Faith is not meant to be limited to a Sunday service or a private moment of prayer. For many believers, the deeper calling is learning how to live out faith at work, at home, and in the community with humility, courage, and consistency.
In this Living My Faith with Chuck Coker feature, Chris Gardner, Director of Ministry, Training, and Technology at Legacy Ministries, shares a powerful perspective on spiritual growth, servant leadership, workplace faith, and the importance of mentoring others with respect and dignity.
Meet Chris Gardner of Legacy Ministries
Chris Gardner serves as the Director of Ministry, Training, and Technology for Legacy Ministries, a non-profit Christian organization located in Peachtree City, Georgia. Legacy Ministries is committed to establishing and maturing a community of believers in Jesus Christ through training and mentoring grounded in prayer and worship.
The organization offers in-person and online programs designed to support spiritual journeys in areas such as discipleship, mentoring, speaking, writing, and more.
A Ministry Focused on Growth and Maturity
At its heart, Legacy Ministries exists to help believers grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. Through practical training, mentoring, and faith-centered community, the ministry supports people who desire to become more firmly rooted in their walk with God.
That mission aligns closely with Chris’s own story: a life shaped by service, Scripture, prayer, family, and a continual desire to help others encounter Christ in meaningful ways.
Living Faith in Everyday Places
One of the most compelling parts of Chris Gardner’s journey is how he has carried his faith into everyday environments, including the workplace. After his enlistment ended in 1985, Chris began working in the Information Technology industry. Since 2007, he has been leading, launching, and helping others activate faith-based employee groups at a variety of companies.
For Chris, living out faith is not confined to formal ministry settings. It includes honoring God through professional responsibilities, encouraging others, and serving wherever God has placed him.
He and his wife also hosted a House Church from 2010 to 2023, and they are part of the leadership team at Legacy Ministries while Chris continues to fulfill his responsibilities in the IT industry.
Faith Shaped Through Defining Moments
Chris describes several moments that significantly deepened and shaped his faith journey. One of those experiences took place in 1995, when he and his wife participated in a Cursillo weekend and experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Another deeply formative season came in 2000, when his wife faced death due to a major illness. Chris shares that following deep prayer, the Lord healed her through surgery and post-surgery recovery.
Over time, Chris and his wife also transitioned from liturgical church backgrounds—Cathy from a Roman Catholic upbringing and Chris from an Episcopal upbringing—into a Charismatic church experience. Beginning in 2007, they entered what Chris calls their Bible college era, emerging deeper in love with each other and with the Lord.
Lessons from Military Service and Civilian Life
Chris is also a veteran, and his transition out of the Navy had a meaningful impact on his life. He describes learning how to re-adjust to civilian life as challenging. He and his wife were young and married while serving, which meant they had to re-learn how to live off base and adapt to the traditional rhythms of civilian life.
At the same time, Chris remains grateful for the Navy. He shares that the Navy was good to them and was instrumental in introducing him to his wife. For that, he says he will be forever grateful.
A Life Verse for Work, Service, and Calling
One Scripture that has been especially meaningful to Chris is Colossians 3:23-24:
