|  | | MONTHLY NEWSLETTER August 2024 |
|  | | | I was listening to a podcast the other day on the state of the Church and one of the people made the following comment,
“The Church looks like a field that has been burnt, it's all brown and completely dead. You see statistics coming out that the number of people going to Church has completely declined etc, etc, etc, but when you look a little bit closer at the field, you see little green shoots coming through, and that's the hope for the future.”
I resonated with the imagery that was being presented as the people on the podcast spoke. Why? Because this is what I see, especially in our young people, especially in the NET missionaries and the young people that surround them in their locations - hope for the future. Probably more importantly, hope in the present.
It can never be understated the commitment and hope that the NET missionaries bring - especially if they too see the burnt field - and they do. Yet, despite this, they, green shoots of hope, share and demonstrate the hope they have and as a result other young people see that faith is possible and become green shoots themselves. Thank you for all you do to support NET and our young people. Let's be part of seeing more green shoots emerge.
Peace,
Mark Lysaght Executive Director |
| | THE HEART of a NET MISSIONARY |
| |  | Team L-R: Frank, Georgia, Ellen, Caitlin, Kate & Sam |
| It’s hard to miss the laughter, excitement, respect and passion the young people of Auckland have. But the thing that has struck us the most is their openness. We are constantly met with open arms wherever we go. Whether it is the students themselves, the teachers at the schools or just people in our parish. They rarely have a ‘I don’t care’ mindset and when we run retreats the team has found that nearly everyone responds to the activities, games and overall faith with a sense of openness. We are constantly filled with hope and amazement over the large amounts of students that ask for prayer with one of the team during our retreat days. We ran a Year 9 retreat a few weeks ago and of the 40 girls that attended, 25 of them invited Jesus to be a bigger part of their lives that day in prayer.
Another amazing opportunity was when our team attended and volunteered at World Youth Day Auckland.
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| As we were setting up for this event, we had no idea what was in store for us. Over the next day we saw various young people that we had ministered to throughout the year.
As a team we actively trust that God is planting seeds and growing fruit in lives of the young people we have ministered to, because a lot of the time we don’t see the effects of what we do here in Auckland. So, let us tell you it restored our own hope, as so many of them came up to us throughout World Youth Day Auckland, asking if we remembered them and saying how much they loved their retreat day. Seeing them continuing to strengthen and grow their own faith genuinely gave us a new hope for the future of the Church in Auckland.
We are constantly grateful for the opportunity we have received to minister in this beautiful city. God is truly changing lives, and we are blessed to be witnessing it. |
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| | | | Archbishop’s Annual Fundraising Dinner All ticket sales and funds raised go to the vital work of NET Ministries |
|  | Time to BookJoin us for our annual fundraising dinner at Victoria Park, Brisbane QLD on October 24. Always a great night and all proceeds go to the work of NET Ministries, including the cost of your ticket.
Get ready for a great night and we look forward to seeing you there! |
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| | | PRAY FOR THEMWe have put together a poster of the 2024 NET Missionaries so that you can pray for them and the ministry they are doing.
“The greatest gift that we can give to each other, is to pray for one another”
If you would like a copy for your home, Church or workplace please click the link below and we will send you a PDF copy to print off.
The NET Missionaries will be so grateful for your prayer support as they pray for you. |
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| |  | If you or anyone you know is interested, could be interested or you think they would make a great missionary serving with NET Ministries - let us know!
More information can be found here |
| | | Get to know our 2024 NET Missionaries |
| Now their mission is underway, we wanted you to hear from our missionaries directly about what it looks like to live out their theme scripture in their local areas, overflowing with Hope. |
| | | Theme ScriptureOur theme scripture for 2024 comes from Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, and we experience it daily as we witness our NET teams living lives that are quite simply overflowing with the Hope of the Gospel message. Please join us in prayer, that the young people of Darwin, Hamilton, Auckland and Maroochydore would experience the Hope our teams bring in their own lives. |
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| Caitlin LucasCaitlin is 22 years old from a small country town called Clifton in Qld. She enjoys being outdoors, morning walks and team sports. She is excited for her year with NET and can’t wait to share her story and encounter the young people in Auckland.
To sponsor Caitlin click the link below and use Donation Reference: 24CaiL |
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| | | Chris DoughertyChris is 24 years old, he lives in Brisbane, Australia. He loves singing and playing tunes on the guitar and spending time in nature. He has been impacted by the love of Jesus and is keen to share that with young people.
To sponsor Chris click the link below and use Donation Reference: 24ChrD |
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| Another way to support the ministry that NET facilitates is through financial support. If you find yourself in a position to give extra, please consider supporting one of the NET Missionaries you have heard from to finish their sponsorship goal, or giving a general donation to NET Ministries Australia and New Zealand. If you would like to give, just click the donate button below. Thank you for your generosity. |
| | | | | I am hoping you may be in a position to help provide fundamental support for NET Ministries Australia & New Zealand in the mission to encourage young people to encounter Jesus and embrace the Church. Your generous contribution will directly help us drive this mission in Australia and New Zealand in the following ways: Reach more young people: With your support, we can expand our reach to a greater number of schools, parishes, and communities, providing young people with the opportunity to encounter faith, experience personal growth, and develop strong moral values.
Enhance program quality: Your contribution will enable us to improve and innovate our retreats, school programs, and parish missions, ensuring they remain relevant, impactful, and transformative in the lives of young people. We will invest in the development of resources, training materials, and engaging activities that resonate with the ever-evolving needs and interests of today's young people.
Support our dedicated team: Our staff and missionary volunteers are the driving force behind NET Ministries. With your support, we can provide them with the necessary resources, ongoing formation, and support to continue their crucial work of mentoring, guiding, and inspiring young people on their faith journey.
Thank you so much for the consideration of this need. |
| | | | |  | Mark Lysaght Executive Director
NET Ministries Australia & New Zealand |
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