

What It’s Costing You Not to Notice

When ministries fail to recognize testimonies, they:

• Miss what God is doing

• Lose opportunities for evangelism

• Struggle to measure impact

• Discourage the person who received the breakthrough

• Create a culture of silence instead of awe

In other words: you could be in the middle of a miracle and not know it.

And that’s not just sad—it’s avoidable.

How to Start Noticing the Gold

Here’s how to cultivate eyes to see what God is doing in your people:

1. Train your team to listen for transformation, not just sound bites

Someone saying, “I feel lighter” might be reporting a deliverance they don’t yet have language for.

2. Start small and consistent

Make space for one Jesus story every meeting. Let it snowball.

3. Create a central story-capture process

Video, text, notes—whatever works. Just start.

4. Celebrate the “little” wins

Someone choosing to trust instead of fear? That’s revival. Honor it.

5. Reflect regularly

Review the last 90 days. Where has God moved? What are the themes?

Soon, you’ll start hearing gold where you used to hear gravel.

Final Word: The Kingdom Is Speaking—Are You Listening?

You don’t need to beg God to move.

He’s already moving.

But if you don’t notice the stories, you’ll live like He’s silent.

Start listening differently.

Start asking better questions.

Start honoring the ordinary breakthroughs.

Because the more you notice the gold, the more your people will mine it.

And the more you celebrate it, the more it will multiply.

Call to Action:

Need help spotting, capturing, and sharing the Jesus stories that are already happening in your ministry? Dancing King Marketing builds custom systems to help you surface the gold and share it with clarity and power. Let’s help your people speak what God has done—start today.