Author Archives: Gary Shockley

About Gary Shockley

Gary serves our denomination as the Executive Director of Path 1. He has served as pastor in The United Methodist Church since the age of 18. He was ordained elder in 1986 and is currently a member of the Florida Annual Conference. In the past ten years, Gary has planted two United Methodist congregations, one in Western Pennsylvania and the other in central Florida, where he served on the conference and district new church development teams. In addition to artistic endeavors specializing in oil, acrylic and watercolor mediums Gary enjoys writing, is an avid bicyclist and loves to fly fish. Gary is the author of three books, one focused on spiritual leadership: The Meandering Way-Leading by Following the Spirit (2007) a second, which he co-wrote with his wife Kim, on creative and outward focused ministry: Imagining Church-Seeing Hope in a World of Change (2009) both published by Alban Institute and most recently a fictional novel of suspense and personal transformation, Eye of the Beholder. Gary and his wife Kim, a ministry coach and consultant, live in midtown Nashville and are the parents of two adult sons, Aaron and Jake.

What a Difference Path 1 Makes!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 While being interviewed recently I was asked by a reporter, “If Path 1 had been around when you planted your first church back in 1999, would it have made a difference … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouraging Planters, Gary Shockley, Main, New Church, Path 1, Strategy | Leave a comment

Our Progress So Far…

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 As United Methodists we are succeeding in our national strategy to start more churches in the United States. Since January 2008 we have assessed and equipped more than 1,000 potential lay … Continue reading →

Posted in Church-Within-a-Church, Elijah Church, Gary Shockley, Lay Missionary Planting Network, Multi-site, New Church, Parachute Drop, Partner, Path 1, Plant, Strategy, Vital Merger | Leave a comment

Vital Congregations: A Two-winged Strategy

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 As I reflect on 2011 (and prepare for a very busy 2012), it seems to me that very few things have created the kind of far-reaching buzz the “Call to Action” … Continue reading →

Posted in Call to Action, Gary Shockley, New Church, Path 1, Plant, Vital Congregations | Leave a comment

Change Is Good—You Go First!

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 Melissa Etheridge, in her popular song, Change, writes, “And so it goes this too shall pass away…the only thing that stays the same is change.” Yeah, that’s about right, isn’t it? … Continue reading →

Posted in Change, Gary Shockley, Main, New Church, Path 1 | Leave a comment

Young Adults Reaching Young Adults through New Church Starts

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 I am just coming down from an incredible high. Last week our Path 1 New Church Starts staff hosted a national event for church planters and annual conference leaders in Nashville, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gary Shockley, Innovation, Innovation Forum, New Church, Path 1 | Leave a comment

Innovation: the Key to Effective Church Planting

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 BusinessDictionary.com defines innovation as: The process by which an idea or invention is translated into a good or service for which people will pay. To be called an innovation, an idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Gary Shockley, Innovation, Innovation Forum, Main, New Church, Path 1 | 1 Comment

Wake Up and Smell the Café Con Leche!

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Gary Shockley

by Rev. Gary Shockley, Executive Director of Path 1 There’s been a lot of press lately about how much America has changed in the past 20 years. A recent article in USA Today (August 10) reported that the number of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Relevance, Gary Shockley, Hispanic/Latino Ministry, Inviting, New Church, Path 1, racial-ethnic church plants | Leave a comment