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Find out what it's like to be on a team One of the biggest blessings of a year with NET is the chance to build relationships with your NET teammates.
You'll laugh, cry, and struggle alongside one another. Through it all you'll grow together. You'll learn what it means to truly love and to truly be loved. Your teammate relationships will be among the deepest, most challenging and most rewarding relationships you'll ever have.
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Team members are a gift from God to one another. And 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.
Each team hits the road in October, armed with suitcases, sleeping bags, guitars, bibles, pictures from home, pre-paid calling cards and hearts burning for Christ!
In an average 9 month NET season,
each NET team will:
- Travel 20,000 miles
- Serve 7 to 8 dioceses
- Facilitate close to 150 retreats
- Stay in 125 host homes
- Reach 8,500 young people one on one with the Gospel
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Each team leads retreats six days a week, and when not on retreat, the NET teams share their faith whenever and wherever possible: attending school and parish events and joining youth at their dances, local hangouts, and sporting events.
With such a busy ministry schedule, your van is home sweet home and one of the best places to hang out and recharge with your teammates.
Yes, you are on the go. . But it's not just travel, it's mission. Your team is constantly praying for the retreatants you were just with, and the retreatants you will be with in the next town. And your van faithfully takes you to the next fields ready for harvest, providing a nice place of refuge along the way.
There is no such thing as a typical day in the life of a Netter. A team's daily schedule varies due to traveling for long or short times to the next retreat, taking care of team business, performing service projects or seeing the sights on a day off.
Every diocese, town, parish, school and young person is different, each with unique needs and demands. As a team member, you learn to be flexible!
The following is a glimpse of what your day might shape up like if you serve on the road with NET.
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7:30 a.m.
You wake up in your host home and get ready for the full day ahead.
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8:00 a.m.
Personal prayer. You spend some time with the Lord, to be refreshed by His love for you, to pray for your family and your team and to lift up any other needs you have.
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9:00 a.m.
The van and trailer pulls up in front of your host home. You greet your team, load up your suitcase and head for the next town. During the trip you may play cards, write letters, visit with team mates or catch up on sleep. Van time can be some of the most memorable time for a team. |
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Noon
Your team arrives at St. John's parish in Anytown, USA, and is greeted by the local youth minister. She has lunch ready and "briefs" you on the retreat facility and the youth who will attend tonight.
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1:30 p.m.
Team Prayer. Your team comes together before the Lord in prayer and song, thanking Him for His faithfulness and asking Him for whatever special intentions the team may have.
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2:15 p.m.
You take a quick break to get some fresh air, play hacky-sack or
grab a soda (aka: pop, soft drink, coke . . .)
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2:30 p.m.
Drama Practice. Your team's drama leader teaches two new drama's and has your team practice and polish some old ones. These will be powerful on the retreats.
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4:00 p.m.
Your team prepares for the evening retreat by going over the schedule and designating drama parts, testimonies and the main talk. [Each retreat is unique yet has similar components.]
You set up the large group room with chairs, chalkboard, and all the necessary supplies for the retreat. Your team then prays to ask God to bless this specific retreat.
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4:47 p.m.
The first young person arrives . . . and the retreat begins. "Meet and Greet", getting to know the young people as they sign-in, really gets the retreat off to a good start.
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5:00 p.m.
Opening Session: You help lead this time to play games, perform skits, sing songs and meet the team. The young people begin to realize that the retreat is not going to be boring. |
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5:45 p.m.
Small Group #1: You have six youth in your group tonight. You spend some time getting to know them and building trust, sharing about families, hobbies and stories from life.
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6:30 p.m.
Supper: You eat together and visit some more with your small group, relaxing and having fun and continuing to get to know them.
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7:00 p.m.
After Meal Entertainment (AME): You are asked to be part of a crazy skit just for laughs. You are willing to be a "fool for Christ" and the young people really respond. There is a feeling of ease in the air. This group of young people is right there with you.
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7:20 p.m.
Main presentation: Tonight's retreat theme is "Who Am I?" and your teammate gives a 20-minute presentation sharing the basic gospel message and his own personal experiences of God love helping him in the area of self-image.
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7:45 p.m.
Small Group #2: You meet with your group again and encourage discussion by having them share about their self images. You share how they are made in God's likeness and image and how they are each loved as sons or daughters of God the Father.
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8:30 p.m.
Mass/Prayer Ministry: After a joyful liturgy, your team performs a drama conveying how God created and loves each of us.
You pray individually with each member of your small group, for their intentions and especially that they would accept God's love for them and live for Christ. There are tears as some young people accept this truth for the first time. |
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10:15 p.m.
After some long goodbyes, (some youth loved the retreat so much they don't want to leave), you clean up the retreat site, grab your suitcase and catch a ride with your new host family who are eagerly waiting to take you to their home for the night.
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10:30 p.m.
Your host mom has prepared a great desert and the whole family wants to hear all about you. You and your teammates share and, more importantly, listen, and then close the night in a prayer with your new-found family.
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11:15 p.m.
Before falling asleep in yet another strange bed, you take a moment to thank the Lord for the blessings and strength He has given you that day and ask that He would grant you a restful night's sleep so you can do it again tomorrow!
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