WANTED: 

Disaster Pastors

Last Friday, I was privileged to address the committed Core Group of Chaplains affiliated with the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN), a group of which I am one of the newest Members. It was over a 3-hour drive but well worth the drive; I hope the other Chaplains enjoyed it half as much as I did! I wanted to share with you some of what I shared with that group because I believe this applies to ALL Christians everywhere, Chaplains or not.

The ADRN Chaplains - along with all the 1,900 ADRN Volunteers, are Members of about 150 Austin area congregations. The ADRN really made a name for themselves during the Bastrop wildfire two years ago where 1700 homes were destroyed. By averaging 3.5 people per home, that adds up to, well... quite a few people who had not only lost everything, but scores were left dealing with an unimaginable new level of stress. Two years later, many are still dealing with their losses. Factor in those who had just lost a job or were barely making it as it was before the fire, those who whose marriages were falling apart, those whose kids were in jail, pregnant or doing drugs, and factor in those who have absolutely no spiritual life and you have a compounding of disasters yet to come, not the least of which include nightmares, divorces and suicides. Since Bastrop, the ADRN as a whole remains a dedicated, well-trained, well-equipped, background-checked, uniformed army of Austin-based Christians ready and waiting for the next regional calamity. It's not unlike a military unit being trained for combat during peace time, or a football team that never gets to play in a game. "How good are we at this thing?" might be a common thought among ADRN's dedicated Members.

I asked the Chaplains how long we can hang our hat on that Bastrop incident? We must not expect to wait until the NEXT local disaster presses us into action, not when there are increasing earthquakes in Yellowstone, a Bayou Corne, Louisiana sinkhole is a powder keg that could blow at any time while folks in New Orleans are reporting the smell of gas in the air and the New Madrid fault remains an ever-present danger. Toss into the mix the tornado and hurricane seasons due to blow in, our drought threatens to produce even more wildfires and, with all the sabre-rattling going on in North Korea, there's now talk of an Electro-magnetic Pulse (EMP) which could knock our nation back 100 years in terms if technology and communications.

In an instant, the ADRN could become the USDRN (United States Disaster Relief Network). In an instant, more could be required of us than we ever imagined, and there could be more of us required than we are currently ready to provide. 

As a Workplace Chaplain for seven years this September, I am now certified through ADRN as a "Disaster Pastor" and have also been certified through their Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) course as well as their rigid HAM Radio course. Truth is, I wish I didn't have to wear a shirt with "CHAPLAIN" in 3" letters across the back or have "Chaplain" imprinted on my business card or on a name tag. Why is that? As I see it, a Chaplain's mission is to bring The Church to the Workplace, the Critical Incident situation, the school, the grocery store... wherever we, the Body of Christ, happen to be at any given moment. When we look at it that way, we are ALL Chaplains. Though mostly untrained, every one of us can appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit within us to allow us to usher in Jesus as Lord of every situation. We can be thermostats among thermometers, setting rather than merely reading the temperature of an environment. Though some Chaplains happen to be seminary-trained or retired ministers, truth is, God is looking for whosever will say, "Here I am, send me!"

Anyone.

You see, our availability is all God needs to give Him the opportunity to do miracles through whosever has made themselves available in any situation, at any moment. THIS is the message we need to be relaying to all our Christian friends. All any of us needs for any situation is the Power of the Holy Spirit moving through us. Admittedly, the call to do anything is, in reality, the call to prepare. I get that. On the other hand, we serve an amazing God who can do amazing things with those who seem the least likely among us. David the shepherd comes to mind, future King of Israel, not to mention Jesus of Nazareth, born in a manger and King of the Universe.

What about you? Are you a Christian who is already DOING Chaplaincy work? Do you know how to pray? Do you know how to listen? Do you know how to serve? Do you know how to hold a hand and give direction to those whose lives have been turned upside-down? Do you know Jesus?

If you answered 'yes' to these questions, there's a place for you in ministry; it's called becoming a Chaplain. Someone reading this now just had a rocket go off in their spirit. I remember that feeling myself when I first learned of the Chaplaincy. No, you do not HAVE to join ADRN and you don't HAVE to wear a shirt with 3" letters that read "Chaplain" across  the back. Ibn fact, you don't have to wear a title at all; you can minister the love of Jesus right where you are, dressed as a cop, a nurse, a teacher, a soldier, a football player, a customer... all you need to be is available. Your gifts will make room for you.

Repeat this: "My availability gives God the opportunity to do miracles through me."

If you want to talk more about this subject, write me at miketummillo@me.com and provide your name and phone number. I'll be in touch!

One last thing... I'll be speaking at the Tipping Point gathering in San Antonio, Texas April 18-20. It's a "7 Mountains" presentation with over 30 speakers on a variety of topics for such a time as this. CLICK HERE for details.

View a 3min 42 sec motivational Bastrop YouTube video HERE.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Workplace Chaplain,Founder, The Church @ Work

miketummillo@me.com