Relay for Life!

It’s that time of year to start donating for RELAY FOR LIFE!

For those of you who may not know, Relay for Life is an annual overnight event held by the American Cancer Society and Colleges against Cancer to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors, remember lost loved ones, and raise money to help fight back against this disease.

This year, U of I’s annual Relay for Life walk falls on Orthodox Easter. Since most of us will be in church and/or heading home to be with our families, our OCF team won’t be participating in the actual event. However, we are still raising donations for this great cause!!

Our goal this year is to raise $350 and we need your help!!

Click here to view the TEAM page for OCF

Our team page offers three options:

Donate: Donate online! Even if it’s just $5, any increment is appreciated!

Luminaria: For $10, you can purchase an In Honor Of/In Memory Of luminaria bag that will be lit around the track during the Relay event!

Join: Each member of OCF is invited to join our team page! From there, you are able to send out your own emails to family members and friends for additional donations!

If you have any questions please contact Angela (akarou2@illinois.edu) or Nicole (nicole21492@yahoo.com).

Upcoming Tuesday Discussion- Guest Speaker!

Hi OCFers,

We have some exciting news to share. We will have a guest speaker, this coming Tuesday, Feb 21! Fr. Nabil from Indianapolis, IN who was born in Egypt will be discussing the differences and political issues regarding why we are not in communion with the Oriental Orthodox Church. We are really looking forward to having him visit!!

Guest Speaker Flyer!

OCF Discussion 2/14 Recap: Love, Relationships, Dating

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, our OCF held a discussion about Love, Dating, and Relationships specifically in a college setting. Below are the links to the article we discussed and then another link explaining the 4 different types of love. We thoroughly enjoyed sharing our thoughts, and gaining advice on how to prepare for healthy relationships!

• Love, Dating, Relationships 
• Four Types of Love

If there was one key take away from the discussion it is that love is so much more than just and emotion. Rather it is commitment, dedication, support, and a constant strive to have Christ at the center of the relationship.

Ice Skating on March 7

His Grace Bishop Demetrios visits for the Feast of the Three Hierarchs

Today, OCF Illinois had a special visitor, His Grace Bishop Demetrios. Students gathered at the OCC house for some sweet treats and an enriching discussion covering topics from the churches stance on controversial topics to current orthodox outreach ministries programs. Each year the students appreciate His Grace’s kindhearted gestures in getting to learn more about the OCF chapter and the students. As the Three Hierarchs are the patron saints of learning and education, the students are pleased to celebrate this wonderful feast day with His Grace.

College Conference 2011

College Conference 2011: Raise me Above the World’s Confusion proved to be one of my most memorable college experiences. In the short three days I spent in Pennsylvania I not only grew spiritually, but also created life-long friendships. Maria Tsikalis, a great friend I made on the trip, summed up the experience quite well:

“It’s hard to put into words how amazing it is for me knowing that I have you and an entire sphere of Orthodox college students as part of my life, even those I didn’t meet! It’s like a whole support system that I have always had without knowing I’ve had it, you know?”

There are not enough words for me to fully explain how moving this experience was, I only hope more students from our OCF chapter will attend next year. Here is the link to the sensational speakers, College Conference East Recording 2011

Hope it proves to be as beneficial for you as it was for me!

Welcome to Spring 2012

Our first meeting of the year will take place TODAY at 6pm at the OCF House (Second & John). Get ready for an amazing semester. We can’t wait!

Welcome

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We would like to welcome to our brand new site. It’s been completely redesigned from the ground up to focus on you, the reader. We’ve gone Web 2.0, focusing on posting content frequently, getting your comments, sharing photos and memories, and more. The site is as interactive and useful as you make it. Look for the content to start flowing once the Spring 2012 semester begins. Until then, happy surfing.