Orthodox Christian Fellowship
at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Our Chapter at UIUC
We have meetings every Tuesday at 6pm at the NIKA House!
(810 W. Oregon St., Urbana, IL)
We always start out with a dinner followed by activities, a discussion and finally closing each meeting with a prayer.
Interested in finding out more? Feel free to contact ANY of our officer members (find us and our emails here).
We are always happy to talk to you and answer any questions!
And follow us on our socials!
Who We Are
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the official collegiate campus ministry program under SCOBA (the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas). Our mission is to support fellowships on college campuses, whose members experience and witness the Orthodox Christian Church through community life, prayer, service to others and study of the Faith.
Our national headquarters is located in Indianapolis, IN and supports 270 local university chapters across the U.S. and Canada. In addition, they provide a variety of thoughtful and innovative programming, including regional training, annual conferences, and domestic and international service learning projects. To learn more about OCF at a national level, please visit their website here.
Our Mission
Our mission is to uphold the four pillars of Orthodox Christian Fellowship: Fellowship, Education, Worship and Service.
Fellowship: OCF has helped develop friendships that last a lifetime as well as help students transition into college life. Our local OCF participates in multiple social retreats each semester. These retreats give us time to have fun together and get away from the stresses of school. In past years our OCF has hosted retreats at Allerton and Kickapoo State Park as well as a winter retreat in the Wisconsin Dells. Other social events occur weekly throughout the school year: ice cream socials, movie nights, potlucks, football tailgates and dances. Students in OCF can also spend time at the NIKA House; using it as a meeting place throughout the week to study and socialize.
Education: Orthodox Christian Fellowship groups allow college students across the country to further educate themselves about their faith. Each Tuesday night our OCF has a student-led discussion. The NIKA House has also been a great place for studying, and students can be found in it's library and chapel throughout the week. Joining OCF also gives students the opportunity to attend religious retreats at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center and other locations throughout the year.
Worship: OCF provides Orthodox students at the University of Illinois with a spiritual home away from home. We host weekly, student-led discussions about our faith every Tuesday at NIKA House (an on-campus Orthodox student living center). Members also have the opportunity to attend spring and fall retreats held at St. Iakovos Retreat Center in Wisconsin. Rides to Sunday liturgy are organized by the OCF.
Service: Giving back to the community is an important part of the OCF experience. We work with multiple philanthropic organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, CU at Home, and Empty Tomb. In past years, our OCF has organized food drives and helped in the construction of houses. OCF members also teach Sunday School at Three Hierarchs Greek Orthodox Church in Champaign.