Rick Warren Magazine Hits Newsstands

Warren's 'Purpose Driven' magazine in stores

A new quarterly magazine by Rick Warren--pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of The Purpose-Driven Life (Zondervan)--was recently released by The Reader's Digest Association.

The premiere issue of the 146-page Purpose Driven Connection hit newsstands and Christian bookstores last week for around $10. The four quarterly issues of the magazine, DVDs and small-group workbooks along with behind-the-scenes access to the interactive Web site, www.PurposeDriven.com, are available to consumers for an annual subscription membership of $29.99.

"With the collapse of our economy, the tools, resources and experiences we've bundled into the Purpose Driven Connection are arriving at the exact moment when Americans need them most," said Warren, who serves as editor-in-chief. "The hollow hope of materialism has left us disappointed, empty and worried, and (it)... has created a hunger for a deeper spiritual connection to God and to each other."

The magazine--which includes stories of people who have found God's purpose for their lives--provides personal spiritual development and support. The multimedia platform venture is also tied to the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, a global initiative created by Warren at Saddleback to combat global problems, including spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases and illiteracy.