Sarah Katreen Hoggatt has been writing for over twenty-five years and is the author of several books and numerous articles. She is a writer, spiritual director, international speaker, and book designer with a passion for ministering to fellow souls.

Starting her writing career early on, after earning her bachelor’s degree at Oregon State University in 2001, Sarah continued writing her feelings down in the form of poetry as a way to say what she could not otherwise express. Both her way to talk with God and commune with the inner wise soul inside herself, she found her way forward through a difficult time, line by line.

In 2003, Sarah published her first book, Learning to Fly, and enrolled at George Fox Evangelical Seminary (now Portland Seminary) where she walked into worlds of Christian history, mysticism, and different forms of spirituality—things she had never been taught but now felt free to explore. In the safe sanctuary of a diverse community both around her and in centuries past, Sarah broke apart inside in a dark night of the soul. Trusting God’s arms carrying her through, many places were destroyed and rebuilt inside her soul. Out of these experiences, Sarah wrote and published her second poetry book, In His Eyes, and her Advent devotional, Encountering the Holy.

After earning her Master’s Degree in Christian Ministry and her Certificate in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship, Sarah also became certified as a Spiritual Director so she could walk with others through spiritual journeys of their own. During this time in seminary, Sarah also developed a deep appreciation and love for the Quaker community, feeling at home among the Friends in a way she had never felt before.

As one of ten editorial board members from a vast variety of Quaker perspectives around the world, Sarah shared in the creation of an international anthology of young adult Quaker voices, Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices. Following the book’s publication, she had the privilege of becoming involved with Friends General Conference (FGC), Quakers Uniting in Publications (QUIP), and traveling to eight different countries in North America, Africa, and Europe to speak about the book. You can view an FGC YouTube video about her experiences here.

After the anthology was complete, Sarah then published her third poetry book exploring a freer journey with God, Into the Wild Places.

As Sarah learned to ask more and more questions, she took a new journey into a deeper spirituality – one she is walking still. After a vivid dream of God telling her no theology would save her, she let go of the last attachments keeping her back from fully exploring her questions and who she was. Out of these explorations and what she learned about love, she wrote and published her fifth book (fourth poetry book), Finding Love’s Way.

Finally finding a home among Quakers where she can be fully herself, Sarah is delighted to be a part of a community of Friends she is proud of and that welcomes everyone’s contributions: Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends where she currently serves as co-presiding clerk . Knowing for a long time she had the gifts for leadership, it has been a joy to use them to help build a community she believes in. While striving to be a support to people’s ministries and making sure all voices are listened to and heard, she especially loves looking out at all the beautiful souls who make up Sierra Cascades during gatherings and getting to know them better in between on phone calls and when preaching and visiting the meetings.

Now, far from the theology Sarah had as a child with heaven and hell, saved and not saved, is the felt undercurrent that everything is in one flow and she trusts the hand encouraging her on. To her, the journey feels more like an ever-widening circle instead of a line. Sarah remains quite happy to simply hold space for the questions and to share that journey of questioning with others who have wonderings of their own.

Now married to her wife Monica, Sarah lives in Salem, Oregon where she designs books, serves as a spiritual director, and works in communications. She is currently working on another book of her own in between hiking, attending art group, and making people laugh for the pure joy of it.

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Photography

Sarah enjoys taking photos of landscapes, architecture, children she loves, and animals. Though she doesn’t take pictures professionally, to her, photography is another way to bring to our awareness the joy and beauty in this world we too often easily miss.