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AUTHOR
ARTIST
COACH
SPEAKER
Gary Alan Shockley
Author | Illustrator | Coach
Gary Alan Shockley is an Author, Artist, Chaplain (CPE), Certified Grief Counselor (AHICP), Spiritual Director (SDI), and Certified Enneagram Coach (InnerLife Skill/ICF).
Gary has written numerous books on spirituality and leadership and currently loves writing and illustrating children’s books that promote healthy values, social awareness, self-esteem, and empathy. Gary is a proud member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
Gary’s most recent children’s book publication, My Heart Sings a Sad Song, is a helpful picture book created for grieving children and their loved ones. Gary is currently illustrating his newest children’s book, Sammie’s Flat Dog, to be published by the Pilgrim Press later this year.
Gary lives in Carlisle, PA. He and his wife Kim have two sons and beautiful daughters-in-law, two grandchildren, and a delightful little fur baby named Zoe.
Kim Shockley
Coach | Consultant | Speaker
Kim Shockley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Christian Education and has been trained in several venues as a ministry and leadership coach for pastors and lay leadership teams. She has worked in several locations for the United Methodist Church during her career. She served the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference as the Media Resource Director and the Florida Annual Conference as the East Central District (Orlando area) Congregational Excellence specialist. She served as the Team Leader for a national research project called Toward Vitality and with the Western North Carolina Annual Conference as the Church Vitality Strategist for the Catawba Valley District. She is currently serving in her home area of Central Pennsylvania as the Coordinator for Pathways of Spiritual Leadership for the Susquehanna Conference.
Kim is married to Gary A Shockley and they wrote Imagining Church: Seeing Hope in a World of Change for Alban Institute in 2009. They have worked as ministry partners during their marriage, starting two new congregations for the United Methodist Church. In 2013 Kim and Paul Nixon published The Surprise Factor for Abingdon Press. This book highlights ten strategies (intentional decisions) that are helpful for leading fruitful and vital congregations that emerged from the Toward Vitality Research.
As a leadership coach, Kim’s specialties include working alongside those who are leading turn-around situations. Must of this work is accomplished by defining clarity for the organization, paying attention to obstacles, working to overcome those obstacles, and holding leaders accountable to the common values expressed by the organization.
My Heart Sings a Sad Song
Featured In
Endorsements
"This is a beautifully written and illustrated book to support grieving children and those who care for them. The message of this book reflects the very best practices of holding space for others in their sorrow. What a gem!"
Rev. Elaine A. Heath Ph.D. President, Neighborhood Seminary. Author, Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse.
"My heart was touched, and my soul comforted by the caring and loving spirit in what Gary has expressed here. This lovely book will be a tremendous gift to grieving children and their families in need of healing, comfort and restoration."
Bishop Jeremiah Park, Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church.
"When Gary wrote, My Heart Sings a Sad Song, none of us knew what a difficult passage the world was entering the 2020. But here we are, and this book is a gift for all ages. On Planet Earth in 2020, we can expect moments when every single one of us 7.8 billion human beings will need to be held while someone reads to us this precious book!"
Paul Nixon, Author, and Coach