Jo Jensen

No Ordinary Jo

Jo Jensen answered the call to chaplaincy after 20 years in the high tech world of computer programming and management. She is an ordained UCC minister with advance degrees in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Care & Counseling, and certifications in pediatric and adult grief counseling.

Pastoral care ministry as a full-time oncology chaplain affords Jo the honor of sitting with patients and family members in the “what’s next” chair and walking with them into the unknown. In her ministry to patients, families, and staff, Jo adheres to a philosophy that every relationship is an assignment from God. Jo engages people on the edge of life with her extraordinary gift of empathy. An advocate for patients diagnosed with cancer as well as those nearing end of life, Jo works behind the scenes assisting people in re-framing hope, discovering meaning, and maintaining quality of life throughout.

The old childhood game of Hide ‘n Seek can teach a lot about the end of life. Death’s pronouncement of “ready or not, here I come” is an invitation to personal reflection and boundless compassion. Jo’s keen interest in Preparedness Planning and bringing dialogues on death into the light, led her to establish and co-facilitate the first Death Cafe in Texas. These informal monthly gatherings provide a natural, safe, inviting, spacious way for people to explore concerns, fears, thoughts and interests related to the end-of-life journey while making the most of every present, living-in-the-now moment of life.

Jo’s love of narrative, photography and poetry, as a means to communicate what professional chaplains offer people in need of spiritual and emotional support, was the catalyst for her  recently released book The Be-Attitudes of Chaplaincy.

Jo resides in Austin, Texas with her beloved husband, Bob, who devotes his time to grilling and researching BBQ techniques so Jo can devote more time to writing!