2023-2025 IMPACT Content Overview

Sessions will be held at the Church of the Resurrection school in Dubuque.

Year One Sessions (2023-2024)

September 9-10: Opening Retreat on The Gospel and Discipleship
(Shalom Spirituality Center, Dubuque)
IMPACT begins with a two-day retreat to reflect on the Gospel message and discipleship as the core of our faith. Prayer, reflection, conversation, food and fun are a part of this weekend experience.

October 7: The Story of Salvation in Scripture
Critical to Christian discipleship is a well-grounded understanding of the story of salvation history as presented in the Bible and transmitted through the Catholic Church. This session explores the covenants between God and God’s people as told through the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament in Jesus Christ.

November 4: The Life of Christ
As disciples, we are to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. Our primary way of knowing Jesus is through the four Gospels, with each giving a different image of Christ. This session will focus on who Jesus is, addressing questions such as: What is the message of Jesus Christ? Why did Jesus live, die, and rise? How and why do we proclaim Him through our ministry?

December 2: The Holy Spirit
After Jesus ascended into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to dwell within us and guide each of us and the Church "to all truth" (John 16:13). This session will help participants to get to know the Third Person of the Trinity and how he works in our lives as followers of Jesus.

January 6: The Church
Jesus founded the Church, his Body, to guide us in coming to know, love, and serve him on this earth, so that we can enter into eternal happiness with him in heaven. This session will look at the characteristics of the Church, especially what we proclaim in the Nicene Creed: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

February 3: Mary, the Saints, and the Last Things
In this session, we'll explore the saints, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, and how they are witnesses to us of our call to holiness and heaven. In that light, this session also covers the Four Last Things, namely: Heaven, Hell, Death, and Judgment. In other words, we'll explore the questions, "What happens when we die?" and "What is the role of Mary and the Saints in our lives as we journey toward Heaven?"

March 2: The Paschal Mystery and the Mass
The root metaphor for Christianity rests in the Paschal Mystery: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we journey through Lent into the Triduum, the Church moves its members into a deeper solidarity with Christ—from the Cross into new life. We will explore the movement, the mystery, and the practical applications of the Paschal Mystery for Christian disciples, especially in light of the Mass, which is our participation in the Paschal Mystery.

April 6: The Sacraments of Initiation
At this session, we explore the sacraments through which God’s presence permeates and graces the world and our lives with love, compassion, forgiveness, beauty, truth, and order. In particular, we will focus on the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation.

May 4: The Sacraments of Healing and Service
As we continue to delve into the sacraments, this session will focus on the Sacraments of Healing (Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation) and the Sacraments of Service (Marriage and Holy Orders). Having a sacramental worldview impacts our lives as Christian disciples in our homes, workplaces, parishes, and communities.

Year Two Sessions (2024-2025)

September 7: Opening Retreat Day on Missionary Discipleship
As disciples, we have been charged with the mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We begin our second year with Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, which lays out the mission statement for the Church in light of the Gospel. We will explore more deeply the understanding of our Christian mission and practical, pastoral ways of living as missionary disciples.

October 5: Life in Christ - An Introduction to Catholic Morality
Jesus teaches us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor. Through God's grace, we are called to live virtuous lives that radiate faith, hope, and love to the world. This session will provide an opportunity to reflect on the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, especially in light of our relationship with God.

November 2: Life in Christ - Living Catholic Morality 
This session will build on the foundation set in the previous session, and will provide an opportunity to reflect on the Church's moral teachings, especially in light of our relationship with others (our neighbors). In particular, participants will have the opportunity to wrestle with some of the pressing moral issues in our society today. 

December 7: Catholic Social Teaching 
This session will provide an overview of the basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching (often described as “the best kept secret of the Catholic faith”). How does the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) provide us with a vision of the human person and help us to seek justice within society today? How can our values and commitments as Catholics be formed through the biblical themes and theological principles at work within CST?

January 4: The Life of Prayer and Discernment
The goal of the Christian life is union with God through Jesus Christ, which is also the longing of every human heart. This session explores God’s call to us to be in relationship with him and our response as disciples to develop a life of prayer that leads to closer union with God. This journey involves learning to listen to God, discern his will for our lives, and faithfully follow him.

February 1: Sharing and Defending the Faith
1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope." Apologetics refers to how we defend the teachings and practices of our faith. Having learned and experienced the teachings of our faith, this session will pivot towards application by helping participants articulate and defend the teachings of the Church. 

March 8: Joyfully Gifted Charisms Discernment 
Our gifts, talents, and charisms will be explored within the context of the mission of the Church. When we know and understand our charisms, we can participate more fully and joyfully to build up the kingdom of God.

April 5: Servant Leadership
Jesus modeled leadership through service to others, especially to the least and the littlest. The impact of our leadership depends on how we serve those we meet and those we lead, as illustrated when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. We will study the Scriptural foundation for servant leadership, and how it should affect our lives as Christian disciples.

May 3: Living the Mission and Commissioning
We are all called to be missionary disciples. During this final session, participants will reflect on all the IMPACT formation content, and will discern how God is calling them to be servant leaders and go forth on mission, using the formation received to IMPACT their parishes and communities for Christ. Participants of IMPACT will then celebrate the conclusion of the two-year program with Mass, commissioning, and lunch!