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Final Episode of GET WISDOM
Posted on Thursday, April 08, 2010 at 1:41 PM by Jason Barker
The final episode of the GET WISDOM podcast is now available.
Posted in Get Wisdom!, OCN
The Future of My Teen Bible Studies is in Your Hands!
Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 4:56 PM by Jason Barker
Hi, I'm Jason Barker, the host of Get Wisdom. For over 6 ½ years I've been producing Bible study materials for Orthodox Christian teens, and for almost 2 ½ years I'be been producing the Get Wisdom podcast. I'm doing this special episode of Get Wisdom because I need your feedback.
I love studying the Bible, and I love sharing Bible study with Orthodox Christian teens and adults. But now, after years of creating these—and other materials—I have a bit of a dilemma: I need to make some choices about what work (both Orthodox and otherwise) I'll be doing in the future. This is where you come in.
Don't worry, I'm not asking for any money!
What I need from you is feedback: do you value my teen Bible studies and Get Wisdom podcast? Do you want me to create more of them (such as continuing the series on the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew)? If so, then I need to hear from you. Let me know that you want me to continue creating Bible studies and podcasts for teens. Or, if there's something else you'd like to see and use, let me know about that.
Send me an email, or contact me using Twitter, Facebook, or a number of instant messaging services, from my website at orthodoxresource.com.
I'm not asking for any type of financial commitment, or even any personal information; if I continue creating these resources, I'll create them entirely for free, just as I always have. All I want is to know that there are enough people who use and value these resources that you're willing to tell me you want them.
If I hear from enough people, then I'll know that I need to continue creating teen Bible studies and the Get Wisdom podcast. If I don't hear from people, however, then I'll know that it's time for me to move on and do something else. In either case, praise God.
So again, send me an email, or visit my website at orthodoxresource.com. In two weeks I'll let you know what I've learned. Until then, thank you.
Posted in Bible Studies, Get Wisdom!, Jason Barker, Miscellaneous, OCN, Youth Department
Share the Light Sunday
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 5:44 PM by Jason Barker
January 17th, 2010, is the OCN's annual Share the Light Sunday. Click here to learn more about how you can support the Orthodox Christian Network.
Posted in OCN
OCN Stations on Your Website
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009 at 7:15 AM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network now offers the code to embed a Flash player of The Ark or The Rudder on your website or blog. Their announcement is below:
The Orthodox Christian Network now offers code for Orthodox Webmasters and bloggers to embed players for The Ark and The Rudder directly on their Websites. Both The Ark and The Rudder offer 24/7 streaming music. The Ark is a rich mix of contemporary styles from Orthodox artists and those whose work is compatible with Orthodox sensibilities. Some Western-ear friendly chant is included in the playlist as well. The Rudder offers Orthodox liturgical chant in all styles and multiple languages. The sacred music of the Rudder helps keep us all on course through the storms of modern life.
This is a great opportunity to boost traffic to your site and spread the truth of Orthodoxy. The embed code is available online by clicking here. Orthodox Webmasters can copy the code to embed flash players for The Ark or The Rudder directly on their pages, or to link to them in a popup window that leaves site users free to surf further without losing their music! Visit the code page today.
Posted in OCN, Online Resources
Support the OCN
Posted on Friday, October 30, 2009 at 1:47 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network has a current donation program where a donation of $100 or more enters you to win an iPod Nano. Information is below:
2009 has been a year of extraordinary change for us as individuals, as families and even as a Church. Regardless of how many changes we are confronted with, we can always turn to our Faith for inspiration, guidance and comfort. Orthodoxy, by its very nature, is the unchanging, guiding light that helps us through life.
\How how do we turn to our Faith? That’s where the Orthodox Christian Network comes in. We are dedicated to making the timeless Truth of our Orthodox Church readily available to you. Using three online radio stations and twenty podcasts, OCN can help you feel inspired by and connected to the Church.
Give at least $100 at this time and be entered to win an OCN Apple Nano. We are funded entirely by listeners like you and need your help to continue sharing our Timeless Faith in a timely fashion. Your end of the year gift will help us bring you and your family inspiring music, lessons and personal stories of our Church as you work, surf the internet, or even go for a run with your mp3 player!
Visit our web site at www.myocn.net for further details.
Posted in OCN
Orthodox Life Tips
Posted on Monday, October 05, 2009 at 11:50 AM by Jason Barker
My new daily one-minute devotional podcast, Orthodox Life Tips, launches today on the Orthodox Christian Network. The press release is below:
The Orthodox Christian Network is excited to announce its newest addition to its already dynamic and ever-evolving list of Podcast Channels – Orthodox Life Tips, launching October 5, 2009.
Orthodox Life Tips will be a one-minute program offered each weekday, reflecting on an issue we face in our daily lives and offering advice from a saint or Orthodox teacher on handling that issue and growing in our relationships with God and the world around us. Rev. Dr. Christopher Metropulos, Executive Director of the SCOBA agency, says, “Our faith offers a wealth of guidance for handling and growing through the issues we face in our busy lives. We are excited to offer this resource to help listeners experience the lifetime impact that can develop from just one minute each day.”
Jason Barker, the host of Orthodox Life Tips, is also host of the OCN’s popular podcast Get Wisdom, a weekly Bible study program for Orthodox Christian teens and adults. Jason brings to his programs both enthusiasm for Orthodox Christianity and years of experience writing and teaching about how to live the Orthodox faith in the modern world. Among his many productions and publications are the annual Bible studies for the Department of Youth Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
To learn more about Orthodox Life Tips and Jason’s other resources visit http://www.orthodoxresource.com, and listen to the Get Wisdom podcast at http://www.myocn.net.
Posted in Jason Barker, OCN, Online Resources, Orthodox News
50 for 50 Appeal
Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 at 8:29 AM by Jason Barker
Fr. Christopher Metropulos states the Orthodox Christian Network is looking for a special group of supporters:
Almost 200 American youth have venerated and visited holy relics and sites in Greece this summer, while their parents have been following their journey on the other side of the Atlantic. These youth have experienced life-changing encounters with God while in Greece, and we have been able to share it with the world. This technology has been made possible by the efforts of OCN and the faithful giving of our audience - people JUST LIKE YOU. We feel it is our call to serve faithful and seekers around the world by using the best media tools available today. Our call and mandate is to strengthen the Church and feed the faithful, using modern technology to share the ancient faith of the apostles with the world.
To continue to fulfill this call we need YOU. We need 50 people to believe in this ministry and commit to it every month for the next 12 months. Help us bring the faith face to face with people all over the world who thirst to learn about Orthodox Christianity.
We are dedicated to harnessing the power of the Internet to build the Kingdom here and today. This is not a dream but a reality, and a reality that is improving daily. We've been busy with new podcasts, like "Mission Possible: Orthodox Parenting Today", an upgraded site, customized Internet Radio stations for parishes and exciting youth travel blogs where we cover trips around the world for the faithful at home to enjoy. Visit our website today to see for yourself at myocn.net. But we need your support to keep producing the best in Orthodox teaching, preaching and podcasts.
That's why for the next 50 days, we hope to find 50 people to make a commitment to donate $50 per month. If you enjoy what OCN has done for you, your family and the Church, then give today to join this special "50 for 50" group. As a "50 for 50 Giver", you will also receive a complimentary copy of Bruce Feiler's "Where God was Born". This fascinating New York Times Bestseller accounts the author's 10,000 mile journey through the heart of the Middle East.
Please give today to assure your copy and perpetuate the faith! Click here now to visit our contribution page for his campaign!
Posted in OCN
New OCN Podcast
Posted on Friday, June 19, 2009 at 1:51 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network has launched a new podcast on social ministry and outreach:
The Orthodox Christian Network is excited to announce another addition to its already dynamic and ever evolving list of Radio on Demand Programming (Podcast), The FOCUS North America Podcast.
The Focus North America Podcast will feature engaging commentary and timely updates on Orthodox Christian social action volunteers, agencies and ministries of the Orthodox Church reaching out to the poor and needy here at home.
Rev. Dr. Christopher Metropulos, the Executive Director of the OCN, an agency of SCOBA, said, “Serving the poor and needy in North America should be a priority for every Orthodox Christian. We are proud to partner with FOCUS North America and to support their dynamic and growing ministry on behalf of the whole Church.”
“We are excited to have this opportunity to partner with OCN and the great work they are doing in sharing the Orthodox faith. Every dollar given to FOCUS North America and every podcast listened to and shared with a friend helps to provide vital Food, Occupations, Clothing, Understanding and Shelter for the truly needy in North America,” said FOCUS’ Executive Director, Fr. Justin Mathews. Fr. Mathews continued, “The podcast will feature how FOCUS North America is uniting the faithful in serving our neighbors in need as the Lord commanded us to do in Matthew 25.”
The new podcast titled “FOCUS North America" will be available on OCN’s newly enhanced and upgraded web site www.myocn.net. Hosting the podcast each episode will be Fr. Justin Mathews, with co-host Jacob Lee, the host of the popular “Generation Orthodox” and “Journeys to Orthodoxy” podcasts, along with special guest Nick Kasemeotes and many others.
FOCUS North America is committed to serving those in need in North America by providing aid through its programs and partners, supporting existing Orthodox agencies, ministries and professionals, and supplying parishes with what they need in order to initiate new social action ministries in their own communities.
To learn more about FOCUS North America and to watch a video highlighting the work of FOCUS North America visit: http://www.focusnorthamerica.org.
Posted in OCN
Support the OCN
Posted on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 9:25 PM by Jason Barker
In a letter stating the need for regular supporters of the Orthodox Christian Network, Fr. Christopher Metropulos mentions some of the new and upcoming activities at the OCN:
Summer is an amazing time of rebirth and rejuvenation for everyone, but especially for Orthodox Christians. During this season, we celebrate Christ's Ascension, the Feast days of many important Saints, as well as the Apostles’ and Dormition Fasts. What do all of these things have in common? All commemorate the Church's mission and efforts to continue spreading the saving Word of Christ after His departure from this world. At OCN, that's exactly the mission that we continue.
Each month, OCN is pleased to offer you new podcasts, blogs and special features that keep you up-to-date on the latest news and greatest minds in Orthodoxy. Our site is continually adding new programs such as: Beyond the Veil, our renowned podcast on the Apocalypse, my youth trip blogs, and useful resource pages where listeners can find the best learning material for any season of the year. OCN is committed to offering these programs and services in order to continue spreading the saving message of Christ to people all over the world.
And this summer, it’s getting even better at myocn.net! Stay tuned as our OCN team travels to Greece to cover more youth events, upgrades our online radio stations, and continues to offer exciting coverage of global Orthodox events. With all this and more, you'll see why OCN has become the one-stop source for Orthodox media coverage!
But reporting on the global pulse of the Orthodox Church takes time and funding. That's why I hope you'll consider becoming a monthly donor. No matter what donation you give, it would truly help ensure our ability to inspire the faithful, spread the faith, and connect you to the Church. Please visit us now at www.myocn.net or call 954-522-5567 to find out how to set up your monthly donation.
Posted in OCN
Updated Ark and Rudder Radio Stations
Posted on Friday, June 05, 2009 at 10:27 AM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network has announced that they've updated their radio stations, The Ark and The Rudder:
Our Ark and Rudder radio stations have undergone a major upgrade! Our stations now feature more music, daily scripture and readings, and much more! Go to myocn.net to listen.
Posted in OCN
OCN Pascha Appeal
Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 at 7:11 AM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network's Pascha Appeal has been extended through Pentecost:
The tomb is empty! And our generous donor has decided to extend our Pascha Appeal till Pentecost! We are roughly halfway through our fundraising goal for this period, BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP.
With your gift of $10, $25 or $50, OCN can continue to be a listener-supported ministry that connects you and your family to the Orthodox Faith and the greater Orthodox world, all week long.
Only with YOUR help can OCN continue to provide the highest quality podcasts, streaming radio and land-based radio to the United States and the world. Help us bring the sacred truths of Orthodoxy to families and the next generation by helping today.
As always, I thank you for your continued prayers, support and stewardship. And I pray that the joy of Bright Week - the joy of our resurrected Lord - will remain with you always.
Simply click here to send your gift via PayPal today. You don't need a PayPal account; just use your credit card to make a donation. Or, if you prefer, please call us at 877-273-2348.
Posted in OCN
Win an iPod Touch or Shuffle
Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 at 12:28 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network is giving away an iPod Touch and two iPod shuffles to celebrate Pascha:
To celebrate Pascha, this year OCN is giving away 3 iPods filled with Byzantine music!
We have two separate giveaways:
1) Win an iPod Touch - the person who successfully invites the most people to register on our site wins! Just sign up, or login if already a member. The invite your friends page appears automatically. Just enter the email addresses of your friends, and send them a request to support Orthodoxy by joining the OCN Website. It's free, and if you are the person with the most successful invitations - the iPod Touch is yours!
2) Win an iPod Shuffle - A random giveaway of 2 iPod Shuffles chosen from new members of our site! Sign up today to enter our contest for one of two iPod Shuffles.
Posted in OCN
OCN on the iPhone
Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 10:15 AM by Jason Barker
You can now listen to the Orthodox Christian Network's Internet radio stations, The Ark and The Rudder, on the iPhone / iPod Touch without purchasing WunderRadio (as I talked about in an earlier post).
The MP3 streams of these stations can be accessed by using the following URLs:
The Ark: http://63.247.193.10:8092/listen.pls
The Rudder: http://63.247.193.10:8102/listen.pls
I'm not sure what process the OCN has in mind for playing these streams on the iPhone / iPod (since they won't open in Safari), but I've gotten them to play by entering the URLs into my favorites in the free FStream app (which is the iPhone version of the same free app I use on my iMac).
ADDED: I should also note that I use FStream to listen to Ancient Faith's music stream (I seldom listen to the talk stream, since I already subscribe to quite a few podcasts). Simply add the following URLs to your favorites:
Ancient Faith Music: http://ancientfaith.com/streams/music128k.pls
Ancient Faith Talk: http://ancientfaith.com/streams/talk64k.pls
Edited on: Friday, February 20, 2009 10:31 AMPosted in Ancient Faith, OCN, Online Resources
Win an Orthodox Study Bible
Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 at 10:22 AM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network is giving away an Orthodox Study Bible to one person who registers on their site in February.
Posted in Miscellaneous, OCN
The Ark on the iPhone / iPod Touch
Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 6:50 PM by Jason Barker
You can now listen to The Ark's mix of Orthodox music and teaching (including the Get Wisdom Bible study program for teens) on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
You will need the WunderRadio app, which converts the Windows audio stream used by The Ark's media player into a format that will play on the Apple devices.
Simply search for "The Ark" in the application's station directory, or look under the list of stations broadcasting from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Posted in Miscellaneous, OCN, Online Resources
Come Receive the Light
Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2009 at 9:02 AM by Jason Barker
This week's episode of Come Receive the Light, the Orthodox Christian Network's national radio program, features Fr. Lawrence Farley talking about the Bible and the Orthodox Church.
Posted in Miscellaneous, OCN
Win an Orthodox Study Bible
Posted on Saturday, August 09, 2008 at 7:30 AM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network will be giving an Orthodox Study Bible to one person each week who registers for a free membership at MyOCN.net during August. Their instructions:
Go to www.MyOCN.net, click on "Member Login in the upper, right-hand corner, and then click on "Register."
Posted in OCN, Orthodox News
New Partnership Between INMN and OCN
Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 2:52 PM by Jason Barker
Jacob Lee of Icon New Media Network has announced a new partnership between Icon and the Orthodox Christian Network:
Icon New Media Network is proud to announce our new partnership with the Orthodox Christian Network. OCN is an agency of SCOBA and has been established to create a national, sustainable and effective media witness for the Orthodox Christian Church in North America. OCN has agreed to distribute Icon New Media Network content on their distribution channels and by combining our efforts, we’ll be we working together to reach a larger audience.
It is exciting to take this new step and link with this well respected, multi-jurisdictional organization. We know this partnership will only enhance the belief of Icon New Media Network “that Orthodox Christianity is the future of American spirituality”.
Posted in OCN
Give to the OCN, Get a Free Book
Posted on Friday, June 20, 2008 at 12:21 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network has a new donation program: give a monthly pledge of at least $10, and receive a free copy of Fr. Lawrence Farley's The Gospel of John: Beholding the Glory:
With your support and prayers, we've been touching lives for Christ and making a difference for Orthodox Christian outreach in this country for more than a decade.
Do you ever wonder if there's a way you can help spread the message? If so, I hope you'll consider joining us in this sacred cause today as a monthly donor. Your monthly gift would be a great help and it would support the long-term growth of Orthodox media outreach.
If you pledge $10 a month or more, we'll send you a gift copy of The Gospel of John by Fr. Lawrence Farley as our thanks for your support. This wonderful work explains the Gospel of St. John in a straightforward and Orthodox way to feed both heart and mind.
To make your pledge and receive your copy, please call us at 877.273.2348 or visit our Website to become a monthly donor.
Or if you are ready to pledge to make a difference for Orthodoxy, then click here to immediately begin your monthly donation of $10.00!
Once again, thank you for caring about Christ's Church and being a part of the growing OCN family!
Yours for the spread of Orthodoxy,
Rev. Dr. Christopher T. Metropulos
Executive Director
Orthodox
Christian Network
P.S. Your monthly pledge will make a real difference to the growth of Orthodox media outreach. Don't delay: We have a limited number of copies of The Gospel of John, so please make your pledge today. Thank you!
Posted in OCN
St. Brendan the Navigator
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 7:46 PM by Jason Barker
Fr. Christopher Metropulos has an interesting interview with Terry Mattingly about St. Brendan the Navigator. I mention this not only because it is an interesting conversation, but also because St. Brendan - whose feast day is May 16th - is my son's name saint.
You can learn more about St. Brendan, and order an icon, from Come & See Icons.
Posted in OCN, Online Resources
OCN Matching Grant Extended
Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 at 10:44 AM by Jason Barker
Fr. Christopher Metropulos has announced that the Orthodox Christian Network's Pascha Appeal has been extended:
I hope you'll be as excited as I am to learn that the Orthodox Christian Network has received more than $35,000 in donations from supporters like you during this Paschal season, all of which will go directly to EXPANDING Orthodox Christian programming on the radio, the Internet and television!
That's truly amazing, especially when you consider that the vast majority of those donations came from individuals who gave $25 or $50. I believe this demonstrates the power of what we can do when we join together, and it proves that YOUR GIFT – no matter how large or small – REALLY DOES make a difference!
But the good news doesn't end there: I've just confirmed that we are able to EXTEND our Matching Campaign, so your Paschal donation can still be MATCHED dollar for dollar. With your support, we can continue to SHARE CHRIST'S JOYFUL RESURRECTION with thousands all around the world. Please join us. Every single gift makes a difference. Thank you so much!
Click here to donate.
Posted in OCN
Tools for Collecting Orthodox Quotes
Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 at 2:41 PM by Jason Barker
The work I do requires a fair amount of organization - I have numerous different projects on which I'm working at any given time for different organizations, departments and/or ministries. I've therefore developed reasonable (for me) systems of organizing my time, my different projects, the resources for the different projects, and resources (such as Lingo scripts for Director) that I share between projects.
An area in which I tend to fail dismally, however, is in organizing my notes - and particularly quotations - that I use in articles and other documents I write. For some inexplicable reason, when writing I tend to simply have teetering piles of books stuffed with bookmarks on my desk - and a large number of websites bookmarked in my browser - but I have seldom gotten around to actually putting quotes and citations in some type of database or filing system. Thus, when I need a quote or reference that I used in a previous publication, I need to remember the specific publication, find it, and then read it to find the needed information (and too often I find that I misremembered the publication, forcing me to go through several works until I find the information).
My primary New Year's resolution for this year was therefore to turn around this abominable practice and develop a recording system that will enable me to easily find quotations on a topic. I was fortunate to use a type of application that works well with the way my mind organizations information; you might also find it to be helpful.
TREE-STYLE EDITORS
The application to which I'm referring is a tree-style text editor (you can also find them called such things as tree-view information organizers, tree-view PIMs, etc.). When working on the application for the Be Transformed study of Romans, I needed some way of tracking the location of objects on screens, the specific screens on which specific articles and indices appeared, and the location of individual objects (such as specific scripts) from within the cast of several thousand objects that are used in the application.
The free tree-style editor KeyNote (for Windows) served my needs very well: I created nodes for such things as the templates for the different types of screens, and then child nodes for each individual type of screen. Then, when I needed to find the location of an object on a screen, I could simply open the node for templates, and then look at the child node on which I had listed the object locations within that template. I created similar sets of parent/child nodes for articles and for cast members.
If I still used Windows as my primary OS I would still be using KeyNote. I eventually switched to a Mac, however, and I wanted something that would run on my Mac without necessitating the time and resource drain of continually running Windows in Parallels simply so that I could take notes. I eventually settled on Jreepad, a multi-platform application (it requires Java). Jreepad lacks many of KeyNote's features - particularly the ability to work with rich text (Jreepad uses only plain text) - but it saves files in the same format as the commercial application Treepad (which is a Windows app, but is supposedly coming to the Mac this year), and I like the fact that it allows me and others to use the files on both Windows and OS X.
Many readers may prefer Jreepad because, while it's more limited than KeyNote, it is also significantly easier to use than KeyNote: there are only eight simple commands, each of which has its own button in the application's toolbar.
SAVING AND ORGANIZING ORTHODOX QUOTES
I'll use Jreepad - which both PC and Mac users can use - as an example of how you can collect and organize quotations from Church Fathers and modern Orthodox writers. The image below displays the key elements I'll be discussing.
You'll start in the organizational tree by naming the main topic to be covered in this file: in my Jreepad file I simply named this topic "Patristic Quotes" (even though I also include modern quotations). Every topic that you will add to this collection will be added by clicking the "Add Below" button.
After creating a node for an individual topic (you can see my continually-growing list of topics in the left sidebar of the above image), you will then add a child to that topic. I organize the "children" of my topics in one of two ways: by subtopic, or by author. A huge topic - like Christ - will have a number of subtopics; a smaller topic - like Annunciation - will probably not have subtopics, and thus the first level of children will be the names of authors of various quotes. Further levels of children can be created as necessary.
To see an example of this, in the above graphic look at the node for "Annunciation" (which, at the time I am writing this, we will celebrate tomorrow). At this time I only have a quotation from St. Romanos the Melodist about the Annunciation; there is therefore only one child for Annunciation node. I also only have one quote from St. Romanos, and thus there is only one child of his node; if I had two hymns from him, then there would be two children of the "St. Romanos the Melodist" node.
If there is a subtopic that becomes so big that it needs to be made into its own topic, I can simply use the "Out" button to move the node further to the left (which also changes its level in the organizational hierarchy from a "child" node to a "parent" node). Conversely, when I create a topic that I later decide should instead be a subtopic of another topic, then I can use the "Up" button to move the lesser topic's node directly beneath the node for the greater topic, and then use the "In" button to move the lesser topic to the right (and thereby change it into a "child" of the greater topic).
This is the basic process I use for organizing and saving Orthodox quotations. The specific application commands will be different if you use KeyNote instead of Jreepad (or any other similar program), but the basic organizational strategy you use will be similar.
SOURCES FOR ORTHODOX QUOTES
There are, of course, many excellent translations of patristic works and modern works from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press and others that you can obtain from such sources as Light & Life, Conciliar Press and Eighth Day Books. There are also good modern Orthodox periodicals, like Conciliar Press' AGAIN magazine and The Handmaiden.
There are also websites with free translations of patristic works. In addition to the Christian Classics Ethereal Library's public domain collection of The Early Church Fathers, Matthew Steenberg's Monachos site has quite a few translations and articles.
I also recommend Fr. Stephen Freeman's Glory to God for All Things blog which, in addition to containing Fr. Stephen's valuable thoughts, also frequently contains quotations from ancient and modern Orthodox writers. Fr. Stephen also hosts the Glory to God podcast for Ancient Faith Radio, and frequently appears on Theologically Thinking on the Orthodox Christian Network.
Posted in Ancient Faith, Miscellaneous, OCN
Support the OCN
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 2:59 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network has announced a matching donation program for Great Lent:
Thanks to a challenge grant from a private donor, your tax-deductible, Lenten gift to OCN of $25, $50, $100 or more will be matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR -- and it will help to share the light of Orthodoxy with the world! Please prayerfully consider taking advantage of this unique opportunity today. Call us at 877-273-2348 for more information or respond online.
Posted in OCN
Orthodox Teen Talk Online
Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 at 1:31 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network, with partners including members of Teen SOYO, is launching a new audio program called Orthodox Teen Talk Online, or OTTO. The program will involve Orthodox teens - guided by Fr. Christopher Metropulos and Emmy Louvaris - discussing issues involving contemporary teen life.
An MP3 of the first episode is available here.
Posted in OCN, Orthodox News, Youth Department
Sacred Gift of Life and Share the Light Sunday
Posted on Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 8:32 AM by Jason Barker
This Sunday - January 20, 2008 - is the date for two important events.
That is the date for the annual Sacred Gift of Life Sunday, in which members of Teen SOYO lead members of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America in protecting the unborn. You can find resources here.
January 20th is also the date for the annual Share the Light Sunday to support the work of the Orthodox Christian Network. You can find resources here.
Posted in OCN, Orthodox News, Youth Department
OCN Live Video Webcast
Posted on Thursday, January 03, 2008 at 12:37 PM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network will host another live video webcast from 5-6 PM (EST) on Sunday, January 13th, to promote Share the Light Sunday (which occurs this year on January 20th).
Posted in OCN, Orthodox News
OCN to Stream Web TV Christmas Special
Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 at 3:29 PM by Jason Barker
On Sunday, December 9th, from 4-6 PM (EST), the Orthodox Christian Network will stream a live, interactive Web TV Christmas special: "Affirming our Faith. Proclaiming Orthodoxy to the World." The OCN describes the event:
Simply visit www.myocn.net on Dec. 9 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. EST to join listeners, supporters and special guests from around the world for an illuminating discussion of the Orthodox celebration of the Nativity and its meaning today. You'll be able to call in to make your own comments, meet the staff of OCN, hear from well-known Orthodox leaders and theologians, see the studios that produce Come Receive the Light, listen to Orthodox Christmas music, and discuss the exciting ways that OCN plans to expand its ability to proclaim the powerful relevance of our Lord's Incarnation in the coming year.
They have also announced that a supporter will match any donations made during their "At Year's End, You Can Make a Difference" campaign.
Posted in OCN
Final CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 at 11:28 AM by Jason Barker
My final study guide for Come Receive the Light, What Are the Canons of the Church, is now available. Beginning next week, the CRTL study guides will be written by a different person (or persons).
Posted in OCN
Change in Status with the OCN
Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 at 4:33 PM by Jason Barker
Effective at the end of this week, I will no longer be on the staff of the Orthodox Christian Network. Due to a restructuring in the OCN, Fr. Christopher Metropoulos and the board of the OCN have found it necessary to eliminate my position (as well as eliminating or redefining a number of other positions within the organization). This means that after this week I will no longer create the study guides for Come Receive the Light or OCN newsletters and program descriptions.
I want to emphasize that I am not being "fired," and this does not in any way adversely affect the areas in which the OCN and the Department of Youth Ministry are working together in partnership. I will continue to create GET WISDOM for the Youth Department, and it will continue to be streamed each weekend on The ARK. The program currently being developed by members of Teen SOYO for the OCN is also still scheduled to be launched this winter.
If you would like to help the OCN during this time of particular need in the organization, please click here.
The Department of Youth Ministry, of course, can also use your support to help make possible things like my Bible studies and radio programs.
Posted in Jason Barker, OCN
Last Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Monday, November 12, 2007 at 4:32 PM by Jason Barker
My study guide for last week's episode of Come Receive the Light, Is Orthodoxy Reviving in Europe, is now available.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 at 6:41 PM by Jason Barker
My study guide for this week's episode of Come Receive the Light, What Does it Take to Be a Teacher, is now available.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 10:59 AM by Jason Barker
My study guide for this week's episode of Come Receive the Light, What Will You See Inside a Church, is now available.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 11:34 AM by Jason Barker
My new study guide for Come Receive the Light, Should We Support Stem Cell Research? is now available.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 at 12:02 PM by Jason Barker
My study guide for this week's episode of Come Receive the Light, How Can You Understand War & Peace, is now available.
Posted in OCN
Listen to GET WISDOM on The ARK
Posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 1:13 AM by Jason Barker
In addition to listening to my Bible study audio program, GET WISDOM, by subscribing to the podcast, you can also listen to it on The ARK, the Orthodox Christian Network's contemporary Orthodox Christian music station.
GET WISDOM will stream on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM (EST).
Posted in Get Wisdom!, OCN
NEW BIBLE STUDY BOOKLET
Posted on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 at 9:45 AM by Jason Barker
You can now download my free, eight page, full-color booklet on Bible study, You Can Read the Bible: An Orthodox Guide to Bible Study.
The booklet gives a brief overview of why you should read the Bible, the role of Orthodox Tradition in Bible study, and three methods for engaging in transforming Bible study.
The first two episodes of GET WISDOM - and their study guides - were based on this booklet.
Download your free copy today!
Posted in Bible Studies, Get Wisdom!, OCN, Online Resources, Youth Department
Listening to The ARK and The RUDDER on OS X and Linux
Posted on Monday, October 08, 2007 at 1:05 PM by Jason Barker
As I've written before, listening to the Orthodox Christian Network's Internet radio stations can be difficult for users of OS X and Linux, because the player pages for those stations use Direct X to embed the Windows Media Player into a webpage. Since OS X and Linux do not use Direct X, the player cannot embed and play in those systems (plus, Microsoft stopped development of the Windows Media Player at version 9 for OSX, and it doesn't exist at all for Linux).
OS X users can use Flip4Mac to substitute QuickTime for Windows Media Player, although I've never been satisfied with the performance of this workaround.
I've therefore looked at the code for the player pages for The ARK and The RUDDER, and have found the URLs for the direct Windows media streams for these stations (I do this every few months when I notice that the stations have updated their streams, and thus the old URLs I've posted before no longer work). Simply paste the URL of your choice into your WMA-capable media player, and you'll be able to listen to the station on OS X or Linux:
THE ARK
128k Stream: http://stream.nwrnetwork.com:7475/SAM_WMA_3A-128
32k Stream: http://stream.nwrnetwork.com:7475/SAM_WMA_3A
THE RUDDER
128k Stream: http://stream.nwrnetwork.com:7475/SAM_WMA_1P-128
32k Stream: http://stream.nwrnetwork.com:7475/SAM_WMA_1P (Note: At this time I wasn't able to open this stream, but it is the one given in the code for the low-speed stream)
You will still want to go to The ARK and The RUDDER's player pages when you're listening to see the artist and song information.
Posted in OCN, Online Resources
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, October 05, 2007 at 11:11 AM by Jason Barker
Come Receive the Light's study guide for this week, How Can You Help Prisoners, is now available.
The new template was designed by Cameron Thorpe.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, September 28, 2007 at 10:12 AM by Jason Barker
The study guide for this week's episode of Come Receive the Light, How Can You Overcome Your Passions? is now available.
Edited on: Friday, September 28, 2007 10:36 AMPosted in OCN
New OCN Blog
Posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 8:25 AM by Jason Barker
The Orthodox Christian Network has a new blog; you can see a list of recent posts on the left side of the OCN homepage.
I have just posted on the OCN site an article I first posted on this blog last week, Religious Teens and Happiness.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 at 7:35 AM by Jason Barker
This week's Study Guide for Come Receive the Light, How Has the Church Reached the Unreached? is now available.
Posted in OCN
This Week's CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 at 11:47 AM by Jason Barker
This week's free study guide for Come Receive the Light, What is Keeping You From Evangelism? is now available.
Posted in OCN
New CRTL Study Guide
Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 at 10:36 AM by Jason Barker
My new Study Guide for Come Receive the Light, How Can You Help People with Disabilities?, is now available.
Posted in OCN
Study Guides for "Come Receive the Light"
Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 at 11:36 AM by Jason Barker
Below is the current list of Study Guides I have created to accompany episodes of Come Receive the Light. I intend to post notices when I upload new Study Guides, but in case I forget (as I've done the last two weeks), the new Study Guide is available on the OCN website each Friday at 12:00 PM (EST).
- How Can You Experience Joy When You're Suffering?
- How Can You Talk to Your Kids About Sex?
- You Can Serve God By Serving Others!
These Study Guides are free to download.
Posted in OCN
Greg Floor Quintet
Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 9:09 AM by Jason Barker
I've mentioned before that my favorite musical genres are classical and jazz. While working on program descriptions for the Orthodox Christian Network, I saw that the Featured Artist Block for The ARK next week will highlight the the Greg Floor Quintet, a jazz group.
You can purchase the Quintet's The Grand Inquisitor and Uphill...Both Ways - and hear sample tracks - from St. Romanos Records.
Posted in Miscellaneous, OCN
Study Guide Available
Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at 8:30 AM by Jason Barker
The study guide I've created for the current episode of Come Receive the Light is available for download.
Edited on: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:28 AMPosted in OCN
On Staff with the OCN
Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 10:10 PM by Jason Barker
I'm privileged to announce that - in addition to my work with the Department of Youth Ministry - I am now on the staff of the Orthodox Christian Network. I will be creating study guides to accompany episodes of Come Receive the Light.
I will continue, of course, to engage in the work in which the Youth Department and OCN are partnering: my online Bible studies and upcoming radio program.
I thank both Fr. Christopher Metropulos and Fr. Joseph Purpura for the opportunity to participate in their ministries.
Posted in Jason Barker, OCN, Youth Department
List of Orthodox Christian Network Posts
Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 1:55 PM by Jason Barker
I've created a new archive category entitled "OCN" for posts about the Orthodox Christian Network.
Rather than go through the very time-consuming process of re-submitting and indexing all the posts I've written about the OCN in the past, I've simply listed them below in chronological order:
- Do You Listen to Podcasts?
- Listen to Come Receive the Light
- Fr. Christopher Metropulos on Media Ministry
- Orthodox Christian Radio
- New Orthodox Podcasts
- "Study to Show Yourself Approved"
- Fr. Christopher Metropulos on Reading Scripture
- New Programs on "The Ark"
- More About Listening to "The Ark" in OS X and Linux
- "The Ark" Song Info Fixed
- Orthodox Radio News
- Giving Increases Happiness
- The Rudder
- OSB on "Come Receive the Light"
- 20 Million Podcast Listeners by 2010
- The Need for Orthodox Media
- Orthodox Concerts Online
- Our Partnership with OCN
Posted in OCN