Anna Putt
1. How did you become a Christian?
I don’t know when I became a Christian, but I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian household and have always known about God. He has used all sorts of things, people and circumstances over the years to grow my faith and relationship with Him.
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
Life is messy and there are many more grey areas than I might like. That in the darkest times, when I am in the pit, I find my Saviour there. God’s faithfulness to me through the ups and the downs has been a real tonic.
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
Not as good as I would like. It’s often snatched and squeezed into pockets of time in my day rather than the disciplined ideal. But it is also my absolute essential, even if it’s just the arrow prayers or turning my thoughts to God, I couldn’t get through a day without it.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
I really enjoyed Paul Miller’s A Praying Life, a book that was both challenging about prayer but also encouraging; I didn’t come away feeling like I had been beaten with a big stick!
Enough by Helen Roseveare was really important. I was going through a difficult time and this short book was very readable and great for showing me that, whatever your circumstances, God is enough for each day.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
My family. My grandparents have been great prayer warriors, my parents set a wonderful example for me in so many areas of life, and now my husband’s patient walking alongside me and my children’s enquiring minds and simple faith.
The Keswick Convention has been a big part of my life; my husband and I met doing children’s work there and we have been involved with that work ever since. It has been a place where we have been so well fed from the word of God over many years, we’ve met some great models of faith and made wonderful friends. It has also been a great occasion to take stock of the work God has done in our lives each year and now, having moved house so much, it feels very much like home.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
Building relationships with others to share Jesus. People seem so hard hearted and reluctant to talk about anything deeper than the weekly grind. I think Covid has helped open up a few of those conversations and I pray that in this post-Covid world we can really capitalise on those opportunities and not just seek to return to the way things were.
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
I am encouraged by other people, when I see people humbly serving God in their own corner of the world, doing their own thing without seeking recognition or reward.
One of the great privileges of vicarage life is getting to walk alongside people, often at really important times, and seeing a glimpse of the work God is doing in people’s lives is such an encouragement.
I can often be discouraged by my own tendencies to fall into sin. Just when I think I have a handle on it in one area of my life it pops up in another. I can’t wait to be free from sin in our heavenly home!
8. What makes you laugh?
My children, which is a good job as most days could go either way with tears of joy or sadness!
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
We have a banner at the back of the main tent at the Keswick Convention that reads ‘All one in Christ’. I’d love for that unity around the person of Christ to be the thing that defines us, that marks us out, and if we focus on that and keep the main thing the main thing then it puts other issues in perspective.
10. Which Biblical person do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
Jesus, just Jesus. I know I probably should say a great historical character or interesting person I want to ask questions of, but I will be so content to just gaze on Jesus’ face and rest whilst singing His praises for eternity.
