Lisa Brenninkmeyer is the founder and chief purpose officer of Walking with Purpose. A convert to Catholicism, Lisa created her first Bible study in 2002 out of a desire to see Catholic women come to know Christ personally. In 2008, Walking with Purpose became a fully independent non-profit organization with 501c(3) status and a mission of helping every Catholic woman and girl in America open her heart to Jesus Christ. Today, more than 49,000 women, young women, and teen girls participate in WWP each year.

Lisa has authored 16 WWP Bible studies, which have received the Imprimatur through Archbishop Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Lisa has been recognized by the Catholic Leadership Institute as a National Catholic Leader and was a presenter at the USCCB Convocation of Catholic Leaders. She has presented the unique model of WWP at national conferences throughout the country and has been a guest on a number of radio, television, and podcast shows as well.

Lisa holds a B.A. in psychology from St. Olaf College and is pursuing her masters degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She and her husband Leo have seven children and four grandsons and reside in St. Augustine, Florida.

Sr. Miriam James Heidland joined the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in 1998. 

She holds a master’s degree in theology from the Augustine Institute and speaks extensively at conferences and retreats on the topics of conversion, authentic love, forgiveness, and healing. She is also affiliated with the John Paul II Healing Center in leading healing retreats for priests and religious sisters across the nation.

Sr. Miriam’s podcast, Abiding Together, can be found on iTunes.

Her three books, Behold: A Guided Advent Journal, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal, and Loved As I Am, can be found on Amazon. She tweets at @onegroovynun.

Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, was elected president of Franciscan University of Steubenville on May 21, 2019. The well-known Catholic speaker and author graduated from Franciscan University with his B.A. in theology in 1989, then earned an MDiv, M.A. in theology, doctorate in education, and executive juris doctorate. A solemnly professed member of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance, Father Pivonka was ordained to the priesthood in 1996. 

He held various leadership positions at Franciscan University from 1996-2008 including vice president for Mission and Planning. From 2008-2012, Father Pivonka served as director of Post-Novitiate Formation for the Franciscans, TOR, and from 2012-2019, he directed Franciscan Pathways, hosting The Wild Goose video series on the Holy Spirit, a documentary on St. Francis of Assisi, and Metanoia, a 2019 video series on conversion. He has written seven books, including Living Metanoia: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in Christ (OSV, 2021), and he currently hosts Franciscan University Presents on EWTN and cohosts the popular podcast, They That Hope.

Fr. John Riccardo was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1996, where he served as a pastor for 15 years. In 2019, he founded ACTS XXIX and serves as the executive director. ACTS XXIX, a non-profit apostolate that exists because God wants His world back, unleashes the power of the gospel and equips ordained and lay leaders in order to mobilize the Church for mission.

Over the last three years, ACTS XXIX has been engaged in over a dozen dioceses and has ministered to more than 2,500 priests. Fr. John hosts a weekly podcast, You Were Born for This, and publishes a weekly article, “Thoughts From the Trailer.” He is the host of the radio program Christ is the Answer and has authored several books, including, Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel, which has given birth to The Rescue Project, an 8-week video experience intended to overwhelm a person with the power of the gospel, move that person to surrender to Jesus, and be mobilized for mission.

Fr. John is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the Gregorian University in Rome, and the Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family. To learn more about ACTS XXIX, please visit www.actsxxix.org.

Fr. John Hopkins, LC, was ordained a priest in 1991 by Saint John Paul II. He was a significant influence in the founding of Our Lady of Bethesda Retreat Center and Center for Family Development. After completing a sabbatical of study in Rome and receiving his licentiate degree in moral theology in 2004, he returned to the DC area and was appointed president of Our Lady of Bethesda.

Sarah Kroger has spent the last 10 years leading worship and sharing her music at a range of national and international concerts and events. She has released four albums: Your Time (2011), Hallelujah is Our Song (2013), Bloom (2019), and Light (2022). Sarah’s passion is to create a space in which people can encounter the heart of God in a profound way. When Sarah isn’t on the road, she lives in Nashville, TN, with her husband Dom.