The work of the NET teams is the primary activity of NET Ministries. Each year approximately 175 young adults ages 18-28 volunteer nine months of their lives to serve on the NET teams. These young adults are placed on 16 different teams of 8-12 people. For nine months, these teams become like family for each other as they work side by side sharing what God has done in their lives. For countless youth across the country this message of God’s love and power is brought to them in a personal way.

Teammate relationships will be among the deepest, most challenging and most rewarding relationships a young adult will ever have. They will laugh, cry, and struggle alongside one another. Through it all they’ll grow together. They will learn what it means to truly love and to truly be loved. Most often, it is not the ministry skills that the young people notice on a NET retreat, but the love that the team members have for one another.

Two types of ministry teams are currently being trained and sent out, Retreat Teams and Discipleship Teams.

RETREAT TEAMS:

NET Ministries currently has 11 retreat teams composed of 10 to 12 members who facilitate retreats six days a week for youth in junior high and high school. Each team travels to specific dioceses and spends time serving the individual parishes there.

In an average 9 month NET season, each retreat team will:

• Travel 20,000 miles
• Serve 7 to 8 dioceses
• Facilitate nearly 150 retreats
• Stay in 125 host homes
• Reach 8,500 young people one-on-one with the Gospel

With such a busy ministry schedule, a retreat team member’s van is their home sweet home and one of the best places to hang out and recharge with their teammates.

The ministry of each team is focused on retreats which can span 4 hours to 3 days. Large group talks, skits and dramas, small group discussions, and time for individual prayer are all components of each retreat. Throughout the entire retreat, the youth are extended the invitation to embrace their faith and cultivate a personal relationship with Christ. Learn how to bring a NET team to your parish. Click here to request more info or book a retreat!

DISCIPLESHIP TEAMS:

Five of NET’s 16 ministry teams are Discipleship Teams. These teams serve in one specific parish or school for their entire NET year. While in the area they help facilitate the youth ministry or campus ministry program including things such as:

• High School Youth Group
• Junior High Ministry
• Discipleship Groups
• Young Adult/Core Team Ministry
• Teen Mass
• Retreats for Parish Youth

In addition, teams will reach out to teens who are not actively involved in parish life by going to local teen events/sporting events, eating lunch with youth at school and or popular hangout spots, and simply being a light to the community.

While in a parish or school, the teams stay with host families in the community for extended amounts of time which provides the chance to enter into family life and minister to the families as well. Discipleship Team ministry is focused on long term evangelization and building relationships that will grow throughout the year and beyond.