Connect with Christ
As Orthodox Christians it is important for us to learn how to connect with Christ by learning about Him and His Church. Learn more about OrthodoxyFind answers to Life's QuestionsWhat is Orthodoxy
What is Orthodoxy?
The Orthodox Christian Church, founded by Jesus Christ and with its beginnings chronicled in the New Testament, is the oldest Christian Church in the world. All other Christian churches and groups can be traced historically back to the Orthodox Church.
With roughly 250 million members worldwide, Orthodoxy is second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church. However, in spite of its size, relatively few Americans are aware that it exists.
The Orthodox Church has deep and lasting roots in Christian antiquity and is steeped in rich Biblical tradition. It has been the context of Christian living for millions of Christians for almost twenty centuries.
Read more about Orthodoxy and the Church that Jesus founded through some of the articles below.
7 Questions to Reflect on before the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity
Our understanding of this upcoming Holiday grows with us, the meaning is always constant. From the first Christmas (the Nativity of Christ) till that one year when you were 7 (and thought the world would end if you didn’t get Heelys for Christmas), till Christmas 2020 (undergoing the stresses of navigating togetherness in an isolated world), God has become man and will be with us always.
Dressing up for Christmas as Christians
It is tradition to adorn our homes and even ourselves festively this season. In doing so, we are communicating a piece of the joy of the Nativity. But these adornments, even some silly pajamas, might point to something more profound. We feel the warmth, cheer, and joy of the holiday season when hearing Christmas music or seeing beautiful lights and we want to spread this cheer into the world.
The Simplest, Littlest Things
If you looked at my 2020 planner in January, you would see back-to-back classes, club meetings, assignments, and exams, as well as vacations, road trips, summer camp, and OCF events lined up for the year. That planner was basically useless a few months later. By...
Deepen Your Spiritual Practice
Praxis is the Greek word for “practice.” In the Church, praxis refers to the actions which flow from our relationship with Christ. Praxis is living theology and active love. Check out some of these articles about how you can commit to Praxis in your everyday life or use one of our Praxis Programs for your chapter.
7 Questions to Reflect on before the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity
Our understanding of this upcoming Holiday grows with us, the meaning is always constant. From the first Christmas (the Nativity of Christ) till that one year when you were 7 (and thought the world would end if you didn’t get Heelys for Christmas), till Christmas 2020 (undergoing the stresses of navigating togetherness in an isolated world), God has become man and will be with us always.
Dressing up for Christmas as Christians
It is tradition to adorn our homes and even ourselves festively this season. In doing so, we are communicating a piece of the joy of the Nativity. But these adornments, even some silly pajamas, might point to something more profound. We feel the warmth, cheer, and joy of the holiday season when hearing Christmas music or seeing beautiful lights and we want to spread this cheer into the world.
The Simplest, Littlest Things
If you looked at my 2020 planner in January, you would see back-to-back classes, club meetings, assignments, and exams, as well as vacations, road trips, summer camp, and OCF events lined up for the year. That planner was basically useless a few months later. By...
Get to Know the Saints
As Saint Paul did in his epistles, the word we use for “saint” is the Greek word for “holy”- agios. By calling someone a saint, in a real sense we are celebrating the presence of holiness in the world. Every baptized and chrismated member of the church is already a saint and every one of us has the vocation to become a saint. The saints are human examples of those among us who have loved Christ above all else, and are examples that we strive to emulate. Read about some of the saints in our blog or talk about the lives of the saints at a chapter meeting.
From Being Superhuman to Being Truly Human
By Demetra Chiafos This time of year, everyone starts talking about what they’re dressing up as for Halloween, and especially in the age of Marvel films we are currently living in, people want to dress up as a superhero—or superhuman, depending on your...
Prisoner #18376: God Will Not Abandon His People
Hi everyone! Quick disclaimer, this blog post is a bit longer than normal, but there was so much that I wanted to put in that I couldn't tell myself to stop. Below you will read an inspiring story of one of my favorite church heroes. So, sit back, relax, and I hope...
Saints and Superheroes
Happy Orthodox Awareness Month! So October is Orthodox Awareness Month, and I thought, what better way to participate than to have the blog focus on the “superheroes” of the church that make this month possible. As Halloween is also approaching and kids are getting...
There’s a Saint for that
There’s a Saint for That is a simple program any chapter can follow to get to know a new saint together! We’ve created a template, and you can do the research online to apply it to any saint. Use this as a personal Praxis Program or develop it into a whole meeting with a discussion and an akathist.
For Relationships & Major Life Decisions
Life’s Challenges & Questions
Are you looking for answers to some of Life’s Challenges & Questions? The Church has answers. To see what they are, look through these articles written by other members of OCF who have struggled with some of the same questions you may be encountering in your life.
5 Pieces of Advice Worth Holding on to
The older I got, the less I heard my dad say it explicitly, but the more I heard him say it implicitly in his actions and in his love for me. It was first used to correct and discipline me, and then it was used to teach and instruct me. I have learned that to “say okay” once is to be obedient, but to always “say okay” is to learn how to accept things as they come with grace and fortitude, much like my dad has sought to do, even if he isn’t
7 Questions to Reflect on before the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity
Our understanding of this upcoming Holiday grows with us, the meaning is always constant. From the first Christmas (the Nativity of Christ) till that one year when you were 7 (and thought the world would end if you didn’t get Heelys for Christmas), till Christmas 2020 (undergoing the stresses of navigating togetherness in an isolated world), God has become man and will be with us always.
Dressing up for Christmas as Christians
It is tradition to adorn our homes and even ourselves festively this season. In doing so, we are communicating a piece of the joy of the Nativity. But these adornments, even some silly pajamas, might point to something more profound. We feel the warmth, cheer, and joy of the holiday season when hearing Christmas music or seeing beautiful lights and we want to spread this cheer into the world.
Share the Gospel On Campus
Day of Light
As Orthodox Christians, it is important to Share the Gospel. Started at the University of Pittsburgh, Day of Light is an easy way for OCF chapters to set up a table about OCF on their campuses and share the Gospel. During the Day of Light, your chapter takes prayer requests from all students, and offers them a chance to light a candle at a Paraklesis service. The hope as an OCF chapter is to share the Light of Christ with our neighbors by doing something we do every Sunday, lighting candles for ourselves and for our loved ones!
Apologetic’s
7 Questions to Reflect on before the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity
Our understanding of this upcoming Holiday grows with us, the meaning is always constant. From the first Christmas (the Nativity of Christ) till that one year when you were 7 (and thought the world would end if you didn’t get Heelys for Christmas), till Christmas 2020 (undergoing the stresses of navigating togetherness in an isolated world), God has become man and will be with us always.
Dressing up for Christmas as Christians
It is tradition to adorn our homes and even ourselves festively this season. In doing so, we are communicating a piece of the joy of the Nativity. But these adornments, even some silly pajamas, might point to something more profound. We feel the warmth, cheer, and joy of the holiday season when hearing Christmas music or seeing beautiful lights and we want to spread this cheer into the world.
The Simplest, Littlest Things
If you looked at my 2020 planner in January, you would see back-to-back classes, club meetings, assignments, and exams, as well as vacations, road trips, summer camp, and OCF events lined up for the year. That planner was basically useless a few months later. By...
Pan-Orthodoxy
OCF is a Pan-Orthodox ministry by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. It is made up of all the active, canonical Orthodox bishops of the United States of America, of every jurisdiction. The purpose of the Assembly of Bishops of the United States of America is to preserve and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church by helping to further her spiritual, theological, ecclesiological, canonical, educational, missionary and philanthropic aims. To accomplish this, the Assembly has as its goals:
- the promotion and accomplishment of Church unity in the United States
- the strengthening of the common pastoral ministry to all the Orthodox faithful of the region
- a common witness by the Church to all those outside her, and
- the organization of the Church in the United States in accordance with the ecclesiological and the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church.
7 Questions to Reflect on before the Feast of Our Lord’s Nativity
Our understanding of this upcoming Holiday grows with us, the meaning is always constant. From the first Christmas (the Nativity of Christ) till that one year when you were 7 (and thought the world would end if you didn’t get Heelys for Christmas), till Christmas 2020 (undergoing the stresses of navigating togetherness in an isolated world), God has become man and will be with us always.
Dressing up for Christmas as Christians
It is tradition to adorn our homes and even ourselves festively this season. In doing so, we are communicating a piece of the joy of the Nativity. But these adornments, even some silly pajamas, might point to something more profound. We feel the warmth, cheer, and joy of the holiday season when hearing Christmas music or seeing beautiful lights and we want to spread this cheer into the world.
The Simplest, Littlest Things
If you looked at my 2020 planner in January, you would see back-to-back classes, club meetings, assignments, and exams, as well as vacations, road trips, summer camp, and OCF events lined up for the year. That planner was basically useless a few months later. By...