Staff Farewells | Thanksgiving Mass & Banquet | Ignite Wrap-Up | End-of-Year Stats | Alumni News

2014 has been an incredible and fruitful year at NET Ministries; nine NET teams and one Freedom team were sent out. Fifty new apostles were formed for the kingdom, dozens of university students went through faith studies, hundreds of Encounter Days were run and 28,000 young people were reached with a message of hope and love in Jesus’ name. These are not just numbers for number’s sake; each one of those young people is a life that was somehow transformed.

Our week of debriefing was held at Camp Glendalough at the Sunshine Coast from Nov 15-21 with the Banquet following on Nov 22. The time of debriefing is always a powerful time. During this week the Netters were led through an intentional reflective process about their year. They took time to think and pray about what happened in their ministry to the young people of this nation, in their relationships with one another, about what it means to say goodbye and the themes of their year in their personal relationship with God. For example, one of the activities that we do is to have the Netters share with the group (in less than 1 minute) how they are

Issue 3, 2014

different from the start of this year. Many of the Netters were shocked at what came out of this simple exercise when they sat down and actually took time to think and pray about how much God did in their lives in a short ten months. This exercise is also one of the most rewarding things for us as staff members, as we are evangelised by the testimonies that we hear and edified in thinking that God may have used us in some small way to contribute to the incredible personal transformation that has taken place in the hearts and the lives of the Netters.

Our Thanksgiving Mass and Banquet followed this week of Debriefing and was a great celebration of all that God has done this year through NET Ministries. Archbishop Mark Coleridge celebrated Mass with us and he commented that, “NET Ministries have been a superb gift to the world, once again showing the face of Christ this year to the young people of Australia.” The Archbishop also thanked the Netters for all that they do and for their generosity in giving a year of service to the Church. We were so grateful for his presence with us and for his significant involvement with the Brisbane team.

Continued on page 2...

2014AN INCREDIBLE& FRUITFULYEAR

NETworks

get in CONTACT

IN THISISSUE

Address: PO Box 889Paddington QLD 4064

www.netministries.com.auinfo@netministries.com.au

facebook/NETMinistriesAustraliatwitter.com/NETAustralia

Ph: +61 7 3217 5299Fax: +61 7 3217 5288

Continued...As we approach the end of the year, I

want to make you aware of NET’s needs. The end of the year is the toughest time for us financially and this year is no exception, so in a special way this Christmas please consider financial support of NET Ministries. We are also in need of 7 more men to serve with us as volunteers. Recently, I was struck by the scripture passage, “the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” Please join with us in praying that some courageous young men would embark on the journey of a lifetime.

As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s coming to Earth at Christmas I want to thank you for all of the ways that you already support this ministry: whether through prayer or finances,

as a Host Home or in any of the other myriad of ways. Please know that we are so grateful; we could not accomplish our mission without you. Your gift is an investment into the hearts, the minds and the future of this generation.

I’m praying that you and your family have a blessed Advent and a Christmas season filled with the joy, peace, and love of our Saviour. Merry Christmas!

Mark DoyleExecutive Director

When I left my home country Uganda to come to Australia in May 2014, I knew I was coming to people I knew, people I had met, and people I had a relationship with. NET Australia has been part of NET Uganda in all ways through its growth and I am glad to be part of all this.

In July 2014, I became part of the Melbourne Archdiocese NET team, it was an amazing opportunity for me to experience the ministry of the teams, the youth culture and what life is like on a team in Australia.

Melbourne, in the middle of the winter was the coldest place I have ever been, but thank God for the warm smiles and awesome hospitality I received; the cold was all forgotten. My teammates were so loving and the Encounter Days in the schools and the Youth groups in the parishes we went to were such a big inspiration in my life. We were always able to share the message of Jesus with love, passion and with life. Sometimes it may even have meant taking time to wrestle

with a brother in order to bring out the true spirit of a man!!

The impact of our ministry as a team to the youth we met for the time we were in Melbourne was really felt when we invited people for our farewell mass. We had over 50 young people come to our home and had an amazing experience of them affirming the team for what we meant in their lives.

Also for me was to see my team mate brother committing another year to serve with NET, because of what he had experienced in the brotherhood we had built together.

At the end of this year, I am able to say it was all worth it, and I am forever grateful to God for being a part of a ministry that has impacted many young people in Australia, Uganda and other parts of the world.

And I continue to enjoy the joy and the support of working with NET Ministries every day as I work on NET Staff and I know my stay will be an amazing experience which I will take back with me to Uganda.

Reflection: From Africa to Australia

Denis Ssekyewa

Issue 3, 20142

Staff FarewellsSadly, we say “farewell” in the near future to three of our beloved NET Staff members: Christine Sealy (1 year of service) Justin Mourits (2 years) and Michael Forbes (6 years); however, we are

pleased to announce that Michael will serving next year on the NET Ministries Board of Directors. All of these people have sacrificed a great deal to serve with us and through their ‘yes’ to God’s call on their lives have made incredible contributions to our ministry. Our hearts are filled with gratitude

and sadness as we see them go but know that the Lord has incredible plans for their futures.

Michael ForbesWhen I joined NET in 2009

I was part of a very rare breed – a NET staff member who had never served on a NET team, never seen a NET Encounter Day and never been to NET training! Despite all that, indeed perhaps in part because of it, the 6 years since have been a privileged time, with front row seats to see all the great work God has done through NET. That work has included personal and family transformation for me and the fruitful connections my family has formed with the wider NET Uganda family.

There have been many highlights: learning from the experience and wisdom of Shayne and Shanelle and others; late night conversations during training; and the staff brotherhood, to name just a few. But the standout highlight has been seeing my daughter Claire serve on a team this year.

Justin MouritsWhen I came to NET in 2011

as a fresh faced 18 year old I had one thing in mind; get my life on track and go back home to university. Little did I know that like many others, my simple decision to say ‘yes’ to the Lord for one year would change the purpose and direction of my life forever. What I have experienced over these past four years with NET has been truly priceless; so much so that there really are no words to try and describe the experiences. What I do know is that I am eternally grateful to everyone in the NET family – everyone of you have, in some small way, enabled me to come to know the fullness of life that is found in Christ. I am a life that has been changed forever and I leave NET prepared and committed to being the disciple that Jesus has called me to be… thank you.

Christine SealyI found out about NET shortly

after leaving my home in the USA. I quickly realised it would be worthwhile to share my love for Jesus and the Catholic Church through serving on NET in Australia, though I had no idea what it would look like, nor did I anticipate the adventure God was initiating for my life! On my two years serving on a NET team I encountered Jesus in a profound way through the young people I evangelised, through NET staff, and through my team mates. I’ve been stretched, challenged, loved beyond conditions, and brought deeper into Love. I’m so grateful for the gift it has been to finish my NET journey after a year of serving as a staff member. I know I will forever be transformed because of what the Holy Spirit has done through NET; in the lives of thousands, and in my heart as well.

Issue 3, 2014 3

20142014On Saturday 22nd November, family and friends gathered to celebrate the closing of another NET year. We began with our Thanksgiving Mass with Archbiship Mark Coleridge which the Netters concluded with the stirring NET Drama, ‘Thank You’ that aptly summed up their

year of service. A special note of thanks also goes out to all who contributed to NET in 2014 and made this ministry possible.

WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANTS. MATTHEW 25;23

20142014On Saturday 22nd November, family and friends gathered to celebrate the closing of another NET year. We began with our Thanksgiving Mass with Archbiship Mark Coleridge which the Netters concluded with the stirring NET Drama, ‘Thank You’ that aptly summed up their

year of service. A special note of thanks also goes out to all who contributed to NET in 2014 and made this ministry possible.

NET MINISTRIES HAVE BEEN A SUPERB GIFT TO THE WORLD, ONCE AGAIN SHOWING THE FACE OF CHRIST THIS YEAR TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA. ARCHBISHIP MARK COLERIDGE

“”

BIRTHSAngela (NET 03, Uganda 04/06, Staff 07/08) and Luke

Harris (NET 02/03, Uganda 04) welcomed Georgia Kathleen on 2nd Oct 2014

ALUMNI NOTICEBOARD

ENGAGEMENTSMike Avery (Lismore 10) is engaged to Andrea Woodlee

Emily Pyrz (Melbourne 10, Sydney 11, Current NET Ireland Staff) is engaged to Gareth McNulty (NET

Ireland Staff)

Dani Patterson (National 12) is engaged to Andrés Rocha

ORDINATIONSFr Andrew Hogan (Adelaide 01) was ordained to the

priesthood 3rd Dec

WEDDINGSTeresa Delsorte (Adelaide 04, QLD 05, Staff 06-13) married Sean McGrath (Mazenod 11, Townsville 12,

Current Staff) on 13th December 2014

Travis Schoenfelder (Mazenod 13, Current Staff) married Amanda Halbach (National 13) on 13th

December 2014

In a ‘normal’ week for a NET Team (if there is such a thing), a team will run ministry events in schools and parishes in their area. But occasionally they are privileged to be involved in a larger ministry trip or event. Six of our NET Teams this year were able to come to Ignite Conference 2014: Illuminate. The National, Sydney, St Fidelis (Melbourne), Good Counsel College (Innisfail) and Mazenod College (Melbourne) teams all travelled huge distances to attend. For the Brisbane team it was a much shorter journey, but an intense build up.

At Ignite Conference the teams, together with the young people who had travelled with them from their

ministry areas, joined 1200 young people from around Australia in three days of sharing, teaching and learning, praise and worship, sacraments and prayer. Over 120 NET team members, staff and alumni served in a wide variety of roles – presenting talks, running streams, leading small groups, in prayer teams, playing in emmanuelworship, back stage, front stage, everywhere! And we were all privileged to see so many young lives transformed by God’s love and a personal encounter with the risen Jesus!

Congratulations to Ignite Youth on another successful Ignite Conference. Everyone at NET is looking forward to Ignite Conference 2015: One.

Executive Director, Mark Doyle, with all NET Alumni delegates during Ignite Conference 2014

Issue 3, 20146

YOUNG PEOPLE EVENTS SCHOOLS PARISHES DIOCESE

Canberra Goulburn 3002 77 21 4 2

Good Counsel College 825 83 1 2 1

Ingham 1234 188 12 5 2

Mazenod 1536 55 2 4 3

Melbourne AOY 3381 84 24 21 2

National 7769 117 60 6 12

St Fidelis 2004 25 9 3 3

Sydney CYS 6154 124 26 10 4

Brisbane 2579 82 18 22 1

END OF YEAR STATISTICS

ToTal number of young people reached

28,484ToTal number

of evenTs

835ToTal number of

schools worked in

173ToTal number of

parishes worked in

77

On Thursday December 4th 2014, NET Alumni from Brisbane and around Australia gathered with NET Alumnus Ben Baker (05, 07, 08) as he farewelled his wife of three and a half years and mother to their two beautiful girls. Eva lost her battle with a rare form of cancer on November 26th 2014. Ben and Eva’s steadfast faith in Jesus and surrender to the will of God have been an example to all who have been blessed to be part of their lives. Please join us as we hold Ben and his family in our hearts and prayers throughout the coming weeks and months.

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Issue 3, 2014

NET Ministries Australia wishes you a very blessed Christmasand a happy new year!

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