Orthodox Christian Fellowship 50 Goddard Avenue – Brookline, MA 02445 617-850-1227 www.ocf.net
Contact: Joseph Bray, Communications Manager joseph@ocf.net
August 2, 2022 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
We’ve got good news! OCF receives $20,000 matching gift for 2022 Back to School Appeal
BROOKLINE, MA – College students across the country are returning to campus. Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) will be there to offer them rich community in Christ, inspiring a life-long love of God and neighbor.
In recognition of students coming back to school and with thanks to two generous donors, any donations offered until August 15 will be doubled until the $20,000 goal is met. All gifts made will support transformational student events, effective outreach, engaging digital presence, faithful staff, and life-changing student leadership development.
Incoming Student Leadership Board (SLB) Chairman, Elias Anderson has begun working with his fellow SLB members and OCF staff to ensure a robust campus ministry this academic year. He had this to say to his fellow college students:
“This year we’re going to do everything we can to help chapters flourish on campus and have amazing national programs for everyone! So what are you waiting for? Get involved!”
Students like Elias are counting on OCF. Together, we can keep students close to Christ this school year.
For more information, contact OCF Advancement Manager, Donna Levas at donna@ocf.net
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is an agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States and serves as the official campus ministry of Orthodox Christians in the US and Canada.
We’ve got good news! OCF receives $10,000 Matching Donation for Back to School Appeal
BROOKLINE, MA — After more than a year of uncertainty, many of our Orthodox Christian college students will be returning to campus this fall. Orthodox Christian Fellowship will be there to greet them, guiding them along the path to Jesus Christ through His Church.
During the month of August, OCF will be sharing stories of students and alumni who have been transformed by Christ through Orthodox Christian campus ministry. Jeanine Kaileh, the incoming 2021 – 2022 Student Leadership Board chairwoman, shared the following thoughts on her hopes for her fellow students as they begin this new academic year,
“As students are coming back on campus this fall, I really hope they can find their Orthodox community and continue building upon that, with those friendships. I also hope that they create their routine of going to church, having study dates with their church friends, having their church friends and their non-Orthodox friends come together, and really share the joy that we have much needed after a crazy year and a half.”
Students like Jeanine are counting on us this school year. Together, we can be there for them, continuing to make a difference, building community, strengthening faith, and bringing Christ’s love to college campuses.
Thanks to a $10,000 match from a generous donor, donations will be matched dollar for dollar until we reach the 10k goal. All funds raised facilitate opportunities for students to grow in their faith and in fellowship with another, including retreats, small groups, chapter resources, and national programs.
Donate once, make twice the impact — help us keep college students close to Christ and His Church.
OCF Director of Ministries, Christina Andresen, gives the Church an admonishment worth heeding:
OCF Alumnus, Jordan Gamble, shares his experience of singing karaoke and why Orthodox campus ministry matters:
Fr. Chrysostom Arthur shares his story of starting an OCF chapter of 99% Baptist students:
Watch the story of Jeanine Kaileh, 2021-22 Student Leadership Board Chairwoman:
For more information contact OCF Development Manager, Donna Levas at donna@ocf.net.
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is an agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States and serves as the official campus ministry for the twelve (12) Orthodox Christian jurisdictions that the Assembly represents. Its mission is to transform the lives of college students by guiding them along the path to Jesus Christ through His Church, cultivating a campus community of worship, witness, service, fellowship, and education.
Hello! This is your friendly Publications Student leader. My name is Demetri Maroutsos, I am from Chicago, Illinois (Glenview more specifically), and it is a pleasure to be of service for this 2018-2019 school year. For my first blog post, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce myself and tell my OCF story so you can get a better understanding of who I am as you continue with me on this year’s compositional journey.
If we want to start from the very beginning, I was baptized with the name Demetrios in St. Haralambos Church in Niles, Illinois. Fast forward to my first year at college, I am a nervous freshman who barely knows left from right on my college campus. Luckily for me, my cousin was accompanying me on my freshman journey and invited me to the annual OCF barbecue that my chapter hosts every year.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a huge meeting house appropriately titled “the NIKA house” named after “IC XC NIKA” or in English, the “Conquers” in “Jesus Christ Conquers.” Fifty Orthodox students congregated for the welcome barbecue sharing summer stories and introductions over the smell of sweet barbecue sauce and savory bacon macaroni and cheese. I added my name and email to the listserv and my OCF story was officially underway. I would attempt to come to weekly meetings, my attendance picking up on the tail end of my second semester.
Sophomore year, I return with a higher sense of surety in myself and my position within my school. My biology classes were picking up and so was my identity as an Orthodox Christian. My best friendships were starting to grow out of OCF relationships and my regular attendance at OCF was established. At meetings, we would eat dinner together, followed by a discussion on relevant topics about Orthodoxy and our role on the college campus. My first interaction with OCF as a national organization was at the Midwest spring retreat held at St. Iakovos Retreat center.
It was a cold and snowy spring, as is usual in the Wisconsin climate. I was put in a cabin with 25 other Orthodox Christians, and I was able to be real and meet people who were fighting their good fight all around the Midwest. I made some friendships that thrive until this day at that retreat, and I left feeling refreshed yet spiritually full, ready to take on the terror that was my Organic Chemistry final. At the end of that year I was elected to lead the OCF at the University of Illinois as the President during my junior year.
My junior year as president was challenging and rewarding. I was pulled between my leadership board, our church, the OCF alumni, OCF nationals and my students. We even won the Orthodox Awareness Month competition! The year ended well with a lot of Orthodoxy and a lot of fellowship, and I was inspired to apply for the OCF Leadership Board by one of my friends. I loved reading other Orthodox blogs and decided it was my turn to give it a try.
Here we find ourselves to today. My OCF story here halts because my goal with the blog is to not make it about me, but about each and every OCFer across the country. Here, we can discuss the very things that make us college students, tick, fun trips we go on, and the day to day beauty we all experience on our college campuses. I am so excited to embark on this journey with you all.
If you are interested in being a blog contributor or would like more information about the blog, email me at publicationsstudent@ocf.net
Also, if you have questions, comments or ideas please email me! I’d love to hear all your voices. You can email me at the same address, publicationsstudent@ocf.net
