NETworks Issue 3, 2011 - 1

NET Ministries AustraliaPO Box 889PaddingtonQLD 4064Ph: +61 7 3217 5299Fax: +61 7 3217 5288www.netministries.com.auinfo@netministries.com.au

“Together we see the Church

straining to respond to the needs of this generation...”

From the Director’s Desk:

Inside This Issue:NET Alumni Open DayBuilding Up in UgandaOutreach - “See Your Light” NET Hero - Fr Michael GielenWorld Youth Day 2011

The Fight of the Faithful . . .

We are reminded in the words of Jesus “that the gates of hell will not prevail” against His Church. So together we stand and fight where the battle rages. I know this sound dramatic but there is a tangible sense of this fight in our nation, as there

is in many nations across the world. Ireland is no exception and, in fact, she is taking a beating right now.

As I stood with the newly formed Irish teams and their devoted staff, I was very aware that God had brought together faithful people from four different nations Ireland, Canada, America and Australia to help fight for the faith of the young people of Erin. The Irish “brave hearts” brought faith to many parts of the world including Australia. I think it is our time to fight for them!

They will soon be able to cope with facilitating training on their own, which is the ideal we work toward in new places. Mark Bennett (the present Director of NET Ministries, Ireland) is currently training an Irishman to take his position in the near future. This is a milestone for NET Ireland, so please pray that all goes well with this transition.

To Be Sure! I have just come back from a wonderful time in the beautiful Emerald Isle. The green lush pastures and forests of Ireland somewhat belie the serenity of this magnificent country. On the social, political, religious and financial scene there are many aspects unworthy of celebration. Yet the enduring faith of many and the hospitality of this people are next to none.

It was a very great privilege for Shayne and me to be asked to contribute to the training of the NET teams in Ireland. As I mentioned last year, my passion to fight for the faith in that nation is explosive. I perceive aspects of our Catholic faith struggling under the weight of many modern day issues. Together we see the Church straining to respond to the needs of this generation, but I also see us responding.

Issue 3, 2011

NETworks

On the home scene, our teams have only 7 weeks to go before they themselves

finish their ministry for 2011. The teams are faring well and many blessings are emerging from their tireless efforts. As is usual in most years, the teams have their struggles, their highs and their lows, but overall it has been an extremely fruitful year. We have received some very encouraging feedback from students, parents and teachers, and that is always rewarding. So rewarding we’d like to share some of it with you:

“I am only 15 going on 16 at the end of this year but I want to be able to give back to the community and the younger generation what NET has given me. My NET experience has

set me back on the right path after I turned my back on God when my father died of cancer.

The NET encounter made me realize that God didn’t abandon me but was there for

me and truly loves me for who I am. I would like to be able to give others that chance to see and embrace the love of Jesus.”

That is what makes this ministry so definitely worthwhile. We thank God for the opportunity to serve him in this way. We thank God for you our supporters who make it possible to serve the youth of our church and give them life, expressed so well, by the student feedback above.

Please continue to pray for us, as our teams near the finishing line. Pray also that we will be blessed abundantly with recruits to replenish our teams for 2012.

God Bless

Host Homes Needed Urgently!

Please email rebeccaw@netministries.com.au or call (07) 3217 5299

We are desperately short of host homes in our peak periods – early November, mid-January and mid-February.

Do you live in the greater Brisbane area? Do you have a spare room that can sleep 2 or 3 – even on the floor?

Would you like your children to witness the vibrant faith of Netters first hand?

Above: Dennis and Gloriah,

team leaders of the 2011/12 NET

Ugandan team

Calling all those who have served on NET Australia

Building up the Kingdom of God in Uganda

NET Ministries Australia has a very clear mission – encouraging young people to love Jesus and embrace the Church. Our sisters and brothers in NET Uganda share the same mission but add another secondary dimension – the economic and social empowerment of young people. It is easy to see why this second dimension is so important when you compare a small sample of the relevant statistics:

• GDP per capita: Australia $41,000; Uganda $1,300

• Population below absolute poverty line: Australia 0%; Uganda 35%

• Percentage of population aged 0-14: Australia 18.3%; Uganda 49.9%

• Infant mortality: Australia 4.61 / 1000; Uganda 62.47 / 1000

NET Uganda sees empowering young people, through the Gospel message of Jesus and through economic development, as a way of renewing the Church and Ugandan society. NET Australia is proud to be a partner in this work through our financial support and through the active participation of staff and Board members in Uganda. Founding Director Shayne Bennett and Director John Brady have been regular visitors, including again this year, to help with leadership training and NET training. Other NET staff members, including Executive Director Shanelle Bennett and Rebecca Crouch have helped with NET training over the years.

NET staff member Michael Forbes followed up his short visit in 2010 with a longer visit in June and July this year. Michael’s particular focus is on economic development. He met with government agencies, ran a three day course on “Christian Entrepreneurship in Uganda” and spent time mentoring those who attended a similar course in 2010. Michael has already partnered with three start up businesses in Uganda and provided advice to several more. Speaking about business in Uganda, Michael said “There are so many opportunities in Uganda. The people are willing to work hard – they just need business mentoring and some seed capital. Our short term goal is to get some successful businesses running. Our longer term goal is to ensure that NET Uganda is largely funded from a share of the profits from Ugandan businesses.”

This time around Michael took his wife Lisa and daughters Libby (20) and Claire (18) with him. As he says, “For Libby and Claire the experience of living in the NET house with the NET Uganda team was life changing.” And he says that “At the end of any working trip to Uganda, you should always take a little time to enjoy the great national parks on offer!”

In October Dennis and Gloriah, the team leaders of the 2010/11 NET Uganda team, will arrive in Australia to be trained to be supervisors for future NET Uganda teams. They will be in and around the Emmaus Centre until February 2012. Please look out for them and make them feel welcome.

From the Director. . .(Continued from front page)

Shanelle BennettExecutive Director

“...My NET experience has set me back on the right path...”

Above: Claire Forbes (front middle) with the 2011/12 NET Uganda team, including Dennis (back left) and Gloriah (back, third from right).

Right: Michael Forbes and some of the 2011 Entrepreneurship Class.

There are many opportunities for us to help with the work of NET Uganda: financial support; business mentoring and investment; travel to Uganda to directly experience the culture and assist in specific projects; etc.

Anyone who is interested in being part of the great story that is NET Uganda should send an email to michael@netministries.com.au.

NET MINISTRIES ALUMNI DAY

VENUE:

DATE: Monday 3rd October

NET Office, Emmaus Centre, Cnr Herbert St and Central Ave, Paddington.

4.30pm: Drinks and Nibblies followed by NET AGM

Includes receiving some goodies, a tour of the office (see the new ‘NET wall of fame’), giving sage advice to future netters, how you can continue to stay connected to NET and more...

From 12pm:

NET ALUMNI OPEN DAY

NETworks Issue 3, 2011 - 2 NETworks Issue 3, 2011 - 3

Can you help?

Urgent Cal l for Host Homes

by Jill

27th August to

1st September

National Team

How to even start describing this incredible trip of a lifetime?! Mount St Bernard’s College (MSB) has been running annual trips to the Torres Strait Islands to visit the communities from where many of their students come. I was so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this incredible journey alongside Luke, Amanda and Paul.

Excited and ready we flew out Saturday morning and landed in Bamaga, which is still on the mainland, where we met the first lot of parents that either have their children at MSB or wish to enroll them in the future. This was the primary purpose of MSB’s visit with each community we met. Paul and I were there not only as support for Luke and Amanda, but also to see where the students have come from. It is so valuable for our ministry at MSB to gain an understanding of the culture, the history, and the families of the students we minister to. It was incredible to learn about their rich culture and gain awareness into what kind of lifestyle and background the students have come from.

The trip was very quick! Visiting 11 communities in 6 days, these being Bamaga, Boigu Is, Darnley Is, Masig Is (Yorke), Coconut Is, Kubin Village, St Paul’s, Mabuiag Is, Badu Is, Thursday Is and Hammond Is – it seemed like time flew by! 12 flights, 4 boats and countless amazing people!! This experience has given me so much insight into and knowledge of the indigenous cultures of the region and an excitement to see what opportunities for the future may come from this trip. Not only did I come back with a head full of knowledge but my heart has been transformed by the love given and connections made with some of the most beautiful people in the world.

Thank you so much to: all of the communities that opened their homes and lives to us, Mount St Bernard’s for allowing Paul and me to part of the trip, Skytrans for sponsoring flights and NET Staff for your prayers and support!

As soon as we crossed the border into the Northern Territory we knew that it’d be different to all of the other places we’d been to, but that seemed to make us even more excited to start meeting the youth that lived there. We started in Alice Springs, and got the opportunity to head out to an Indigenous community called Santa Theresa where we met with the school students, played games, ran activities and just sat and talked with them.

When we first arrived they didn’t seem to make a fuss about us being there but simply included us in what they were doing and we just blended in. Their culture is just so contrasting to our own and it was so amazing to be able to experience the different ways the indigenous students reacted to and engaged in the talks, games and activities that we ran each day. Especially when we headed up to Darwin and were privileged enough to stay in a boarding house and eat meals with a few of the students that we did encounter days with. Being able to see them each morning for breakfast and ask them what’s on for the day then to be able to follow up at dinner and see how things went throughout the day was so meaningful for the team. We felt so special when we told the boarders it was our last day with them and they told us that they didn’t want us to go! We felt so loved and accepted by them and it was so sad to leave.

It was such an awesome experience to be up in Northern Australia and to not only be able to reach out to the youth but to be taught so many things by them as well, we are all waiting on the day that we can go back!

Luke Reed (Principal MSB), Amanda Cardew (MSB Staff)Jillian Pearce (staff 2011, MSB 2010), Paul Shakovskoy (MSB 2011)

Dist

ant s

hore

s...

ISLANDS trip:Bamaga and Torres Strait Islands

D A R W I N report:2011 National NET team

“Distant shores and the islands will see Your light

as it rises on us”

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WORLD YOUTH DAY 2011

It’s always going to be a challenge to find 50 – 60 young Catholics who are passionate about their faith and who are willing to give an entire year of their lives in order to share this faith with other young people. This is the job that NET (National Evangelisation Teams) Ministries is required to do every year in order to keep their ministry running!

NET Ministries Australia is a Catholic peer to peer ministry that puts into action the Church’s mission to evangelise and disciple young people. Based in the Brisbane Archdiocese, each year NET trains 50 – 60 young Catholic volunteers, molding them into apostles who are ready to go out and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with other young people all over Australia who are so desperately in need of hope in their lives.

This year NET Ministries have been blessed in their recruiting efforts, having many young adults from all over the world expressing their interest in serving the Lord on a NET team. So far they’ve accepted 25 young ‘netters’ to participate in a year on NET running January through to November 2012. The accepted ‘netters’ nationalities range from Canadian to Samoan, South African to Kiwi, American and of course Australian.

Particular fruit was received from WYD Madrid. NET Ministries sent over two of their recruiting officers, Michael and Laura Otto to run a stall at the Vocations Expo. Over 100 pilgrims wrote down their details wanting more information after visiting the NET stall. Laura shared of her experience “The enthusiasm for volunteering for a year of ministry work blew me away – in my time recruiting for NET Ministries, I have never witnessed so many young adults wanting to do more with their faith!”

Of course, the task is not yet completed, with NET Ministries in need of another 37 young adults to volunteer to reach their target for 2012.

If you may be interested in serving with NET Ministries for a year, or know someone who might be, NET would love to hear from you! You can email them at recruiting@netministries.com.au, call the NET office on (07) 3217 5299 or check out the website at www.netministr ies.com.au.

Fr Michael has been my parish priest since 2005. Before he arrived in my parish there was very little going on in regards to youth ministry and activities for young people to be involved in. Since his arrival there has been a regular youth group, he has hired two full time youth workers to work in the parish for the last four years. He has also started the highly successful youth conference Set Free which has run over the last two years in our diocese.

Fr Michael has also been highly influential in my own faith journey and my journey to serve with NET. When I first approached Fr Michael with the idea that I wanted to serve with NET he was very encouraging and supportive. He helped me immensely with my fundraising and gave generously himself. He was so supportive in fact that when I approached him about doing another year of NET (which required me to raise another $7000) he said that is fantastic let me know how I can help. I would personally like to thank Fr Michael for his support of NET and of me.

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“The young people who serve with NET are not just a blessing

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Thank you Please support the companies that support NET

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Tell them you saw

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Fishers of MEN... and WOMENWhat are your thoughts about the needs of youth in our Church today?

Youth Ministry is essential, without it we have no hope for the future of our Church. We see the vibrant youth in our schools but those young people don’t come to mass because they don’t understand it. What they need is a language school, to explain to them about the mass. This is what our youth group is for. It teaches the youth about the mass, the sacraments and the Church, those things about the Catholic faith they don’t understand.

Fr Michael’s parish St Thomas More invests $30,000 each year into youth ministry and employs full time youth pastors to further its youth ministry.

‘I know its hard work, it’s why a lot of people don’t want to do youth ministry but we don’t have a choice, we have to do this! It’s an investment in our Church’s future.’

‘There have been many blessings from the youth ministry in our parish, about 50 young people come to youth group each week. These young people are getting into their faith, discovering their personal relationship with Jesus. Young people aren’t leaving the Church but coming to it, 10 young people come to regular weekday masses, half the youth group go to reconciliation regularly, attending adoration, praise and worship.

There have been 3 marriages from couples who met in our youth group, young men who are responding to the call and entering the seminary, students who are leaders at their schools, and several youth who have served with NET.

The Mount Maunganui youth group has also borne the youth conference Set Free, the biggest Catholic youth event in New Zealand.

Michael and Laura Otto, along with Kevin from NET Canada and Maggie from NET USA recruiting it up at the NET Stall at the WYD Vocations Expo, Madrid.

What do you think the fruit of NET is?

Since 2010, 3 people have served with NET from the Mount Maunganui parish each year, and another 3 are already accepted for the 2012 year with more applications pending!

Fr Michael says that the young men and women that go to NET come back transformed, they become a people who are prayerful, they love the Church and can talk about their faith openly, they understand it more.

They are mature with leadership qualities and great interpersonal skills that are so lacking in many of our youth today.

“The young people who serve with NET are not just a blessing for our parish but to our diocese aswell, regarding their leadership.”

It can bring the parish together, when fundraising to support the young people who travel to Australia, the whole parish gets excited for them.

NET would like to thank Fr Michael for his phenomenal support and encouragement of this ministry and the young people of his parish.

SET FREE CATHOLIC YOUTH CONFERENCE: from 30th March to 1st April 2012, keynote speaker, Christian rapper Righteous B and music from emmanualworship.

More info http://www.mtmaunganuicatholic.org.nz

Interview with Fr Michael from St Thomas More parish in the Hamilton Diocese, Mt Maunganui, New Zealand

On Facebook? Why not f ind NET Ministr ies Austral ia then LIKE us to stay updated with news and events!

NET HERO: Fr Michael Gielen

Justin Mourits: NET 2011 (Sydney) and NET 2012

Above: Justin and 2011 Sydney NET team; Left: Fr Michael celebrates a wedding and with the WYD pilgrims in Sydney

NETworks Issue 3, 2011 - 7NETworks Issue 3, 2011 - 6Thank you Fr Michael

In this and future newsletters we will

honour HEROs –

Honorary External

Recruiting Officers

– who through

their efforts help us to meet the

growing demand for Netters to staff

NET teams.

HE

RO

Honorary

External

Recruiting

Officers

My Gift Today: $1000 $500 $250 $100 $50 $______

I want to assist the NET teams in this valuable ministry!

Please send me more information: Including NET in my will

Method of payment: Cheque or Credit Card Please debit the above amount from my: Bankcard MasterCard Visa American Express once only monthly quarterly yearly _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry: _ _ / _ _ Signature: ____________________

YES

Making a tax-free gift using my family trust

Name: Address:

City:Ph Work:

Email:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ State:____________________ Postcode: ______________________________________ Home: ___________________ Fax: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hosting a NET team

Supporting NET Ministries Australia

There are many ways to help NET Ministries Australia

positively impact the lives of young people every year.

If you are interested in

supporting NET with a tax-free contribution from a

or if you want information on how to include NET in

a Will by making a

please contact us on info@netministries.com.au

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If undeliverable return to:NET Ministries Australia

PO Box 889PaddingtonQLD 4064 NETworks Issue 3, 2011

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