New From The Orthodox Christian Fellowship
Orthodox Christian Fellowship’s (OCF) first ever National OCF Day of
Prayer will take place beginning at 6 PM EST on Sunday, Feb. 22 and
ending at 6 PM EST on Monday, February 23, 2004. Great Lent begins with
the service of Forgiveness Vespers on Sunday, Feb. 22, and Orthodox
college students will continue praying for 24 consecutive hours
following. OCF groups from colleges all across the United States and
Canada have signed up for one-hour increments where they will
participate in a special prayer service which includes petitions for
peace in the world, unity in the Church, and for Orthodox college
students and their futures. Some of the participating local OCF groups
include: University of Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, University of
Colorado, Boston University, UCSB and Westmont College (CA), University
of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, University of Texas, University
of Connecticut, Hellenic College (MA), and Pennsylvania State
University.
OCF National Day of Prayer is occurring in the hopes of bringing all OCF
chapters together for an important mission to join in prayer to
intercede on behalf of the Church and its people. Rev. Fr. Michael
Nasser, Executive Director of OCF, stated, “With over 40,000 Orthodox
College students currently on campuses and almost 200 OCF local
fellowships scattered from coast to coast, I can’t think of a better way
for our students to begin the Great Fast than engaging in the
wonderfully unifying act of prayer. I can see the Day of Prayer becoming
an important hallmark of this important movement.”
Renowned Author and Lecturer to Speak Throughout the Week at Penn State
During the week of February 16-21, Fr. Peter Gillquist, internationally
known author, Orthodox Christian lecturer, and evangelist will be on the
campus of Penn State to meet with students and speak on various topics
concerning how to live a purpose-driven life. Fr. Peter’s visit is part
of the “Get a Life” speaker series sponsored by National Orthodox
Christian Fellowship.
For decades, Fr. Peter has been invited to speak with college students
on campuses across North America, and teaching them about the joy of
living a Christian life and encouraging them to hold firm to their
humanity. Throughout the week-long series, Fr. Peter will be speaking to
the students each evening in different dorms and spending his days
interacting with the students on campus. On Friday evening, Fr. Peter
will be joined by two contemporary Christian folk musicians, Peter Jon
Gillquist and Ron Moore, who will be performing live in concert in the
student union.
The week-long series will conclude with a seminar on Saturday morning
and will be open to both students and the general public. Fr. Peter will
present a talk on the topic of the Christian vocation, entitled “Get a
Life.”
Fr. Peter Gillquist has countless credentials and is a pioneer in the
area of Christian outreach. Fr. Peter has a bachelor’s degree in
journalism from the University of Minnesota (1960) and he did graduate
work at both Dallas Theological Seminary and Wheaton College. Fr. Peter
is a former Regional Director for Campus Crusade for Christ, has held
positions as Senior Editor for Thomas Nelson Publishers, and Director of
Development for the University of Memphis. Since 1997, Fr. Peter has
been the National Chaplain for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, and is
the author of many books including: "Love is Now" and "Becoming
Orthodox". Fr. Peter is an Archpriest in the Antiochian Orthodox
Christian Archdiocese of North America where he serves as Chairman for
the Department of Missions and Evangelism. This series is made possible
through a Lilly Endowment, Inc. Vocations grant to Hellenic College of
Brookline, MA and the National Orthodox Christian Fellowship Office.
About OCF
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the official campus ministry
effort of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the
Americas (SCOBA). It is a Pan-Orthodox effort, overseen by an Executive
Committee and aided by a sixteen-person Student Advisory Board. The
office is located in Boston, MA, where a full time staff develops OCF
programs and resources. The staff is available to guide and support
local OCF chapters through communication with the larger Orthodox
community, national programs, and development of resources for use by
Orthodox college students. SCOBA designated the 3rd Sunday in September
each year as “College Student Sunday” to raise awareness of our students
on campus and OCF’s activities.
February 17, 2004
Orthodox Christian Fellowship
P.O. Box 249
Boston, MA 02130
1-800-919-1623
www.ocf.net