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Guidelines for Ultreya Speakers
Ultreya! A cry of encouragement! We meet to encourage one
another; to inspire one another in our endeavor to bring the world around
us to Jesus Christ. You, as a speaker at an Ultreya, have an important
part in encouraging your brothers and sisters.
The Lay Witness Talk –about ten minutes long - is:
- 1. about Jesus Christ -- the talk should relate how you live with
Christ and how you are trying to bring others to know Him. The aim
of the witness talk is not to tell people what they should do, but rather
how you love Jesus and how in loving Him you try to bring all those He
loves closer to Him in the ordinary circumstances of your life;
- 2. about a recent living experience -- tell how, through prayer,
study and action, you are trying to bring others with you to Jesus in the
normal flow of your own life. Make just one or two points and
build your talk around them. The experience should have been within
the six weeks prior to the talk;
- 3. concrete and practical -- make your talk vivid by describing
who, how, where, why and when, as you tell of carrying out action, which
you planned, to bring one of your environments closer to Christ.
Tell what happened as a result, whether it seemed like a success or a failure.
Be concrete in your conclusions.
Do not feel that you are unworthy of giving a talk. All of us, in
striving to be Christians, have many failures in our own lives. But
we have some successes too. We all have had moments and experiences
in our lives that can be lifted out to share with our friends. This
is what your talk should be.
Next is what your talk should NOT be!
- sensational - a big, flashy production number
- a sermon or instructions in Christianity, or a Bible teaching
- too emotional - others? emotions will be affected by a simple, sincere
talk about Christian action. The focus is on Jesus Christ in your
life.
QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR TALK:
- Does this talk show that Christ is in my life?
- Will it show how much I want to follow Him?
- Does Jesus Himself hold the most important place in the talk?
- Will this experience I am sharing stimulate people to think of things they
might plan to do to transform their home, work, parish, recreation or other
environments for Christ?
HOW SHOULD THE WITNESS TALK BE GIVEN?
- 1. Do palanca. Pray all the way. Jesus reminds us, ?Without
me you can do nothing.?
- 2. In only ten minutes you can not say too much. It is better to
make only one point and make it well and to tell about one experience and
tell it clearly than to add more detail or examples. Don?t over-prepare
the simpler the better.
- 3. Speak clearly, slowly, but informally, as if talking with friends -
because you are!
- 4. Give the theme of your talk to the spiritual advisor to help in his
or her preparation. Try to do this a few days in advance of Ultreya,
together with any scriptural references you might plan to incorporate.
National Episcopal Cursillo
Ultreya p. 6-7
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