USA (PD/MNN) — Coffee and a quote may be what attracts people to the Gospel. As the Starbucks coffee chain prepares to release a cup featuring a quote from Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, in late April, Warren’s Purpose Driven Ministries has launched a new online “coffeehouse†community – the Purpose Driven Cafe’.
The cup is part of a series featuring quotes from writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians, and cultural critics in the company’s “The Way I See It” campaign. After beginning 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 is drawn from The Purpose Driven Life: “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.”
John Fischer, senior write for the Purpose Driven Life Website, says, “What we’re creating is a site that would welcome someone who sees the quote and is interested in finding out a little more about Rick Warren and his Purpose Driven Life book. We’re trying to connect with people’s real life and be honest and straightforward about things,†says Fischer. “We want it to be a place where (people) can come and feel comfortable.”
The Purpose Driven Cafe’ is housed on the Purpose Driven Life Web site at purposedrivenlife.com/pdcafe. In addition to offering information about the Rick Warren quote, the community’s features are oriented toward common questions about Christianity.
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,” says Fischer.
In addition to reaching Starbucks customers and others curious about how Christian faith relates to everyday life, the Purpose Driven Cafe’ 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 says.
