Testimony question

[UNFSigmaChi]

I've been asked by my church(baptist if that matters) to give my testimony in a couple weeks based on my greek life. Im pretty stoked cause not only do i get to tell people you can be strong in your beliefs in a fraternity, but finally a chance to give positive light on greek life. But this is where im stuck...basically after i was initiated back in the Fall '98 i was also involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and FCA. Well the person in charge of IV saw me wearing letters to to bible study one night and told me if i didn't drop the Fraternity then never to show up to bible study again. So i knew she wasn't right and i left. Well after that i was pretty pissed cause i'd never been kicked out of a church org before and i started being the party animal all the time. Your typical "frat guy" except i didn't sleep around. Just a bunch of drinking, partying etc. Well a year and a half later i grew out of that phase. Well my question is this...this is kinda big in my testimony i think but on the other hand i am afraid that me saying this people are gonna go.."well there ya go...Fraternities ruined his life blah blah blah." When in fact is quite the opposite...i just got a little crazy(ok i went wild =))But im not sure if that will kill all the good stuff im going to say that greek has done for me and my beliefs such as going to Fraternity bible study and greek christian conferences. So what do you guys think?

[carnation]

I'd tell it straight as long as the point is that you're not wild anymore but I swear if someone had said that to me about not wearing letters, I would've contacted her boss and that person's boss and so on and so on until it reached the top! So help me, I'm so sick of clueless people trying to trash the Greek system.

[USFSDTAlum]

why don't you say that it was your belief in God that saw you through your wild times and brought you back to Him, where if your belief wasn't strong and you were just a C&E christian you would have been that stereotypical "frat" boy.

As a Christian I've been witness to many testimonies and have been privileged to give a few myself. What's done is done in the past, and obviously something has led you to give up that kind of life. Pastors in my church often speak about the wrongs they have committed and how they were able to overcome those obstacles through the work of God.

The woman in charge of IVF, in my opinion, was wrong to make you choose. It's very sad to hear that this Christian wanted you get rid of an important part of your life. These days many, many individuals are quick to say that Greek Life is evil, but at the same time these are the same people that know nothing about us and choose not to know anything about us.

Be honest with your testimony. I've always felt honored to give one, and it's obvious that your church leaders feel that you could possibly make an impact on your church.

Good luck.

------------------
*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

[Allie_XO]

I would comment on the "judge not lest ye be judged" part of the Bible. Just say that you knew that that woman would not be a good influence and that she was not behaving as a true Christian would. I would talk about some of the partying you have done, but not just in the context of your fraternity, but also in the context of college.

Good luck and I'm sure everything will be wonderful!!

Allie

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by Allie_XO:
you knew that that woman would not be a good influence and that she was not behaving as a true Christian would.

I would definitely accentuate this to remind others to remember that ALL are welcome in church, Bible study, etc. -- regardless of how they dress, look, etc. I will never forget the day a pastor at our family church stood up in the pulpit, pointed to a gay man in the pews and said "Get out - the church doesn't welcome people like YOU" -- he sat right there while the majority of the congregation got up and came to sit with him. The church divided after that and the pastor got the BIG 'OL BOOT thank God -- can you believe that people actually think God doesn't want certain people to be a part of His fellowship? Stupid....but I digress...

Accentuate the positive -- how greek life has given you the opportunity to fellowship and share with your brothers and other greeks. Partying, being wild, etc. is a normal part of being at college -- I did the exact same thing you did by going out to parties and drinking -- not very Christianlike of course, BUT I did realize the partying didn't make me a better person and I came to my senses (dropping from a 3.8 to a 1.9 in one semester really gives you pause to do some soul searching). I don't think being in a sorority MADE me be wild. My point is that being greek opened up a lot of doors for me - once I found my path through the right door, I found that I can be both a good Christian and a good Greek. Good Luck!

[matthewg]

I think, a very good argument is that the first public wonder by Jesus was that he transformed water into wine at a wedding - I mean he can't be opposed to partying, can he ???
Good luck

[praisedancer]

I am sorry about the experience that you had with the person at your Bible Study. I am a Christian also and it is not fair to kick anyone out of a Bible Study. Being Greek is not a sin in itself--our personal lifestyle choices can become sinful if we make the wrong ones. I am pledging a sorority right now and I refuse to drink or sleep with anyone, and no one has any problems with that. I am a leader in my church youth group and am committing my life to ministry through the Arts. If anything, perhaps, I will be a good witness to my sisters. Many people, Greek or not, begin living a destructive lifestyle in college. It's definitely not just Greeks that party. I think that it's wonderful that you have changed your ways and are coming back to God. Just pray about your testimony and be honest in it. The best advice I can give you as a Christian is to line everything you do up with the Word of God. You can't go wrong, and He will be pleased with you. Sometimes in this life, we will be judged by others, even those who claim to be Christians. But we must remember that no one is perfect, including Christians, but we can only control our own behavior and attitudes. I hope that this will encourage you. If you would like, you can email me. God bless!!!!!!!

[alphachiohmy]

[i]i was also involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and FCA. Well the person in charge of IV saw me wearing letters to to bible study one night and told me if i didn't drop the Fraternity then never to show up to bible study again. [/B]

How terrible.

I have just started joining a group of iv greeks for a bible study on my campus, its intervarsity for greeks and has been a great experience

[mmcat]

To echo earlier posts, be yourself and make sure you share how your faith helped lead you back. good luck. i'm sorry that person was so rude.
mmcat

[James]

I'm kinda big into spin . . .

I would probably represent it like this:

After I turned to self destructive behavior when the church support group I belonged to cast me out because they dissaproved of my Greek membership. It was my brothers that lifted me up, saved me from myself, and made me see that I needed to come back to the Church despite the intolerance of some of its leaders . . . because the message of GOd is more important than the ego of people that seek to pervert it for their personal self-agrandizement . . .

Can I get an Amen?

[AOIIBrandi]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. I truely believe that the woman was wrong, and am sorry that she did that to you. I am a christian and a very big part of it to me is tolerance. It is not our place to sit in judgement of anyone.

As for the question you pose about including the period of "wildness". What is in the past is in the past. It is a part of what makes you who you are. I would probably not mention the "typical frat boy", but as others have mentioned use it in the context of what can happen when you go to college and are on your own for the first time. I would play up as much as possible how your brothers and others in the greek community helped you to find your way back.

We will be waiting to hear how everything went. I know you'll do great

[The1calledTKE]

Amen James

[shadokat]

Amen brothah James

[Optimist Prime]

preach on reverend.


But serioulsly, since it was way bac k in feb, i'm guessing its over. How did it turn out?