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1. Joan share with us your conversion to Christ.I grew up with a Christian mother, but not in a Christian home. She took us to church every sunday and tried to live out her walk as best she could being married to an alcoholic. At an early age I accepted Jesus into my heart, but did not understand much of what that meant. As I became older the Lord began to reveal more of Himself to me and at the age of seventeen, I committed my whole life to Christ, this time fully understanding. 2. Do you feel that you have a Call to Ministry?As a teenager, I always felt that God had chosen me to do something "special" for Him, but I did not know what it was. It was only when I met my soon to be husband that I began to see what calling God had placed on my life. My husband is an evangelist and my calling came the second I said "I do." This calling is to work alongside him as he takes the gospel all around the world. Anything I can do to help aid that process is a calling. 3. What is your view and practice of Spiritual Disciplines?Prayer is the key to living a successful Christian life. A daily quiet time is essential to one's growth. I feel that most Christians, like myself, know this, but for whatever reason find it difficult to maintain a quality prayer life. I am not talking about a prayer life, but a quality prayer life. Bible Study should run parallel to prayer. It is in studying the word that we find out everything we need to know about Christ and how He wants us to live. Worship is another area of a Christian's life that is most important. Worship can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but I am speaking of worship as an act of total submission and admonition of Christ that can be manifested in many different ways. The act of fasting is a discipline many Christians do not practice today. I believe that there is a definite time and place for fasting in a ChristianS life. Some examples: When seeking an answer from God, when fasting for someone's salvation, when fasting for your children, etc. Prayer, bible study, worship, and fasting are only a few of the many ways we, as Christians, continue to grow in Christ. 4. Has your Family Relationships been a Priority in your Christian life?Family relationships are a number one priority of mine. My husband and son are my primary responsibilities at this point in time. I strongly believe that as a wife, I am to be all that I can be for my husband and to walk beside him as he fulfills his calling from God. I feel as strongly about the responsibility as a mother in nurturing and helping my son develop and apply his spiritual gifts to the best of his ability. Family and family relationships are my main priority and should be for every believer. In order to have a good relationship with Christ, we have to be able to be in tune with man, and of all men one's family would be the most important. 5. What is your Philosophy of Living the Christian Life?Be all we can be to the best of our ability as we listen and yield to the voice of Christ on a daily basis. We should live out our Christian lifestyle so that everyone that our life touches would gain something of Christ from that part of our life that has intersected theirs. Be All things to all people. By applying this to our life, we can literally touch the world (poor, wealthy, young, old, foreign, etc.) as we let each person see that we have a common denominator with them, Jesus Christ. 6. What is your Assessment of your Spiritual Gifts?My spiritual gifts are mercy, hospitality, and evangelism. My gift in evangelism has definitely been expanded over the years. The Lord is allowing me to develop this gift every day in some way. The gift of evangelism is expanded in me used as I learn different techniques to share my faith in and out of the United States. Evangelism is the telling of the good news and I have had the opportunity to 'tell' in over 20 countries of the world. Hospitality is a gift that the Lord has blessed many women with. My gift has been used over and over again and has stretched me in a wonderful way. The gift of hospitality is not only used in one's own home, it can be used anywhere you go where one may have the capability to make others feel comfortable and at ease. The gift of mercy is one in which I am still trying to fully understand. God has given me mercy to empathize with others and relate to many of the people I come in contact with that the world would not give merit to or think was a success by worldly terms. 7. How have you Used your Giftedness in Ministry?Mercy, hospitality, and evangelism play a major role in my ministry. God has said we are blessed to be a blessing and in using my spiritual gifts is a way in which one is blessing others by what God has given to them. The body of Christ does not work in unison unless we each allow our spiritual gifts to be used under Christ in the way in which He leads. 8. What is the Most Inspiring Thing in your Christian Life?Besides salvation, the most inspiring things God has done for me would be: 1) God has allowed me to go on countless mission projects and has touched my life on each one of them. He has inspired me through the nationals we have met in these countries and the situations in which some of them live. 2) He healed me when I had a mass on my ovaries and was in great pain. God gave me a scripture in my devotion the morning I was to go in to see the doctor. During the examination, the doctor could not find the mass at all. 9. Have you had any mentors?Linda Tant-Gray/mother Keith/husband Annie Chapman/personal friend 10. Are there any Books That Have Inspired your Walk With Christ?Disciplines Of The Heart - Anne Ortland The Smoke Of A Thousand Villages - David and Naomi Shibley A Time For Remembering - Ruth Graham My Utmost For His Highest - Oswald Chambers 11. Are there any Scriptures that God has used in your life?Proverbs 3:5,6 - TRust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Genesis 28:15 - ANd behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised. Matthew 24:14 - ANd this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come. John 14: 27 - LEt not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 2 Timothy 2:13 - IF we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
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