Purpose Driven Cafe Launches Ahead of Rick Warren Starbucks Cup

As preparations are underway for the release of the Starbucks Coffee cup featuring a quote from ''Purpose Driven'' author Rick Warren in late April, the Purpose Driven Ministries has launched a new online ''coffeehouse'' community – the Purpose Driven Café.

The special Starbuck cups are part of the company’s “The Way I See it” campaign featuring quotes from writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians, and cultural critics.

After the beginning of the series in 2005, Starbucks solicited customer contributions for 2006. When Warren saw a quote on the theory of evolution, he decided to submit one of his own. Warren’s quote, taken from his book, The Purpose Driven Life, states: “You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your real purpose. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.”

The online Purpose Driven Café was launched to provide more information to someone who sees the quote and is interested in finding out more about Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Life book. It is housed on the Purpose Driven Life Web site at www.purposedriven.com and also offers features oriented toward common questions about Christianity.

“We’re trying to connect with people’s real life and be honest and straightforward about things,” said John Fischer, the senior writer for The Purpose Driven Life at Purpose Driven Ministries. “We want it to be a place where seekers can come and feel comfortable.”

The site will offer answers to “burning questions” submitted by readers, book reviews, suggested resources, and a daily “On Purpose” column by Fischer that is geared toward people who aren’t yet followers of Jesus.

Additionally, the community will encourage visitors to get involved in “Life Groups” – groups that meet in coffee shops, homes, or other locations to talk about life’s most difficult questions – and offer discussion guides for such groups.

The first discussion guide will be called The Balanced Life.

“It’s a four-week discussion guide focused on slowing down and getting a sense of what your priorities are in life,” said Fischer.

In addition to reaching Starbucks customers and others curious about how Christian faith relates to everyday life, the Purpose Driven Café also will serve readers of The Purpose Driven Life..

“We want to have a conversation with the 35 million people who bought The Purpose Driven Life – those who are unchurched, seeking, or not Christians,” Fischer said.