IMPACT, a two-year leadership program, has been designed to lead participants further down the path of discipleship. IMPACT, an invitation to step away from the busyness of our lives, will nourish the heart and mind through theological and spiritual formation. Through study, prayer, reflection, and conversation, participants will be challenged to respond more fully to Jesus’ call to mission—to IMPACT our world!
GOAL: To prepare adults for enhanced leadership in their parish and community through faith formation (spiritual, theological, and pastoral) that is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
IMPACT is the next step in the evolution of quality lay formation in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. IMPACT is a program of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, in collaboration with Loras College. Participants will receive the best possible faith formation through this valuable partnership. IMPACT follows the guidelines of formation as set by Co-Workers in the Vineyard: Year One will focus on personal and spiritual growth; Year Two will focus on the intellectual and pastoral components of our Catholic faith.
Participants in the Lay Formation experience have a unique opportunity to:
• enrich and deepen their faith
• enhance their spiritual growth
• experience God's love and compassion
• learn to live the Gospel as a way of life
• form a community of faith with other participants
• pray with one another
• respond to the call to be a disciple
• experience a deeper conversion to Christ
• share in the mission of the Church to evangelize the world.
According to a survey of Lay Formation graduates conducted by the Lay Formation Office in February, 2008:
• 98.6% said Lay Formation was a positive experience...
• 96.8% said Lay Formation had a positive impact on their faith life...
• 86% said their prayer life was deepened by their participation in Lay Formation...
• 96.4% said they had a deeper understand of church because of participation
in Lay Formation...
• 95% said they are more conscious of being a disciple of Christ in their family
because of Lay Formation...
• 93% said they are more conscious of being a disciple of Christ in their workplace
because of Lay Formation...
• 94% said they are more conscious of being a disciple of Christ in their local
community and nation because of Lay Formation...
• 83% said they are more conscious of being a disciple of Christ in the world as a
result of their participation in Lay Formation.
The IMPACT experience takes place over a period of two years. Each year consists of an opening retreat weekend and seven Saturday sessions during October-April. Each Saturday session is held from 9:00am to 3:00pm and consists of prayer, speakers, large and small group discussions. Participants are asked to read assigned material for each session and to write a short reflection on what they have experienced.
• Year One -- focuses on personal and spiritual growth and helps participants recognize
and be attentive to God's presence in everyday life.
• Year Two -- focuses on intellectual and pastoral components and helps participants
deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith tradition.
Each two-year cycle takes place in a different regional location in the Archdiocese of Dubuque and concludes with a Rite of Recognition. Candidates for the IMPACT experience must be recommended by their pastor.
• The next two-year IMPACT cycle will begin in the fall of 2019 and meet at St. Joseph Parish in
Elkader, Iowa.
• The opening retreat for first year participants will be held at
• The new two-year IMPACT cycle which begins this fall will meet on
• Cost: When an applicant is sponsored through the parish, the participant, the parish, and the diocese will each cover one third of the annual cost. Participants may choose to apply without parish sponsorship, but will be responsible for the entire cost.
Are you a good candidate for participation in the IMAPCT experience? Here are some things to think about if you are considering participation in IMPACT. Before you decide for sure, consult with family members and friends who know you well; consult with a spiritual guide, a parish staff member or your pastor; visit with individuals in your parish who have participated in the IMPACT experience; and spend a sufficient time in prayerful discernment.
• Participants in IMAPCT should not be overwhelmed by personal or family responsibilities; you should be at a point in your personal life where you are able to adjust other responsibilities to make time for IMAPCT.
• Individuals who have recently participated in a spiritual renewal experience like CEW or Marriage Encounter, and those who are participating regularly in a faithsharing, prayer or bible study group, or are involved in parish leadership, service or social justice activities, are often prime candidates for IMPACT.
• So are individuals who want to be more active in their local faith community, but are not sure what they can do or if they are sufficiently prepared to be a faith leader in their parish or community.
• Individuals who participate in IMPACT often experience a desire to learn and grow in their faith which is not satisfied by the opportunities which are available on the local level. Many experience a need to see a deeper connection between their faith and their everyday lives in the home or in the workplace.
• It is important that IMPACT participants be sufficiently reflective so that they can examine personal experiences without fearing that their faith is being questioned or threatened. They should be sufficiently grounded that they will not resist the opportunity to change and grow spiritually. Generally, participants should not be recent converts to the Catholic faith.
• If you are so disillusioned or angry that you have rejected regular participation in the life of the Catholic faith community, you should re-examine your relationship to the Catholic community before entering the IMAPCT experience.
• IMPACT participants should not have personal or ecclesial agendas rooted in a radical reformation of the Church.
• IMPACT participants should be personally capable of engaging in constructive dialog with persons whose religious experience and opinions differ from their own.
Click here to learn more about the IMPACT program.
[Last Update: 07.10.19]