As I prepare to launch from this incredible year, I can say with full confidence: the Lord has changed me. I came into this program with expectations. I wanted growth, clarity, and deep friendships. But what God gave me was far more transformative than anything I imagined: surrender, trust, and the kind of growth that doesn’t always feel good in the moment but leaves you stronger, more free, and grounded in Him.
Impact has a way of beautifully tearing you down so you can be built back up in Christ. You’ll uncover parts of yourself you didn’t know were there, and suddenly you’ll become aware of how you fall short in the body of Christ. But then, you’ll look around and see that where you lack, others are strong. Through this, you’ll understand why the Church is called a body—each person uniquely gifted, each part working together in beautiful harmony.
This community is beautiful. Over this year, I’ve learned a lot about how I operate and, just as importantly, how others operate too—and how different each person is. It is easy to judge how people act without seeing or knowing their hearts. Recognizing this taught me to have more grace. Everyone you meet here has a beautiful soul.
Living in this community is sanctifying. Some days, I felt overwhelmed, misunderstood, or stretched to my emotional limits. But it was in those moments that I saw the Lord refining me, softening my heart, and teaching me to love like Christ. I quickly realized I needed patience, humility, and selflessness daily. Christ showed me that ministry isn’t just what you do “out there”—it’s in washing dishes, listening well, and choosing to forgive.
To the incoming Fellow, here’s what I want you to know:
Come with an open heart.
You’ll learn so much this year—teaching, experiences, friendships—but the most powerful transformation will happen inside of you. Everything Impact does is designed to stretch you and grow you. It’s okay to be uncomfortable! Let God shape you from the inside out.
Don’t rush the discomfort.
It’s okay not to have all the answers about your calling, relationships, or identity. Growth takes time. Let the questions linger. Let God work in the discomfort of the unknown. These nine months will go faster than you think—and it’s okay not to know the next step in life.
Lean into community, even when it’s messy (and at times it gets messy).
Here, you’ll laugh more than you thought possible, but you’ll also be challenged. Impact designed it this way on purpose! God often uses the people around us—especially those who see our weaknesses and still choose to walk with us—to grow us. Don’t try to find your best friend on day one. You may get close to people early on and later find yourself connecting deeply with others. That’s normal. Relationships will shift throughout the year, and that’s okay. The friends you make here will challenge you, call you higher, and you should do the same for them. You’ll learn what biblical community truly looks like—lean into it.
Stay rooted in Scripture.
When everything around you is new—places, people, routines—let God’s Word be your anchor. Make time to be with Him. You won’t regret it. It’s surprisingly easy here to drift in your personal walk with the Lord. You might come into the program expecting to grow immensely in your relationship with God—and you will—but that growth still takes intentionality. Your days will be full and busy, and if you don’t choose to be in the Word, you will feel the difference.
As I prepare to step into what’s next, I do so with a heart full of gratitude. I’m not launching as the same person I was when I started. God has been faithful in every high and every low. And if there’s one thing I know for sure—it’s that He’ll be faithful to you too.
Genevieve Dennis
Impact 360 Fellows
Class XIX