D: Glossary

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Accessions: Routes for entering military service as commissioned officers; includes service academies, ROTC, OCS/OTS, as well as other routes for commissioned officers to enter military service.

Anchor Points: A one week program designed to grow OCF members toward a lifetime of eternity-focused work. It trains today’s military members who will then teach the generation after them.

AO! (Allegheny Outback!): White Sulphur Springs’ outdoor high school program.

Area: Describes a grouping of more than one local leader or fellowship. Areas may exist to encompass multiple fellowships, members within a military functional community (e.g., submarine force), or those within a geographically related ministry effort.

Associate Member: Those not eligible for Regular Membership, but who subscribe to the Statements of Faith and Participation (defined by OCF Constitution).

Associate Staff (Associate Field Staff, Associate Executive Staff, etc.): Volunteer staff who serve for a limited time and for a specific role. Associate Staff agree to a job description, training, and accountability. If the volunteer position has authority to expend OCF funds, then both a ministry and an expense report are required. This term will have a descriptor added based upon who supervised them. 

Camp Caleb: White Sulphur Springs’ outdoor youth program (3rd-8th grade).

Climb Together: Spring Canyon’s parent-youth outdoor adventure program (ages 8-13).

Contact: An advocate for the ministry of OCF who helps others find Christian fellowship and local insights (churches, Bible studies, schools, housing, etc.). Contacts help develop our sense of OCF family.

Coordinator (Regional Coordinator, Area Coordinator, etc.): The coordinator is responsible for encouraging, equipping, and overseeing OCF local leaders, contacts, and activities for a designated location. Coordinators receive member linkups, welcome new arrivals. Designated, trained, and assigned a prefix as appropriate such as Area, Base, Country, Post, Station, etc. 

Council: The governing body of OCF, assembled according to the OCF Constitution and Bylaws.

Council Member: A member currently serving a term on the Council.

EXSEL (Experience, Serve, Lead): A yearlong discipleship program for young adults (ages 18-24) that integrates spiritual growth, vocational experience, and educational opportunities in the context of serving on staff at White Sulphur Springs.

Fellowship House: OCF-owned USMA ministry house, property, and staff residence.

Field Staff: Staff ministry roles executed both in the field and at the Home Office, as authorized and funded by the OCF Council (defined by OCF Constitution).

FTA (Father Teen Adventure): Spring Canyon’s outdoor father and teen program.

Gateway: Military location having post-accession education and/or training responsibilities (such as Benning, Maxwell, Leavenworth, and Pensacola). Education Centers enable better ministry engagement than operational locations. 

Greeter: A seasoned member of the Warrior Connect program who immediately welcomes new OCF members who have signed OCF’s Statement of Faith and Participation.

Home Office: OCF’s staff office facility located in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hospitality Home: Member home that is open to visitors for coffee, meals, or overnight stays.

Lay: Non-clergy members of a chapel or local church (laity).

Lay-indigenous: A term referring to the unique nature of OCF, of impacting the military community for Christ. Rather than ordained ministers, or those staffed by OCF, it’s a calling primarily undertaken by those within the military community.

Lay-led: Activities led by non-clergy members, which can be in support of the chaplaincy.

Leader (Local Leader, ROTC Leader, etc.): Member who facilitates the gathering of a local fellowship that is distinctly OCF in membership, training, context, or regular announcements. Co-leaders help ensure continuity for the sake of regular gatherings. This term will have a prefix added to it such as Local, Prayer, ROTC, etc.

Lifetime (…for a Lifetime): Continued participation and ministry as an OCF member beyond the years of serving our nation in uniform.

Maranatha Mansion: OCF-owned USNA ministry house, property, and staff residence.

Member: Term applying to both Regular and Associate Members who have signed Statements of Faith and Participation and are living lives consistent with Biblical guidelines.

Mentor: A Christ-following member who intentionally shares his or her knowledge, experience, and wisdom with a mentee or protégé who desires and pursues spiritual maturity.

PEAK (Purpose, Excellence, Authentic, and Koinonia): Spring Canyon’s yearlong discipleship program for young adults (ages 18-24) that integrates spiritual growth, vocational experience, and ownership of beliefs and actions. 

Pillars: Pillars express essential OCF traits. They are declarations of what OCF is known for doing, a summary of OCF priorities, and a help for staying focused within the military community. 

Pray-Discover-Obey (PDO): OCF’s longstanding, intentional method of 1) coming before God in prayer; 2) working with fellow believers on how to move forward in a decision-making process; and 3) establishing a methodology for doing what was decided upon/agreed to.

Region: Ministry effort bound by OCF staff to describe oversight of member-leaders. Regions may be described by military footprint, coordinator capacity, geography, or ministry potential, and may encompass multiple Areas.

Regular Member: Present and former officers or warrant officers of the Armed Forces of the United States and anyone training for such commissions who subscribe to the Statements of Faith and Participation (defined by OCF Constitution).

Rocky Mountain High (RMH): Spring Canyon’s outdoor mentoring program for cadets, midshipmen, and junior officers; focus is on leadership training for integrated Christian living.

Shepherd’s Fold: OCF-owned USCGA ministry house, property, and staff residence.

Spring Canyon (SC): OCF’s western conference center near Buena Vista, Colo.

Support Staff: OCF employees who are selected by the Executive Director, needing no Council approval (defined by OCF Constitution), and who execute ministry roles both inside and outside the Home Office.

Summer Celebration: Spring Canyon’s series of weeklong retreats featuring programs for the whole family.

Summer R&R (Rest & Recuperation): White Sulphur Springs’ series of weeklong retreats featuring programs for the whole family.

Uniformed Serving Member: OCF members currently in uniform: active duty, reserve, and guard. 

White Sulphur Springs (WSS): OCF’s eastern conference center in Manns Choice, Pa.