The Power of Testimony

Hello fellow blog readers! My name is Kayla Paul. I'm a senior Chapel Team member at Ontario Christian. Today, we will embark on a journey that extends through a few memories of mine--specifically from the Calvin College Worship Symposium. Please feel free to sit back and relax with a steaming cup of coffee in hand as I tell you my story. 

I went to Symposium with something laying very heavy on my heart. I went wanting to learn how to reach my fellow students. There seems to be a great divide between the people on the stage and the audience. When the Chapel team speaks on stage, there seems to be no ‘conversation’ with the audience; it’s almost as if the students in the audience view the kids on stage as being “holier-than-thou.” This proves just how disconnected the Chapel leaders are from the crowd. We wish to be examples in worship, but even more so servants of Christ. In no way are we trying to be presented as righteous. 

With this problem in mind and laying heavy on my heart, I went to the Symposium. The first session that I attended was about 5 ways to plan church services and chapels better and more efficiently. As I walked into the room where it was held, the savory scent of coffee filled my lungs. Not being too shy, I plopped my things down on a chair at a table in the middle of the room and introduced myself to the young man seated next to me. His name was Jake and he told me that he was from Alabama. As we sat there chatting, a group of college age students came to our table and asked us if they could sit next to us. After further introductions had been made, I discovered that they were from Canada, of all places!

As the session began, we sang a traditional African spiritual called “Uyai Mose,” which I was quite familiar with. Immediately, I felt at home seated next to newly acquired friends, singing a familiar hymn. During this session, I learned invaluable lessons. Centered around 5 key ideas of how to plan events in a church service, this session dove deep into how to better make use of prayer, choosing worship songs, transitioning from parts of worship, storytelling and testimonies, and, lastly, effective planning.

A scene from the Symposium session mentioned here.
(image courtesy of www.calvin.edu/worship)

These 5 key concepts were fascinating and invaluable. However, I think that the most rewarding and encouraging idea was the one about storytelling and testimonies. I suddenly realized what the school Chapels were missing; student testimonies. The students we are speaking to need help in being reminded that the people on the stage are no better than they, themselves, are. The sins of those who are on stage are equally as shameful and disgusting to God as the sins of the people in the audience. There must be some form of vulnerability in our school Chapels. Paul Ryan, the man who facilitated the discussions during the session, also spoke about vulnerability and being unmitigatedly honest and transparent while speaking to the congregation. This truth particularly touched my heart because I have struggled with the realization that we are all sinners in the hands of a holy and just God. I have been prone to viewing others’ sins as ‘worse’ than mine and some of my sins as ‘worse’ than others’ certain sins.

A scene from worship service at the 2015 Calvin
Symposium on Worship.  (image courtesy of
www.calvin.edu/worship)

Thus, I attended the Worship Symposium with a heavy and disappointed heart, but returned with a heart full of restoration and a mind filled with ideas. 

When I walked into my home for the first time in 3 days, I was so excited to tell my parents all that I had learned. I thank God that I went to the Symposium because I would never have learned what was missing from our Chapels if I had not gone.  

All in all, I was greatly impressed with the Symposium at Calvin College. I was happy that I went, as it answered a major question that was laying heavy on my heart.