Katie Brazelton

Katie is the founder of Pathway to Purpose™ Ministry and is a Licensed Minister and Director of Women's Bible Studies at Saddleback Church. Katie has worked with women for many years, helping them discover their church ministry and life purposes. She coaches women who are searching for meaning in life as a Certified Christian LifePlanning™ Consultant with an international client base.

Her passion for helping people discover life purpose has led her to Calcutta to talk to Mother Teresa about joy; to Belfast as a guest of Ireland's Nobel Peace Laureate to discuss inner peace; and to the tiny island of Malta to study St. Paul’s time of shipwreck. Now she’s taken that expertise and valuable perspective and made it available to you.

Katie earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy/Human Behavior Leadership, an M.A. in Theology, an M.A. in Educational Administration, and an M.A. in English. She has two grown children and a daughter-in-law and resides in southern California.

Questions and answers about her books.

Q: There has been immense interest in books about life’s purposes. How do your Pathway to Purpose™ books differ from others on this topic?

A: I am an enthusiastic fan of Rick Warren’s recent titles since his teaching has directly contributed to my own life purpose discovery. My books, however, are specifically written to women. I share women’s stories, address women’s life stages, and shed light on the challenges women face as they search for significance. And I encourage women to enter this journey with a Purpose Partner at their side, another woman who is committed to God’s kingdom work.

Q: Kay Warren penned the foreword to your book. What is your relationship with Kay?

A: Several years ago I facilitated a two-day ‘Life Plan’ for my friend Kay, who is also my pastor’s wife. It was my joy to walk alongside her as she sorted out her spiritual gifts and clarified her unique contribution to God’s kingdom. I’ve done the same life coaching with many women, and it is my pleasure to watch as they come to see their gifts, passions and pain as elements in a grand purpose. Although I can’t spend that same one-on-one time with readers, I hope these books serve as companions and guides for their own life purpose journeys.

Q: You share some of your personal journey throughout the pages of Pathway to Purpose for Women. How would you describe this process?

A: It hasn’t been a quick or simple journey, but it has been exhilarating. An unexpected divorce left me enormously dispirited and desperate for purpose. During the next several years, God placed strategic people in my life (my sister Maureen, a professor who taught me about Dr. Viktor Frankl’s work in this field, Dr. Rick Warren, and others) to challenge my thinking and unveil the passions of my heart. I now realize that a longing for significance is a God-designed phenomenon of human nature. God intends for people to be driven by purpose!

Q: Now you serve as Director of Women’s Bibles Studies at Saddleback Church in southern California. Are you surprised to find yourself in this position, considering what you’ve been through?

A: I truly believe that God makes all things work together for good. From my life’s pain and my heart’s deep desires, God has fashioned a perfect fulfillment of my passions. I get to spend my days helping women reflect on their life purposes, hopefully allowing them to save time and heartache as I share my own experiences.

Q: There are several books in the Pathway to Purpose™ series. What book should a woman read first?

A: The introductory book is Pathway to Purpose for Women, available as a hardcover book and as an abridged audio CD. In this book I share my own personal journey from despair to purpose, and I encourage women to embark on their own journey of healing and discovery. The other books in the series help women as they enter this process. One book is a prayer guide (Praying for Purpose for Women), another title guides Purpose Partners through ten appointments to discuss life purpose (Conversations on Purpose for Women), and the final book is a daily personal journal for reflection throughout the discovery process (Pathway to Purpose for Women Personal Journal).

Q: Conversations on Purpose for Women is a guide for Purpose Partners to use. Explain how this book fits into the process of discovering life purpose.

A: Many women fail to discover and fulfill their significant life purposes because they have no Christian mentor, trainer, advisor or tutor who can instruct them in the proper steps to reach the next mile marker. I certainly could not have done it without the help of my younger sister, Maureen. Conversations on Purpose for Women is built around ten weekly “appointments” with a Purpose Partner. Great power is unleashed when Christian women sit down to prayerfully focus on one single concept!