Everybody has a story to tell. If we have given our life to Christ, we’ve a story to tell. Every story will be different because we all are different. There is great value in sharing your story and encouraging your class/group members to share as well.
The first benefit that most folks think of is that when we share our story with a person that has not yet received Christ, there is a very good possibility that they will accept Christ as a result of 
connecting with our story.
When we share our faith story with the lost and/or unchurched it is the best tool for evangelism.
Another benefit from sharing our testimony is we gain common ground with other believers. One of the best things you can do to build unity and fellowship in your class is to get your members to begin to share their stories. Ask a different person to share their story each week. Don’t let them take over the class but limit their time to about five minutes. Ask them to write out their testimony and then read it to protect yourself and the class. You may want to have everyone write their story at the same time but later ask one person per week to share.
Give them some basic guidance on writing their story. Their testimony should be well thought-out and short. It needs to be clear and to the point. They should always be positive and never should they appear to be bragging about previous sinful lifestyle. The words that they use should be words that an unchurched person could understand. Their testimony should also be current in that they have something to say about what Jesus has done in their life recently.
There should be three parts to your spiritual testimony. The first is “MY LIFE BEFORE I BECAME A CHRISTIAN.” A short sketch of your life before you became a Christian. Include how you became aware of your need for Christ. Don’t use churchy words. Read Acts 26:4-5. The second is “HOW I 
BECAME A CHRISTIAN.” Include the gospel clearly and briefly. Read Acts 26:12-15. The third part is “HOW I’M CHANGED SINCE SALVATION.” How is your life different because you are a Christian? Provide a current example of how being a Christian has made a difference. Read Acts 26:19-20.
The personal testimony is like a baseball bat. The first part of the testimony is the knob, small but still very significant. The second part is the handle, larger than the knob but very few hits come from the handle. The third part is the barrel of the bat, the best place to hit a home run. All parts of the testimony are important but they must work together to get a hit.
Dr. Tim, Thanks for writing this article about giving your testimony. I have never written mine out and sometimes I think, “do I even have a testimony”? I was probably only about 7 years old when I remember being at a revival service at my church. I remember starting to cry and several girls and I went down to the front. I was later baptized. I guess over the years at youth retreats and camps, I rededicated my life and had lots of mountain top experiences. It sometimes makes me sad to think I have been a Christian most of my life and have not shared my testimony with anyone. I try to live my life as a testimony of my relationship with Jesus, but I pray that I can be bold and share with non-Christians. Thanks! Suzanne Booth