Tim loves life, loves a good prank, is really good at all things computery and designs ace websites. He also likes to pretend he's welsh. Check out his story...
“So Tim, where have you been” asked Hannah, my first year flatmate on the second Sunday in Freshers. “Ummmm, nowhere” I replied, with a tone of voice that instantly said I was hiding something. Immediately, Hannah asked me whether I had stayed round a girl’s house. I had to answer honestly, imagine being known throughout uni as the guy who sleeps round. But my answer was something she wasn’t expecting; “I’ve been to church”. This was the moment I ‘came out’ as a Christian at uni.
I think everyone has a different way of sharing their faith at uni. Some find it easy, some don’t. Some do it straight away, some wait years. Over the course of the few weeks after that Sunday, I started having some great chats with my flatmates - none of whom had ever had any experience of church.
I went on to live with other people who weren’t in the church over the rest of my time at uni, but I asked my first year flatmates at the end of the year what they honestly thought about me being a Christian. The answers were genuinely positive - but the thing that stood out the most was my story - how and why I decided to follow God. They all said that it really made them think about their own lives.
This has stuck with me for the years since final year. The fact that my story - a story I thought was pretty dull in comparison to other Christians - had made an impact on other people.
It’s not just my story; you have a story and it’s totally unique to you. Stories have a lot of power - they can connect to people on a personal and emotional level. The Bible is full of stories - talk to anyone who has little church background, and they could probably tell you at least one story from The Bible.
So now you’re saying “I know I have a story - but how can I share that with my uni friends who might not even know I am a Christian”. Here are 5 top tips on how to share your story...
1) Change the question
“What is my story?” is a very open question and it can be hard to start. Try thinking of it as “Why am I Christian?” or “What do I actually believe?”.
2) Listen to others
Ask friends from church how they became a Christian, or why they love Jesus - and see how they answer.
Check out Two Minute Testimonies (www.twominutetestimonies.org) a website which contains loads of people’s stories about how there lives have been changed by following Jesus.
3) Drop the lingo
The chances are, your church friends told you a cool story but included lots of Christian-specific words. When talking to other people, some of whom might not have any church experience, Christian lingo can be confusing. We don’t want people to feel excluded because they don’t understand what we’re on about when sharing experiences. Just be real. Be yourself!
4) Vulnerability
A hard one for many of us (myself included!). Brene Brown says in her book The Power of Vulnerability “We too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.”
When people open up about personal experiences - stories get both exciting and real.
5) Be yourself
The most important thing when sharing your story is be real. Your story is exactly that. Yours. Say what you want to say, say it how you want to say it, and say with truth. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” - 1 Peter 3:15
This verse gives a clear commandment for us to be ready to share our story. Not to shove it down people’s throats - but to be ready to share it whenever the opportunity comes (and it will).
I honestly believe that if people started sharing their story about the transforming power of Jesus Christ, they will stop seeing Christians as “religious” but as people who have a genuine faith and purpose in how they live their lives.
You never know, you may get to play a big part in someone else's story!
