#FaithOverFear: Let’s Talk LIVE Online Community Gathering this coming Thursday at 4:00 pm EST. Join our free event from your home. This is generously brought to you through the James and Joanne Mitchell Foundation. If you would like to attend there is limited availability, please register HERE to receive sign-in instructions.

Things have been changing so fast these past few weeks. We continue to practice social distancing and many communities are now ordered to shelter in place. While the number of cases continue to increase, Orthodox Christians are unfortunately not able to attend church and are reaching out for online ways to engage in Orthodoxy. Many have asked us for not just online services, but for a way for Orthodox Christians to have a virtual casual conversation with a priest that allows them to also engage and ask questions.

Fr. Christopher Metropulos, our Executive Director, will be offering a “Let’s Talk” interactive video session. Limited availability. Join us for an opening prayer and discussion on Faith Over Fear as we launch this casual conversation about Orthodoxy and faith during this difficult time. Families are welcome and you will have the opportunity to ask questions. Joining is easy via the link or numbers below. If you plan to attend please simply respond back to this email to let us know.

  Let’s Talk Live with Jonathan Jackson and Fr. Chris Metropulos

We are pleased to announce our next myOCN Community Online Gathering this coming Thursday, April 16th, at 4:00 pm EST with special guest Jonathan Jackson, a renowned actor, musician, and author. Limited Availability. If you would like to attend, please register to receive sign-in instructions. https://bit.ly/3ca6buI

A five-time Emmy Award winner and devout convert to Orthodox Christianity. He recently played the role of St. Joseph in the film “Elder Joseph the Hesychast”. The film depicts the life of an ascetic monk of Mt. Athos who was recently canonized a Saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 

Let’s Talk Live with Hank Hanegraaff: Coronavirus, is it a sign of the End Times?

We are pleased to announce our next myOCN Community Online Gathering this coming Thursday, April 9th, at 4:00 pm EST with special guest Hank Hanegraaff, a renowned Christian author and OCN Contributor known by many as the “Bible Answer Man”. Many are asking if the coronavirus is a sign of the End Times, join our free event from your home as we explore the truth.

Community Gathering with Dr. Olympia Tachopoulou and Fr. Chris Metropulos

.We are pleased announce our next myOCN Community Online Gathering  with special guest Dr. Olympia Tachopoulou, a devout Orthodox Christian and Infectious Disease Expert on the front lines in Tacoma, WA. Join our free event from your home.

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Dear Faithful, Our Faith over Fear initiative is an effort to reach out to all Christians dealing with disruption in their lives. No one could have imagined the devastating impact that COVID-19 would have on our lives and in the world economy. Especially at this time of Great Lent for Christians throughout the world. Now more than ever, we must focus our attention on positive outlets, which allow us time to think, pray, and reflect on our lives. For those who believe in God, challenges are nothing new. Since the beginning of time, people have faced all kinds of problems, both physical and spiritual. Believers always have, or at least been encouraged, to look within and find the solace and healing of faith.

Now is the time for you, your children, and your family to speak to God and feel His comfort and Voice as he leads us through these difficult times.

During this critical time, I encourage you to: spend more quality time with your family, explore our online worship opportunities and resources, subscribe to Orthodox Christian TV, read daily scriptures, and join the prayer team. For those who are struggling with their faith but are seeking to further their knowledge and experience in the Church these offerings will open a new spiritual window for you to learn more about the ancient, historical Church of Christ.  

Throughout the centuries, we as children of Almighty God, have faced what seems at times the impossible; plagues, wars, depression, unemployment and yes, debilitating illnesses. But, God has always been there with us, as He was with our families and ancestors. Now is not the time for us to lose hope. Now is the time to allow faith to rule over fear. 

The OCN team will continue in the coming weeks to create new content and to curate insightful and engaging content to allow Orthodox Christians around the world to keep in their faith journey from the comfort of their homes. As we seek to grow our online offerings, especially during this tumultuous time, I hope you might consider supporting our efforts by making a gift below or via the mail to help us continue to reach millions of Orthodox Christians around the world.

Please join me in continuing to pray for those afflicted and for the safety of all of us and feel free to email or call me at any time.

Rev. Fr. Christopher T. Metropulos, D. Min., Executive Director

During periods of change, where do you reach out for help? To your online community. OCN has served as an online community to millions since 1995. We have been contacted by many people asking us to put together a list of more online faith based resources that are available during these difficult times.  

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5 Ways to Unite with Faith Over Fear

1. LIVE Prayer

Join us with Fr. Demetrios Kazakis of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church as he discusses Faith and Prayer in the time of #Covid19

2.  Keep Learning

     *Check back regularly for relevant updated content from our contributors.

3. Stay Informed with Trusted Sources

As an official agency of The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, we wanted to remind you to return for updates and visit your jurisdictions for news and resources.

Ecumenical Patriarchate: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Mexico; American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA; Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA; Albanian Orthodox Diocese

Patriarchate of Antioch: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Patriarchate of Moscow: Russian Orthodox Church;  Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR)

Patriarchate of Serbia: Serbian Orthodox Church in North, Central and South America

Patriarchate of Romania: Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas

Patriarchate of Bulgaria: Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia

Patriarchate of Georgia: Georgian Orthodox Church

Orthodox Church in America: Orthodox Church in America

4.  Worship Online

30 Online Church Services Streamed from Your Device

OCN offers online streaming of Orthodox worship services throughout the world. These streamed services are especially beneficial as we all face the closure of many Churches. Watch them with your family or just have them play in the background to put you in the spirit of Great Lent. As the situation continues to change, please be sure to check to see the times of the services by visiting the respective homepages. Please also let us know if you know of a parish you would like us to add by emailing: info@myocn.net  

“The Churches will continue to perform the appointed services, however the Faithful should pray from their homes and participate in these services through Internet broadcasts and multimedia. Clergy will continue to make visitations for those in need of sacramental and pastoral care.”  – Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.

Parishes outside of the United States of America

5.  Create a Safe Space for Children

  • Create a safe place for conversation. Create a spot for your kids to talk about what makes them scared. Many times just speaking it out dispels the fear.
  • Be honest. You yourself experience fear.  Sometimes kids are reluctant to admit what makes them feel scared. There’s nothing that breaks down walls better than humility. There’s comfort in knowing other people, especially their mom or dad, also experience fear.
  • Teach Them. Prayer is the go-to when they are feeling fearful.  Nothing brings a sense of peace and calm like talking to Jesus. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. — Philippians 4:6
  • Printable Materials. Supplemental Children’s activity books and drawings. OCN also brings you a weekly Children’s Word. It is a weekly ministry of the Orthodox Christian Network. Each week, Presvytera Alexandra Houck writes this newsletter for young parishioners! You will find age-appropriate articles, stories, and activities in every edition. The newsletter is provided in PDF format so that you can easily download and print, and share it with your parish, church school, homeschool, family, and friends. Each issue includes a message on the Sunday Gospel lesson and one of the saints for the week. You will also find a coloring page and other activities. It is designed for an 8.5 x 14 page, so that it can be printed and folded.
  • Read Scriptures Together.  One of the most significant ways to have peace of mind in today’s rapidly changing situation is to read Holy Scriptures. The Scriptures have remained the same for 2000 years. Share that fact with your children. There is not much else that has not changed that has done more good for people on earth than His Word! So read on with confidence and conviction that God is with you and your family. God’s word is truth, and the truth is that God does not want us to carry fear in our hearts. He is longing for us to bring those fears to Him.  Jesus Walks on the Water (Mt 14:22-34)/27.  But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Do not carry fear in your heart Romans 8:15.  Psalms. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. — Psalm 56:3.  I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. — Psalm 34:4. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10