Chaplaincy…ministering outside church walls in the moments people need Christ’s hope and truth the most.
Emergency Services Chaplains - Pen Florida District
We are honored to have the support of our Pen Florida Superintendent, Dr. Terry Raburn, and to partner with 46:1 Response and our Pen Florida Men’s Ministry Director, Rev. John Hensel, as the coordinators of Pen Florida Disaster Response.
HOW IT STARTED…
In November 2022, Jason traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands with the Pen Florida Men’s Ministry Director, John Hensel, for a Men’s Conference at St. Thomas Assemblies of God.
During that trip, they discussed the importance of utilizing church teams in ministry and as a tool of discipleship. Pastor Hensel shared that both he and Dr. Terry Raburn’s hope is that one day we would have someone in Pen Florida who could be the boots on the ground to make sure that our churches are restored as quickly as possible so they could focus on caring for their communities.
It was on that night, November 12, 2022, that Pen Florida Disaster Response began and Jason became the coordinator.
The unfortunate truth is that we don’t live in a world where we can confidently say “if” a disaster happens. We must be prepared for when!
HURRICANE SEASON
Hurricane season begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th of each year. The most active time for hurricanes to develop and threaten our shores is from mid-August to mid-October. During this season we are actively monitoring the weather in the tropics daily so that we can be ready to deploy people and resources immediately following the passing of a storm.
In 2026, NOAA is forecasting a range of 8 to 14 named storms, with 3 to 6 of those becoming hurricanes and 1 to 3 being major hurricanes. In order for a storm to be named, it must have sustained winds above 39mph. A very strong (warm) El Niño developing will likely bring an overall less active hurricane season for the Atlantic.
We started gathering information in early 2024 with the a five question survey so we could build a database for Pen Florida Disaster Response. We have continued to collect and update the data since then so we can better serve Pen Florida.
TRAINING SEASON
Jason has completed hundreds of hours of course work and training and invested thousands of dollars to become a Certified Critical Incident Stress Management (CCISM) trainer.
Through our nonprofit, Crisis Care Solutions, we are committed to strengthening our communities through quality crisis intervention and peer support training. We offer ICISF training courses designed for first responders, healthcare professionals, chaplains, peer support, team members, and community leaders who want to make a difference when people need support the most.
We believe that it is necessary for our pastors and our churches to learn these principles and the differences between what we know as “pastoral counseling” and “trauma intervention.”
As part of this mission, we’ve launched PROJECT 700–an initiative focused on training 700 individuals in ICISF crisis intervention and peer support skills right here in Pen Florida. By equipping local professionals, volunteers, and community members with these valuable tools, we hope to build a strong network of trained responders who can provide support during critical incidents, traumatic events, and times of crisis.
Our goal is simple: create a more resilient community by ensuring more people are prepared to help when it matters most.
Get more details about Crisis Intervention training as well as in-depth course descriptions, hours of instruction, requirements, and the cost for each course.
OUR STORY
Jason, Jennifer, Ethan and Ella
We serve as U.S. Missionaries with Chaplaincy Ministries and we are blessed to be part of the Peninsular Florida District.
For over a decade we served in various roles in pastoral ministry and church administration before stepping into missions. We have seen the value in having strong teams and building a culture of service in our churches.
We are coordinators for Peninsular Florida Disaster Response and Jason is also a Certified Critical Incident Stress Management (CCISM) trainer. He provides training to those that serve others so they are better equipped to respond in a crisis.
We are constantly working to build a strong network of people and resources, provide crisis training, and help our churches during these times of crisis.
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