5 Ways to Encourage Everyday Testimonies in Your Ministry

Introduction

If you’ve been in ministry long enough, you’ve heard a few jaw-dropping testimonies. The big ones. The lightning bolts. The jail-cell-to-Jesus stories. They’re powerful—and rightly celebrated.

But the real muscle of ministry is built in what happens between the thunderclaps.

Because while we love the stories of “I was blind, but now I see,” most people are still learning to squint. They’re still bumping into furniture in a dim room, wondering if God is really with them in the ordinary, the incomplete, the not-yet.

That’s why your ministry doesn’t just need testimonies.

It needs everyday Jesus stories.

Not just from the stage. From the floor. From the group chat. From the hallway conversation where someone says, “Hey, can I tell you what happened last night?”

These stories are your evidence that Jesus is not just real—but present. Not just mighty—but moving.

Here are five practical, pastoral, and deeply strategic ways to invite more of those everyday stories into your ministry—and to help your people recognize that their experience of God matters.

1. Ask Better Questions

“Does anyone have a testimony?” is a classic altar call question.

But it often shuts people down before they even start.

Why? Because it implies their story has to be finished, dramatic, and stage-ready. And most people are living in-process.

Instead, try asking:

Where did you notice Jesus this week?

What’s something that surprised you during this retreat?

When did you feel seen by God recently?

What did God whisper to you during worship today?

What moment made you cry and you’re not even sure why?

These questions don’t require a polished speech. They invite honesty. They welcome small beginnings. And they teach people to frame their lives through the lens of presence—not performance.

2. Create a Culture of Noticing

Your people will only share stories if they start noticing them. And noticing is a skill—a spiritual discipline, really.

We live in a world that scrolls fast and forgets faster. But testimony requires attention. And it grows where a culture of reflection is nurtured.

Ways to build that culture:

Begin meetings or services with “Where did you notice God today?”

Send weekly texts or emails prompting people to share a God moment

Share your own small stories—not just from the mountaintop, but from the grocery line, the walk with your kid, the quiet moment during prayer

The more your people see that you notice God in everyday life, the more they’ll start to look for Him, too.

3. Make It Easy and Safe to Share

Even the best theology won’t matter if your people don’t know how to share—or feel awkward doing it.

Here’s how to make it easy:

Create a submission form with 2–3 simple prompts

Use a tool like VideoPeel for quick video submissions

Allow anonymous or internal-only story sharing

Normalize short, written stories—not everyone’s ready for video

Make it clear: “We’ll never share this without your permission.”

People share more when they feel safe.

And once they know their story matters, they start offering more than you asked for.

4. Highlight Everyday Wins Publicly

What you celebrate, you cultivate.

If the only stories you ever spotlight are the big and dramatic ones, you may unintentionally communicate that everyday transformation isn’t worth mentioning.

Highlight small breakthroughs like:

Ashley said she heard God for the first time in months.

Jared said he forgave his dad after 12 years.

Denise said she no longer feels invisible.

Those aren’t filler. They’re sacred.

They reflect the quiet, faithful work of the Spirit. And when you honor them publicly, your people start believing their experiences matter, too.

5. Disciple People Through the Telling

Sometimes people need help seeing their story.

Other times, they need help interpreting it.

Use these prompts:

What did that moment show you about who God is?

What changed for you afterward?

What would you want someone else to know because of what you experienced?

When someone learns to testify, they’re not just reporting.

They’re declaring.

They’re participating in Revelation 12:11:

“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony…”

They are inviting heaven to touch earth again through their honesty and joy.

Final Word: The Story Is the Seed

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about the Word landing on different types of soil.

Jesus stories—when told honestly and stewarded wisely—prepare the soil. They make room in the heart. They point to the Sower still walking the fields.

Ask for stories.

Model them.

Protect them.

Celebrate them.

Disciple people through them.

And trust that Jesus, who began the work, will finish it—with more stories still to come.

Call to Action:

Ready to make testimony part of your ministry rhythm? Let’s build your story system together. Schedule a consultation with Dancing King Marketing and start gathering stories people will thank Jesus for.