Evangelization team members aim to bring more young people to church

Published: 2005-10-27

FARIBAULT, Minn. (CNS) -- Jesus didn't wait for people to join him in the synagogue; he sought them out in the marketplace. That's the same approach eight young Catholics with National Evangelization Teams Ministries are taking in Faribault, where they began an eight-month stay in October, dedicating themselves to bringing more young people to the church. The eight are part of a group of Catholics, ranging in age from 18 to 28, who completed training at the NET Center in West St. Paul for an eight-month nationwide youth outreach performed through retreats, testimonies and prayer. Known as NET Ministries, the organization based in West St. Paul is an international youth ministry designed to challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the church, according to the group's Web site at www.netusa.org. This year's group of 84 trainees is a typical size, said Mark Berchem, executive director of NET Ministries. But what's not typical is that, while 76 of those young adults scattered Oct. 1 to travel through several regions of the country, eight drove to Faribault, where they will stay for their entire eight-month outreach period.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .