Baptism Testimony Tips
Before jumping into testimony writing, it is important to reflect on your reason for taking the steps to get baptized. Baptism symbolizes going from death–being dunked in water–to life in Christ–emerging from the water. It is something you only do once, because it comes after salvation, and you’re only saved once.
Now, take a minute to look back on your life. If you have not been baptized by immersion as a believer, then baptism is the next step for you. This may mean that you have never been baptized at all, or that you were baptized as an infant or a child before you understood and believed the gospel.
If you look back on your life and you have been baptized by immersion since confessing faith in Jesus and committing to follow him, you do not need to be rebaptized. Once you’ve placed your faith in Jesus as Savior and been baptized, that’s all you need to do. You’re reconciled to Christ through his death and resurrection and you have confessed it publicly through baptism. If you would like to chat with someone about this, please email Sydney Pennington so she can connect you with a pastor.
How to Write Your Testimony
The word “testimony” can be familiar in church circles. At the same time, it can be a word that’s easy to misunderstand. Here’s how to think about your testimony: everyone is a part of the enormous story that God is writing, and your testimony is your small contribution to that grand story. We’re not expected to explain everything that God has done, is doing, or will one day do. We’re simply given an opportunity to retell what we have seen and experienced from God. Your testimony is not a fancy theological lesson but rather the story of God rescuing you from your rebellious lifestyle. When preparing to share your testimony with others, we encourage you to think of it in three stages:
- Life Before Christ
- God’s Intervention
- New Life
It may be helpful to see each of these stages as following the storyline of all great stories: before, but then, after. The first stage is your opportunity to show others your life before God. What was the great need in your life? What were your failings or struggles? The key phrase to remember is step two, but then...
- I was hopeless, but then...
- I didn’t care who I hurt or which bridges I burned, but then...
- I was strung out on drugs, heading for the grave, but then...
The but then stage focuses on the ways Jesus met your needs and revealed himself to you. This phrase and the story that immediately follows will grip your audience.
Finally, talk about what life is like now that you are following Jesus. Don’t feel pressure to act like everything is perfect, because we all know it isn’t. Instead, talk about ways you see God still leading you, desires he has changed, and any evidence of your new life you have seen.
Testimony Guidelines
Below is a general guideline based on the information above. This will help you prepare your testimony.
Before Christ (Acts 26:4–11)
When writing about this stage of your life, consider the following questions:
- What was your life like before Jesus?
- How did you view God?
- How were you rebelling against God?
Remember: Even if we don’t think our testimony is “dramatic,” all of us can say, “I was once _____________.” Were you...
- sexually immoral?
- ashamed of yourself?
- constantly scared or lonely?
- a criminal?
- a liar, backstabber, or betrayer?
The goal here isn’t to divulge every detail of your sinful past. But at the same time, don’t hesitate to be real. The point is to celebrate how God rescued you from the person you used to be. There may be people listening to your testimony who wonder if God can save them, too. You want to show them he can.
But then... (Acts 26:12–20)
Share the specific ways God intervened in your life.
- Was there a particular person who consistently shared the gospel with you?
- Was there a particular Bible verse that God showed you?
- What did God use to draw you to Jesus?
- What showed you your need for a Savior?
This is a crucial part of the “sermon” your baptism preaches. You have just finished describing your sinful way of living, and now you get to show how God saved you! In the previous section, you said, “I was deserving of judgment.” Here, you are saying, “this is how God saved me!”
New Life (Acts 26:21-23)
At the end of your testimony, focus on the difference Jesus has made in your life. Do you find yourself thinking, acting, or feeling in new ways? How has your relationship with Jesus affected other key relationships in your life (marriage, children, family, coworkers, friends)? Don’t feel pressure to act like you have everything together. Being open about struggles you are still facing can be a great encouragement to others. As you confess the trials you are facing, be sure to also acknowledge how your relationship with Jesus affects your struggles. End your testimony with a declaration that you have been given eternal life through faith in Jesus.
Testimony Review
- Is your testimony 1/3 page (12pt, single spaced) and/or less than 300 words?
- Is your story primarily about your salvation story or some other story?
- Is the hero of your story Jesus and his death, burial, and resurrection?
- Would someone hearing your testimony be able to understand the gospel?
Submitting Your Testimony
We have made this easy and straightforward for you! After you apply for baptism here, we'll send you a link to submit your testimony online. It will automatically cut you off at 300 words to help you stay in the word limit. If you prefer, you can type your testimony in a separate document and then paste it into the submission box.
Sydney Pennington will get your testimony, review it, and then have an elder reach out to you to set up a meeting and go over it with you.
Apply for Baptism
Example Testimonies
Testimony #1
I was raised in a church with a strong focus on keeping the levitical laws and end-time prophecy. Keeping these laws ensured our salvation. Growing up with the mindset of earning God's love I felt like I could never do enough, and felt that God was always angry with me.
This led to me spending much of my life in anxiety, fear, guilt, and shame. I believed Satan's lies about my worth. Coupled with issues at home and abuse, I struggled to imagine a world in which my heavenly father loved me when my earthly father did not.
This led me to a crisis of faith that ultimately led to suicidal ideation in college. I could not understand the balance between this loving Jesus I'd heard of, and the punishment for sin. I got plugged into a church, and there began to slowly understand the gospel. Still I struggled a lot feeling like Jesus's sacrifice covered my sin. This, coupled with a strong authority structure and spiritual abuses conflicted with what I was reading in the Bible.
While difficult, the Holy Spirit was keeping me, and encouraged me to run to the Lord and those I trusted with difficult questions. Over the past several months, the Lord has been clarifying his character, and helping me understand much I truly need him, and the full extent of Jesus's sacrifice. Understanding the depth of God's love will be a lifelong journey.
I’m grateful to now understand the full gospel, that Jesus completed the work on the cross and his grace is sufficient for me. I’m excited and grateful to live in the Lord not from a focus centered on my works and sin, but on the glory of God. Amen!
Testimony #2
I was raised in the Catholic Church. I attended every Sunday, sitting in the pew with my mom and siblings. I listened to the priest talk about Jesus and listened to the sermons.
When I reached adolescence, and I started to question the church, the priest, and Jesus. I pushed Jesus and the church away. For a long time I was lost, lonely, anxious, and ashamed. I was sexually immoral and I thought there was no way God would accept me back after all the sins I committed. So I continued to lead a sinful life.
Then, my friend Alex met me for lunch. While at lunch, we talked about the low point I was feeling at the time. She looked at me and told me that God loves me, and that even at that point in my life, God was with me.
A few weeks after lunch I asked Alex where she attended church. We texted and I was hesitant, but I wanted to go to church. I just felt like I wasn’t sure where to begin. Alex invited me to church. She said I could come anytime and there was no pressure, but the invitation was always open. I decided to attend to see why I was being led back to church and back to God.
The first week my anxiety was almost overwhelming; I couldn’t sit still. Everyone was so welcoming though. The second service was more calming. Then pastor Jamaal got up to preach, and he spoke about how God loves you even when you’ve done wrong. He spoke about God knowing your sins and your anxiety. I started to cry because I felt like God put me there, in that church for that service, to let me know that even though I left the church and pulled away from God he still loved me.
Alex prayed with me that day and has prayed with me a lot since then. She has helped guide me and helped me understand my relationship with Christ. She has helped me with the Bible verses when I needed and prayed with me whenever I needed it. She has comforted me as I sit in church and listen to the service, when the words touch my heart. I now know, understand, and believe in Jesus.