NET Ministries is finalizing plans on a number of key initiatives designed to help us proclaim the Gospel to an increasing number of Catholic youth. Your thoughts on plans and priorities are important. We are asking all friends to share their valuable input on NET Ministries, our mission and our vision for the future.

1. NET Ministries, Inc.

2. Mission
To challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the
Church by:
• Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ through a personal witness of faith
• Inviting young people to live for Christ
• Forming young people in Christian character through the study and practice of faith
• Equipping youth workers and young adults with the ministry skills needed for evangelization

3. NET’s Early Years
• Operating out of the former St. Paul CYC, NET sent out a single
NET team in 1981
• In order to keep up with demand NET sent out six NET teams in 1985
• In 1987 Shayne Bennett, a youth ministry leader from Brisbane,
Australia visited NET training along with two young adults
who joined a NET team
• By 1990 NET Ministries had grown to eight NET teams and had
more than a dozen dioceses on a NET retreat waiting list
• After several blended American/Australian teams had served
in Australia, Shayne Bennett was ready in 1991 to establish
NET Ministries of Australia
• In 1992 NET Ministries moved to the site of our permanent
home, located on Crusader Avenue in West St. Paul, MN
• Hundreds of NET staff and alumni facilitated the largest daily
catechetical session at the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver, CO
• 1994 was a big year for NET with the launching of our monthly
Lifeline mass and the establishment of NET Ministries of Canada
• In 1995 Fr. Scott McCaig, Fr. Sean Wenger, & Fr. Charles Orchard
became the first of 54 NET alumni to be ordained a Catholic priests.
39 other alumni have taken vows as sisters or brothers.

4. NET in the New Millennium
• In the year 2000, a 140 bed dorm for retreatants was added to the NET Center
• 2001-2002 was the year the NET teams proclaimed the Gospel to our
one millionth teenager. Each year NET reaches another 60,000 Catholic youth
• Having received help from NET Ministries of Australia for several years,
NET Ministries of Uganda was established in 2007 in the Diocese of Masaka
• In 2005 NET placed a NET team full-time in a parish
• NET Ministries of Ireland was established in 2008 after NET teams from Canada served there from 2004-2007
• In 2010 the parish team model proved highly successful at
Providence Academy High School
• 2011-2012 NET celebrated 30 years of ministry
NET TODAY
• NET will train 130 young adult volunteers and
place them on eleven 2012-2013 NET teams
• NET teams will serve in 95 U.S. dioceses
• NET Ministries is staffed by 19 full-time staff,
7 part-time staff and 14 alumni missionary staff
• NET is governed by a 15 member Board of Directors,
Chaired by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt

5. Those We Serve
• Catholic junior and senior high school youth living in
90 plus U.S. dioceses (60,000 annually, 1.6 million to date)
• Youth ministers seeking training & spiritual formation
• The members of the 3,000 host homes whose faith is
encouraged each year while housing NET team members
• The many parishes with a NET alumnus youth minister
or NET alumni who return to serve in parish programs
• The broader Church which is enriched by those NET alumni
who take vows as religious brothers (5 to date) and sisters (34)
or who are ordained as priests (52, with 17 more in seminary)

6. Key Programs
During the 2011-2012 NET Year:
• NET teams conducted 900 retreats for 54,000
junior and senior high Catholic youth
• 7,000 youth attended a Lifeline youth Mass
• NET parish teams strengthened and awakened
faith in 1,000 youth, many of whom had been
disengaged from their faith
• The NET school team daily proclaimed the Gospel
through word and example to 500 Catholic junior
and senior high school students
• 400 youth sought deeper growth in their faith
at a summer NET Discipleship Week
• Youth ministers from 80 -100 parishes attended NET’s monthly ministry training and
spiritual formation meetings

7. In Their Own Words
John W., age 13, Ohio
“This retreat opened my eyes to who I
am and what I stand for as a Catholic.” “As Chairman of the Board of
NET Ministries, I am excited
Maria R., age 17, North Carolina and grateful that NET is
“Before I often doubted God’s existence. responding generously to the
I would come to church but that was it. New Evangelization called for
Now I know His importance in my life, by Blessed Pope John Paul II.”
and how to praise Him.” John C. Nienstedt
Archbishop of St. Paul/Mpls.
Zach H., age 16, Wisconsin
“Tonight changed my life!”
Erin H., age 14, Illinois “NET Ministries… is the New
“I felt so close to God and didn’t want Evangelization on steroids!
the retreat to end. I really felt His love!” I thank God for them.”
Charlotte M., age 16, Michigan Timothy Cardinal Dolan
“I could feel Him here with me all day at the Archbishop of New York
retreat, as we talked in small groups, as we
did everything. I’ve decided to dedicate my
life to Jesus. What cause could be worthier?”

8. Major Accomplishments
• Proclaimed the Gospel to over 1.6 million Catholic
youth since 1981
• Profoundly impacted the faith lives of 77,000 host
home members who have housed NET teams
• Provided intensive ministry training and
spiritual formation to 2,138 NET team members
• Led largest catechetical session at the World Youth
Day in Denver (1993), and assisted NET Australia
in doing the same at the WYD in Sydney in 2008
• NET Ministries has been replicated in Australia,
Canada, Ireland and Uganda

9. Financial Information
Expense Budget (2012-2013):
NET Teams $4,119,543 (78.5%)
Team Member Recruitment $181,136 (3.5%)
Other Youth Ministry Events $169,042 (3.2%)
Fundraising/Development $423,995 (8.1%)
Administration $350,911 (6.7%)
TOTAL $5,244,627

10. The Vision
Increase the number of NET teams from 11 to 16 by the year 2017
Raising the number of Catholic youth who…
- Experience a dynamic proclamation of the Gospel at a NET event
from 60,000 to 85,000
- Benefit from the in-depth discipleship opportunities available from
a parish/school team from 1,000 to 3,000
Open NET’s first U.S. regional office in 2016 and a second office in 2017
Resulting in…
- Increased number of dioceses offering NET retreat follow-up
events like monthly Lifeline Masses and Discipleship Weeks
- Ability to offer NET training to increased number of youth ministers
- Increased awareness of NET’s ministry resulting in an increase of
NET team member volunteers
- Greater efficiencies in providing NET retreats to dioceses
within the region

11. The Vision (cont.)
Establish a significant endowment to secure the future of program operations
Current Endowment: $2,000,000
Target Endowment: $10 to $12 Million
Secure funding to enable NET to respond to new ministry opportunities both in
the U.S. and abroad

12. Capital Investment Needs
• Support for 10-50 additional NET Team Members increasing over 5 years: $750,000
• Additional Transportation (5 vans and trailers): $150,000
• Increased National Headquarters Staff: $328,000
Program Assistant Director Major Gifts Officer Communications Assistant
NET Team Supervisor Retreat Marketer Administrative Assistant
Team Member Recruiter
• Regional Office Staff: $252,000
2 Regional Directors 2 NET Team Supervisors 2 Administrative Assistants
Computers/Office equipment for two Regional Offices: $20,000
Facilities: $150,000 - $450,000
Additional NET Team Member training Facilities
Rent for two Regional Offices
• Endowment: $10,000,000 - $12,000,000
• TOTAL NEEDS: $11,650,000 – $13,950,000

13. Thank You
• This concludes the NET Ministries Key Facts
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