MISSION + VISION
INTO the DEEP is a 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of facilitating true understanding of our identity, reason for being, and dignity as body-soul persons made in the image of God. In a nutshell, we want you to be able to answer the question, “who am I and why am I here?” This is accomplished through both indoor and outdoor “I.D. Retreats”, teaching seminars, study groups, and speaking engagements for both youth and adults.
I.D. RETREATS bring the unique mission and vision of Into the Deep out to a setting we were made for; it is the name specifically applied to both the camping and lodge-based retreats that are offered through Into the Deep.
What’s so important about this Mission?
Questions about identity, the purpose of life, and the desire for love are universal. Each person deserves to know what it really means to be made in the image of God and to fully participate in the Story that we are all a part of.
As a baseline behind Into the Deep’s mission, the Theology of the Body offers a language that helps us examine who we are created to be as human persons and how we are called to love like God loves. Opening our heads and hearts to His original plan for us has the potential to transform how we believe, live, and articulate our Catholic faith.
Into the Deep invites people of all ages to encounter God, neighbor, and our unrepeatability through Eucharist-centered prayer, lessons on the Theology of the Body, and the adventure of truly living and loving as God intended.
OUR NAME & LOGO
The name
At the end of a rosary novena dedicated to receiving a name for this budding-soon-to-be organization (culminating on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima in 2005), several concepts came together. During the third Luminous Mystery (the Proclamation of the Kingdom), I contemplated the phrase “duc in altum” – “cast out into the deep” – which was John Paul II’s call for the New Evangelization and references Jesus’ command to Peter (Luke 5:4). During the 4th mystery (the Transfiguration), I contemplated the scripture, “we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Since the main thrust of the theology of the body is to understand who we are and why we are here (thus, the logo tagline), we are called to dive in on several levels. We are first meant to know and to receive the gift of our identity: that we are unrepeatable persons and our bodies teach us about God, who is love. We are then called to go outside of ourselves and make a gift of love to those around us. The universal desire for love and to know the meaning of life then culminates in seeing that we are destined to be as Christ was in the Transfiguration: radiantly united with God – body and soul – now and in eternity.
The combination struck me: “INTO the DEEP”…. “I.D.”…. the double meaning of the acronym solidified that I had found the name of my future non-profit.
The Logo
I had always envisioned some sort of fingerprint to accompany the acronym “i.d.” in order to specifically draw out its reference to identity. At some point it struck me that a simple fingerprint swirl could also be turned on its side to become a water ripple – a sign of our unrepeatable impact, as God has given each person to the world as a gift. It took two pages of Sharpie marker swirls to get one that looked like the image in my head, but I have my friend, James Kegley, to thank for transforming it into an actual logo.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the three renditions of how the swirl has been incorporated into each logo!
Milestones
Coming soon…
“And God created man in His own image….male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27
