About Us
Walking with Purpose reaches out to women who desire to grow in their faith using a Scripture-based program that is fresh, relevant and focused on conversion of heart more than intellectual development. We begin with the basics, knowing that we can never master the core truths; there is always greater depth to explore.
Walking with Purpose aims to bring women to a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ by offering personal study and small group discussion that link our everyday challenges and struggles with the solutions given to us through the teachings of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church.
In the summer of 2002, Lisa Brenninkmeyer was just settling into life in Anne Arundel County after living internationally during her husband’s job assignments. A convert to Catholicism, Lisa attended Mass regularly and joined St. Andrew By the Bay Catholic Church on the Broadneck Peninsula. Lisa was a mother of four young children and noticed a lack of special Church groups focused specifically on young families.
Her life-long love of Scripture, background in Bible Study leadership, and a concern for the hearts of women, led Lisa to offer a weekly “Mother’s Bible Study”. Eight women responded to her advertisement in the church bulletin and the daytime, childcare-provided group began with weekly meetings. Each week Lisa gave a 15-minute presentation which took the Scriptural messages and applied them to everyday life for mothers and young families. During that first year, word-of-mouth about the program and personal invitations from the participants caused the numbers of members to grow.
The joy and peace they were obtaining from more regular Bible reading, increased understanding of Church teachings, and time spent in daily prayer spurred enrollment to increase to fifty-five women by the Fall of 2004. Invitations went from woman to woman without constraints of faith background, age or marital status. Women from both Catholic and Protestant churches were now members and all were gaining further insight into shared Christian ideals and new understanding of different Christian traditions.
In the Fall of 2007 with eighty-five women and fifty children registered, the program was given the formal name Walking With Purpose and was granted non-profit status. A Board of Directors was formed and the program began to expand to other locations.
Walking With Purpose has now expanded to 16 locations. With requests for chapters in many states and in Europe, WWP is carefully balancing expansion to keep the quality and personal touch of the program intact. The Chapter Coordinators, their leadership teams and Board of Directors all have a stong committment to helping women find their purpose in Christ.
