The Year 11 Discipleship Religious Education class has had a great start to the year experiencing an Encounter Day with the new Hamilton Diocese NET team.

NET (National Evangelisation Teams) is a peer-to-peer Catholic youth ministry based in Australia. The theme for the day was ‘The Unexpected’ where team members shared their experiences of God and invited us to “not be afraid to choose faith.” The day involved interactive games, activities and small group discussions, as well as a time for prayer and to reflect on our own relationship with Jesus.

We are looking forward to catching up with the team again when they join us for the Cross Walk and Easter Liturgy at the end of the term. Another key event in our class discipleship journey will be attending the Set Free Catholic Youth Festival in May which the NET team will also be helping to lead.

Student voices:

“The retreat was an awesome experience and opened my mind to a deeper meaning of faith.” – Samuel Rush

“The NET team was so lovely. The reflection time really helped me to bond with God. I felt his presence possibly for the first time. It was amazing! Prayer works!” – Emma Audas

“It was a fun day that was eye-opening for everyone. We looked into our own relationship with Jesus and had an amazing team to support us.” Emma Tran

“The day was incredibly humbling. Being able to witness others talking about their own experiences with God was an incredibly authentic experience for me.” – Riley Elliott-Lowe

“This retreat was an eye-opening experience. It helped me to realise the importance of prayer and what it is like to experience peace. The NET leaders were welcoming and made the day feel comfortable and joyful.” – Georgie Gash

“The NET team had a goal of strengthening my relationship with God. They definitely succeeded.”  – Joshua Pinto

“It really opened my eyes to what my relationship with God could be like.” – Nina de Lange

“Overall the day was super inspiring. It was fun to explore our faith and grow as a class.” – Paige McKay

“It was fun to get to know the team and come closer together as a class.” Briarna McGrory

“The retreat was eye-opening. I had a fun time learning about and getting closer to God with my friends.” – Jude Farrell

“The retreat was a great way to fulfill my personal relationship with Jesus through interpersonal relationships with the class and the NET team.” – Nathaniel Barry

“The retreat was a good time. I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with God.” – Hamish Preston.