Staff and Leadership

Kara Sensenig

Executive Director

Kara is the founder and executive director of Eastgate House of Prayer and has been serving in this role since 2011 when EHOP offically launched. Kara gained experience as the Director of Prayer Ministry on staff at Petra Church from 2008-2021. Here she provided vision and oversight while training healing, prophetic, youth, and altar ministry teams. Kara also served short-term with HarvestNET International as the Director of the Kingdom Ministry School. In addition to equipping and teaching, she is also involved in deliverance, inner healing, and spiritual warfare in crisis situations. It was while serving at Petra that Kara had a dream about starting a house of prayer, and the rest is history! As a young adult, it was a hunger for answers that propelled Kara into a powerful encounter with God that radically changed her life and set her on a journey of truely knowing God and experiencing the supernatural. Kara takes seriously the assignment to call forth the gifts of the Spirit and the unique giftings that reside in each follower of Jesus. She desires to see both the Word of God and power of the Spirit active in the Church today. Kara is passionate about raising up and releasing a generation of fiery lovers of God who will turn the world upside down! Kara received a B.S. in Agronomy and Environmental Science from Delaware Valley University and a M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Bloomsburg University. She worked in the education field for over 10 years, first as an Extension Agent with PSU and then as a high school science and agriculture teacher. Kara received her M. Div. with a concentration in World Christianity from Evangelical Seminary and her D. Min. with a focus on Intercessory Worship through United Seminary as a Randy Clark Scholar. Kara lives in New Holland, PA with her husband, Pete, and their children, Kaleb and Lacey.

Josh Smucker

Prayer Room Director

josh@eastgateprayer.org

Josh carries a deep love for Jesus and His people. Josh’s passion is to see the local church walk in her calling to be a “House of Prayer for all nations.” He is committed to declaring this message purity and intimacy with God that is preparing the way for Jesus’ return. As an intercessor, Josh is crying out to God for an end-time outpouring of the Holy Spirit as well as the salvation of the Jewish people. Josh is married to his beloved bride, Christa Smucker, and enjoys hanging out with his family including his four children.

CeCelia Stauffer

Media and Communications

cultivatecreativehouse@gmail.com

CeCelia is the Media and Communications Manager at Eastgate House of Prayer. She has a passion to see media used to reach a demographic of younger generations for the Lord. Born and raised in North East Philadelphia, the Lord brought CeCelia to Lancaster county in 2019. Using her degree in Missiology and Anthropology partnered with her love for graphic design and media, she desires to see all generations, but especially Gen Z, encounter God powerfully through media. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband Ian, playing board games, riding horses, and traveling whenever she gets the opportunity.

Jennifer Haak

Youth Ministry

jennifer@eastgateprayer.org

Jennifer is our youth ministry staff at Eastgate House of Prayer. She serves EHOP as part of her ministry with InFaith, a national missions organization, by developing youth outreach, discipleship, and mentoring and connecting with other regional ministries to do so. She also serves on a number of our ministry teams. As a result of her own faith journey and powerful God encounter, her heart is to reach the next generation and to see young people and their families encounter the love and hope of Jesus and to walk in their Spirit-empowered purposes, calling, and gifts. She believes that Gen Z holds the key to revival and will impact true transformation in her region and beyond, and she has passionately pursued her call to reach them! She comes to us with varied ministry experiences including church planting, urban outreach, and single mom's ministry as well as twenty years experience as a high school English and writing teacher. After moving back to the tri-county area on the corner of Chester, Lancaster, and Berks Counties ten years ago, God revealed His heart and asked her to reach kids here in a new way. Jennifer studied for a year in Bible college and afterward attended Clearwater Christian College where she received a B.A. in English and Education with a minor in Biblical Studies. She then earned a M. Ed. in Secondary Education from West Chester University with a reading specialist focus. Jennifer is now raising and discipling her own three children and watching them step into their callings. Together they enjoy traveling, hiking, kayaking, and exploring, and she relishes a robust coffee and sushi although not necessarily together.

Laura Horst

Administrator

info@eastgateprayer.org

Laura is an integral part of our team. She has been a part of our Eastgate community since the early days at Petra Church. She is also a graduate of our very first One Thing Internship and has a background in banking. Laura has a heart to see people walk in their identity as sons and daughters and to see the broken healed and set free. Fun fact: Laura is also in the process of publishing her first book. Laura and her husband, Josh, currently serve as outreach leaders at Forgiven Worship Center in New Holland and reside in Terre Hill with their two children, Kayla and Christian.