Julie Anne Lytle

Hi! I am a digital immigrant who has become a Digital Evangelist and Theological Educator. People know me best for my mantra, "Message, Method, then Media." This is an easy to remember process to use when navigating the digital landscape and making media-oriented decisions. Too often we start with the technology (How can I reach youth via Facebook) rather than our audience and goals. I believe by starting with where we want to go, we can build better educational processes.

I have spent my life studying the integration of message, method, and media... though my experience did not follow that order. I started with Media as I studied Journalism/Advertising at UNC and learned video production and satellite distribution while working for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, NC. Message came while I worked at the University of Notre Dame developing a morning "Wake Up to Prayer" concept for cable television and was invited into ND's Masters of Divinity Program. Working with the Kingdom Construction Company, a 7th-12th grade total youth ministry program, highlighted my desire to better understand the various educational and theological methods to pass on faith to people across the generational spectrum and led to my interdisciplinary doctorate in Theology and Education for Boston College.

Fascinated by the intersection of media and society, my first book, "Faith Formation 4.0" (Morehouse Publishing, 2013) explores four eras of human communication and their impact on faith practices and formational methods. I use ecological approach that highlights how the whole environment both effects communications and is a communications medium. Always looking to connect resources with needs, my approach is practical.

This approach has resulted in award-winning innovations. I led the development of the Episcopal Divinity School's Distributive Learning Masters options and the creation of EDSConnect, its lifelong formation & education division. Interpreters Carelink emerged as a videoconference-based solution which provided hospital emergency room interpreter services for the deaf, hard of hearing; it won the 2005 TeleSpan Wild and Unexpected Award and 2001 PictureTel Best Practices Award. OnceCatholic.org is an interactive website offering former Roman Catholics a space to reflect and heal; it won the 2002 Catholic Press Association Best Web Site.

Currently I serve as Executive Director of the Episcopal Province of New England (Province 1) and offer consulting services through my company, M3(cubed). My clients include Virginia Theological Seminary, The Episcopal Church Foundation, and The Episcopal Church. I am a founding member of the Association of Theological School's Technology in Theological Education group and served as vice chair, bi-annual conference organizer, and standards committee chair. I am also a member of the Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Ministry Development.

I live on Cape Cod with my partner and our "kids:" a calico cat and two Boston terriers. When I'm not helping others to effectively use technology, I unplug by exploring the salt marshes in my kayak.