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Digital Discernment

Listen To The Digital Discernment Podcast & Find Resources to Take Charge of Your Digital Life.
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*New episodes will post on Ancient Faith every other Wednesday.

Episode 43: Fr. Andrew Jarmus, “Disappoint the Algorithm: A Priest’s Approach to Social Media Ministry”

– August 19, 2026 –

Dr. Randa speaks with Fr. Andrew Jarmus, Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, about how to build a social media ministry with care and intention. They unpack a three part framework for faithful engagement on social media that includes agency, discernment and the common good.

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Resources mentioned on the show:

  1. Fr. Andrew Jarmus’ Social media links:
    1. facebook.com/frajarmus
    2. instagram.com/frajarmus
    3. youtube.com/@fr.ajarmus
    4. substack.com/@frajarmus
  2. Four Pillars for the Apostolic Work of the Church
  3. Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives.
  4. Kyriacos C. Markides, “The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality”
  5. Frederica Mathewes-Green, “The Illumined Heart: Capture the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians.”

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Digital Discernment is on Substack!

Subscribe to Digital Discernment on Substack to find discussion questions for each episode, curated episode lists, and additional resources!

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A Brightspot Podcast of the CrossRoad Institute

At the CrossRoad Institute, we have found that youth, young adults, parents, and ministry leaders alike want to curb their constant connection to smartphones & digital media, but they aren’t sure where to start. There is a sense that the constant deluge of information and entertainment makes it hard to stay focused on what’s truly good for our souls. Meanwhile, clergy and parish leaders feel like they are fighting for people’s attention amidst a media-saturated world. This podcast focuses on the idea of ‘Digital Discernment.’ It will offer thoughtful discussions with everyday people who’ve found courageous ways to manage their tech use. We will also share interviews with experts to guide us in our digital discernment. And we’ll be taking the conversation one level up to talk about how parish ministries think about digital discernment for their efforts. We hope to discover how our ancient faith can bring clarity and purpose to our modern digital life–for ourselves, our families, our parishes, and the society around us–for the life of the world.
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Your Hosts

Dr. Randa Anderson

Dr. Randa Anderson is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with adults, adolescents, and children. She focuses on how digital media use impacts health, wellness, and spiritual lives, drawing on the wisdom of Orthodox Christianity to guide people closer to Christ. Dr. Randa volunteers for multiple Orthodox organizations, including serving as:

  • President of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion
  • Consultant to the Mental Health Ministries of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops
  • Board member of Thriving in Ministries (a program of the OCA offering peer learning groups for clergy and clergy wives)
  • Member of the Board of Trustees of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary

Dr. Randa and her husband have two young adult sons who are CrossRoad Alumni.

Louis Stamoulis

Born and raised in the Boston Metropolis, Louis brings his love of ministry and educational background in communications to the CrossRoad team. His long-standing involvement in the local metropolis camp fueled him to pursue a career in ministry after receiving a Master of Science in Public Relations from Quinnipiac University in 2024. Though new to CrossRoad, Louis brings with him extensive experience in youth/young adult ministry, has a true passion for developing Christ-centered relationships and excitement about expanding this network.

Dima Rentel

Dima Rentel was the first moderator for Digital Discernment until July 2025. A 2017 alum of the CrossRoad Summer Institute, Dima also worked as the Telos Center director from 2022 to 2025 and on the CrossRoad staff offering workshops on technology and philanthropy. He served as the OCA’s Youth Project Coordinator in 2019 and graduated from Carleton College in 2022. Dima is now a student at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. In his free time, Dima enjoys directing choirs, exploring cities, and experimenting with unique meats like python and kangaroo.

CrossRoad Institute

CrossRoad Institute is dedicated to inspiring young people to embrace the Orthodox Christian faith and lead lives of transformative purpose in Christ. Through education, programming, and experiences, we aim to equip individuals and parishes to humbly and boldly love God and their neighbors for the life of the world. Our Digital Discernment podcast engages experts and everyday people in thoughtful conversations, providing insights and tools for intentional digital living.

Podcast & Resource Library

See All Episodes

Episode Title: Fr. Andrew Jarmus, “Disappoint the Algorithm: A Priest’s Approach to Social Media Ministry”

Episode 43 | August 19, 2026 

Dr. Randa speaks with Fr. Andrew Jarmus, Dean of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Minneapolis, about how to build a social media ministry with care and intention. They unpack a three part framework for faithful engagement on social media that includes agency, discernment and the common good.

Resources
  1. Fr. Andrew Jarmus’ Social media links:
    1. facebook.com/frajarmus
    2. instagram.com/frajarmus
    3. youtube.com/@fr.ajarmus
    4. substack.com/@frajarmus
  2. Four Pillars for the Apostolic Work of the Church
  3. Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives.
  4. Kyriacos C. Markides, “The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality”
  5. Frederica Mathewes-Green, “The Illumined Heart: Capture the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians.”

Mary Soot, “Toy Story 5, Screens and Raising young children”

Episode 42 | August 5, 2026 

Dr. Randa speaks with Mary Soot, an Orthodox mother of two about Toy Story 5. Together they explore what the movie gets right (and wrong) about kids, technology, friendship, and the often challenging work of parenting young children in the digital age.

Resources
  1. Sub Stack Article
  2. DD Toy Story 5 Discussion Guide

Susan Zacharia, LCSW, "Dr. ChatGPT? Navigating AI as a Mental Health Tool”

Episode 41 | July 22, 2026 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker,  Susan Zacharia, joins Dr. Randa to examine the promises and perils of using AI in mental healthcare. They consider why AI can make us feel better without actually helping us get better, as well as what responsible, faith-informed stewardship of these powerful tools looks like for Orthodox Christians.  *Note–This podcast is for educational purposes only and not meant as specific advice for medical or mental health diagnosis and treatment. Please discuss with your care provider a using AI in your treatment.

Resources
  1. Atlantic Article mentioned in interview
  2. Study of AI and diagnosis
  3. American Psychological Association’s Health Advisory on AI and mental health
  4. NYT article reporting on ChatGPT and teen’s suicide
  5. APA’s guide to navigating AI in mental health care

Christian Gonzalez, LMFT, “Transformed People Transform People”

Episode 40 | July 7, 2026 

Dr. Randa is joined by therapist Christian Gonzalez, LMFT, Director of Strategic Engagement of Orthodox Youth Ministries. Together, they explore attachment theory and its profound implications for our spiritual lives. They also examine how digital media can either strengthen or undermine the relationships we were created for.

Resources
  1. Removing the Veil course of Orthodox Youth Ministries
  2. Orthodox Youth Ministries
  3. “Landscapes of the Soul” by Geoff Holsclaw and Cyd Holsclaw

Upcoming Podcast Episodes

“Discernment not Defaults: Intentional Tech Use in the Home”

Jillian Hughes

“Understanding Boys from the Inside Out & the Outside in”

George Papageorge, LMFT

The Positive Side of Digital Discernment

One of our goals is to emphasize the positive uses of digital tools when approached with thoughtful discernment. Whether it’s using apps for daily prayer & scripture reading, leveraging social media to build supportive communities in real life, or exploring online educational resources to deepen our faith, technology can serve as a means to enrich our lives when used with care and purpose. By aligning our digital practices with our Orthodox Christian values, we can transform how we engage with the digital world and stay grounded in our real lives, fully embodied and connected with those we love around us.
We’ve chosen the meaningful imagery of the Ladder of Divine Ascent Icon for our podcast, in part because St. John Climacus writes about discernment in his classic spiritual text, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent.” In the second podcast episode of “Digital Discernment,” Fr. Panagiotis Boznos expertly explains St. John’s teachings on discernment, noting that we should seek to discern truth and pursue the will of God in all times, in all places, and in all things. The icon depicting people trying to climb the ladder to heaven while being tempted by the vices of this world is the perfect imagery for our modern digital lives. Trying to discern truth in our lives and seek the will of God can be challenging when there are so many distractions and temptations pulling us off our path toward Christ. This is why our podcast was born—to provide inspiration and information that we pray will keep us all focused on the Truth that is Christ our God.