February 2026 Ministry Reflection: On Talents and Technology

How Orthodox Christians Can Use Digital Tools to Strengthen Real Community

In the Gospel, Christ tells a parable about a master who entrusts his servants with talents, gifts meant to be used, multiplied, and offered back with love. The servants are not praised for burying what they were given out of fear, nor are they rewarded for using their talents carelessly. They are commended for faithfulness: for investing what they received wisely and in service of their master.

As Orthodox Christians today, we might ask: what does faithfulness look like when one of the “talents” placed in our hands is modern technology?

In the early years of OYM, this question became unavoidable. We are a small, remotely-based team tasked with supporting parishes and families across the United States as they minister to Orthodox youth and young adults. The most obvious way to reach people spread across thousands of miles is through digital tools like websites, email, video calls, social media, and online resources.

And yet, as we listened to clergy and ministry leaders across the country, we heard a sobering concern. In our research, nearly 30% of clergy pointed to technology, social media, and online pornography as the biggest threats facing youth today. Many described a general sense of isolation among young people, where digital life has replaced real relationships and “connection” has become thinner, manufactured, and less human.

We found ourselves facing a challenge: is it even possible to utilize technology for the benefit of our Orthodox  in-person communities when, so often, it is weakening them? Could we instead use digital tools not to replace the unique and necessary role of parish life, but to support it and help clergy, parents, and ministry leaders build up their relationships - the relationships that make the Church a real family?

This month’s What’s Your Ministry? profile offers a timely reflection. In our interview with Theo Nicolakis, Director of National Ministries for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, he describes the Orthodox Church’s historic position toward new technology:

“When we look at Orthodox history, one of the great strengths of the Church is that it has never been indiscriminately quick to adopt new technologies, nor has it been reflexively dismissive of them. Instead, the Church has consistently taken a prudent middle way, testing new and often disruptive technologies through the lens of faith.”

This is the Orthodox answer: neither panic nor naivete, but discernment. Specifically, discernment in the light of Christ and His Church.

Theo also notes that every communication technology brings both opportunity and risk, not only in what it exposes us to, but in how it shapes our understanding of authority and truth:

“Traditionally, authority in the Church comes from the office of the bishop and the synod. Today, we also see competing forms of authority, online influence, follower counts, and even algorithmic or AI-generated answers being treated as authoritative.”

That’s why it’s essential that Orthodox Christians remain critically aware. The question is not simply whether we use technology, but how we allow it to shape our understanding of truth, authority, and community within the life of the Church.

What’s Your Ministry? began as a series of profiles on the OYM blog, stories of Orthodox Christians across the United States using their gifts to serve their communities and draw people nearer to Christ. It has since expanded into a full website where people can find those profiles alongside Orthodox ministry resources, local events, and practical toolkits. As the website continues to grow, our hope is that by creating a searchable hub of clergy-vetted content, we can help ministry leaders find what they need and feel less alone in their work.

Ministry Support Coordinators are the second part of our approach. These are on-the-ground OYM staff who work directly with local leaders across the US to strengthen the relational fabric of Orthodox ministry. They listen to the needs of clergy, families, and parish communities and help connect people to resources, partnerships, and the broader Orthodox community. We have gotten off to a strong start with our pilot city of Chicago and are now expanding across the country.

As technology accelerates at a dizzying pace, Orthodox Christians are blessed to know the unchanging truth of our faith: that our hope is in Jesus Christ, and through Him alone we find lasting peace and eternal life. Whether we are raising our own children in the faith or welcoming newcomers who are inquiring about Orthodoxy, all of our efforts, online or in-person, must remain centered on Christ.

Technology can be a bridge, but it cannot be the destination. If our digital work does not ultimately lead people back to real communion, real parish life, and real love, then we have not multiplied the talent. We have simply kept it busy.

May God grant us discernment in how we use every tool placed in our hands, and may He strengthen our parishes to be places where young people (and all people) encounter the fullness of the Faith.