Blog entries - December 2007

What we're hearing from listeners

Seraphim Dankaert — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:13:11 +0100

Here's a cross-section of some of the e-mails, phone messages and notes that we at the Orthodox Christian Network have been receiving during the Christmas holiday.

"I just want to say that you guys are doing a wonderful job. I've been in Canada since I was 5 years old. I'm from Ethiopia and I really really appreciate that you have this program for all of us. It's been a long time since I've been in the Orthodox Church, since my grandmother passed awaRead More...

Shepherd of Souls Episode 12

Rev. Fr. Peter-Michael Preble — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:35:18 +0100

A new episode of Shepherd of Souls is now online. We see the introduction of the new intro this week as well as new recording software. I also have a new microphone so the recording quality should be better. I would be interested in your feedback on the quality of the sound.

In this episode I continue my look at the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church with a look at the Sacrament of Baptism.

Episode 12

Newest features on MyOCN.net

Seraphim Dankaert — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:33:51 +0100

There's so much happening at MyOCN.net, it's hard to keep track of. Here's a summary of some of the most exciting new features intended to help you in your walk with Christ.

WEB TV SPECIAL

We hosted a very successful and interesting Web TV Christmas Special a couple of weeks ago. Special guests included Archbishop Nicolae, Frederica Mathewes-Green and Fr. Stanley Harakas. We're putting together ANOTHER similiar production Read More...

Hagia Sophia

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:00:17 +0100

{youtube}rmE8zGS2N2g{/youtube}

By way of introduction...

Fr. Anthony Cook — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:05:24 +0100

I am Fr. Anthony Cook, a recent graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, a recent ordinand to the priesthood, and the assistant priest at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Saint Clair Shores, MI. My participation on this blog is intended to provide something of a center for reviews of popular moviesas they are released in the theatres. Comments and discussion are welcome, of course.

Thus far, I have published only one review, discussing The Golden Compass, New Line Read More...

Shepherd of Souls

Rev. Fr. Peter-Michael Preble — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:40:13 +0100

A few weeks back on this blog you were introduced to a new podcast called Shepherd of Souls. I thought I would post the shows here so it would make it easier for everyone to find the show. In each episode I take a different look at a topic from an Orthodox perspective and I also share a little about what is going on in my life and the life of my parish.

In the most recent episode I begin a dicussion on the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church with an introduction. Over the next Read More...

New ads for Share the Light Sunday

Seraphim Dankaert — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:22:34 +0100

If you haven't seen them already, be sure to keep your eyes peeled! In the coming weeks, you should start to see ads for Share the Light Sunday, a SCOBA-sponsored event that takes place throughout North America on January 20, 2008.

You may be thinking: What's the purpose of Share Light Sunday? It's simple: To spread the word throughout the country about the Orthodox Christian Network's programs and mission, and to raise financial support for the growth of its natiRead More...

God Loves Tech Support

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:51:16 +0100

I heard my wife screaming on the phone. I ran into the room, thinking something major was going wrong. Like a home invasion, or a fire or something.

Turns out, she was yelling at technical support because she couldn't get the Website our umbrella school uses to track grades and attendance to take her recent updates.

I calmly took the phone from her, andRead More...

The OCN Webcast

Rev. Fr. Peter-Michael Preble — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:56:45 +0100

I am not sure how many of you tuned in to the first Webcast from OCN but I will have to tell you that is was GREAT. The team did a great job, the music was great and all of the people that called in did an amazing job. From a Web 2.0 perspective this was a giant step forward.

Asan example, I was streaming live on uStream while recording and episode of the Facing East Podcast that Fr. Greg Christakos and I do together. During the stream we called into the show and Read More...

Online Training Videos

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:47:46 +0100

The old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words" may be a cliche but in the case of technical training - it's absolutely true.

In today's environment, ministries expect all kinds of interactivity out of parishioners, online contributors, employees, service providers, and just casual users. Blogs, Discussion Forums, online communities, and various directories all expect users to fill out forms, key in data, and even upload pictures.

Here's the rub in all Read More...

Multimedia for Teens

Jason Barker — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:39:32 +0100

A few days ago, my Orthodox Christian Bible Studies Blog reached its first anniversary (the OCBS Blog discusses - in addition to other things - developments in my free online multimedia Bible studies for Orthodox teens ). The first real post I wrote for the blog was a brief reflection on whether I should create a podcast for Orthodox teens.

Regular readers and/or listeners will know that I finally decided "Yes," and in October launched GET WISDOM - The Orthodox Bible Study PRead More...

The Mess Called the Web

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:21:16 +0100

Every Web designer has that moment of grace at least once. A moment when you look at the layout, the colors, the text, and the images - and the page just works. Everything is just perfect. I had that happen recently. I remember how ecstatic I was. This was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or at least so I thought.

Then I pulled up the page under Internet Explorer 7.0 and realized that my Michaelangelo was actually a Picasso on a really bad day.