As we all know, APU highly encourages students to seek Christian community and has made it one of the university’s four cornerstones, creating several opportunities on campus for students to live intentionally with one another.

Programs such as Alpha allow students to meet on a regular basis and connect about what is going on in each of their lives. These groups are especially popular among freshman and transfer students, seeing as they are new to the university and want to find their place on campus.

A common belief among those in this particular program is the belief that sharing our testimonies will help us get to know each other better on both spiritual and personal levels.

Senior business finance major Mike Lawson is a strong advocate for sharing testimonies. As a former Alpha leader and coordinator, he finds it to be a great tool to connect and build relationships with other students. Lawson addressed how it can be a challenge to share your story with people you are not familiar with, but he said it is still rewarding.

“I look at telling testimonies as a two-way street,” Lawson said. “Not only does the person talking about their life need to have the vulnerability and openness to be uncomfortable, but the person listening needs to be a good steward to the person’s story as well.”

He explained how, in his experience, he noticed how people were afraid to tell their testimony in an Alpha-like setting because they were not sure whether those listening would guard their stories or instead go out and tell their friends and use their testimonies against them one day.

He continued: “Someone talking about what God has done in their lives, that should be held to a higher standard because its a privilege to hear someone’s story. It’s a privilege to know and learn more about someone.”

While understanding and agreeing with the power of testimony, some feel as if it should be conducted in a different setting, one where a strong relationship can be built and the telling of life stories can be natural.

“I think that sharing your testimony has a lot of benefits and it’s valuable for people, but personally, I think there are other ways to get to know a person,” said junior liberal studies major Kelsie Spoelstra. “A majority of my close friends know my testimony and know my life story [and] not because we all sat down one night and ate ice cream and decided to share our testimonies.”

Spoelstra was not forced to tell her story in Alpha, but was highly encouraged and nearly required to share with her AC group.

“Just by building relationships with people and being vulnerable, you find out their stories and I think that’s more of an efficient way to do things,” Spoelstra said, who feels uncomfortable when having to sit down in a group and needing to immediately share her testimony.

Testimonies are thought to promote fellowship, which is why freshmen are almost forced to share their stories in their Alpha groups at the beginning of their time here at APU. In my own experience, my Alpha leader took a poll by raise of hands to see if we wanted to share.

Imagine the awkwardness I felt when everyone raised their hands in agreement to share, except me. I did not want to feel like the odd one out or take away this opportunity from the rest of my group, so at the last second, I decided to agree to tell my story.

However, I felt like I was put on the spot and was uncomfortable sharing my testimony with these people whom I had met just weeks ago for the first time.

My Alpha group was not close and as a result, after it was over, there were no lasting friendships that were established. We would simply wave hello in passing and that was it, which is still true today. I enjoy hearing about the intimate lives of others, but I learn so much more from those who want and feel comfortable sharing their journey with me.

Now that I think about it, not only do I feel that didn’t make us any closer as a group, but honestly, I would rather have not shared.

If people want to talk, it should come willingly from the heart. This is when you get the best outcome, because people choose for themselves whether or not to be vulnerable, then allow others the opportunity to learn about their love for God.