NET Team

In 2025, our diocese is blessed to have our own NET team! NET stands for National Evangelisation Teams, and is a Catholic organisation that has provided peer-to-peer youth ministry in schools, parishes and universities across Australia and New Zealand. Each year, NET recruits and trains teams of young adults from around the world aged 18-30 who volunteer a year of their lives to share their experience of Jesus with other young people. These volunteers begin the year with six weeks of intensive training including formation in prayer, scripture, theology, Catholic spirituality, evangelisation, liturgy, ministry skills and Christian community living.

NET already has an extensive history in our diocese, and many of you may have previously experienced their joyful witness and infectious faith. For many years the travelling national team would spend time in our diocese providing retreat days to many of our Catholic schools. A number of teams have been based in our parishes of North Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Emerald and Gladstone.

The return of NET to our diocese in 2025 will involve a new team and a new vision. The team will live here in Rockhampton from February to November but their mission will involve travelling around the whole diocese. It is my hope that the team will visit and minister to every parish and school in our diocese. The team’s mission for the year will be fourfold:

1. To share the gospel with those they encounter and minister to
2. To provide a personal witness of authentic faith and discipleship
3. To provide opportunities for young people to encounter God
4. To encourage young people to actively participate in their local parish

Click here to see our team’s profile and learn about the members of our team.

The team can fulfill this mission in co-operation with our parishes, schools and other ministries by running or assisting at various events and activities including:

• Retreat days, weekends or camps
• Sacramental prep sessions or RCIA
• Youth group or young adult sessions
• Masses and liturgies
• Social events or celebrations
• School events or RE classes

This is a wonderful opportunity for renewal in our diocese and a resource for engaging with our young people who so often feel disconnected from the Church. I encourage all of you to make use of the team while they are here and consider how you could utilise them in your own context. For more details or to inquire about booking the team in your own area please contact Michael Otto at youth@rok.catholic.net.au or 0433 897 973.