Greencastle Christian Church's Tischer reflects on 25 years in ministry

For over two decades, John Tischer has had an impact not only across the Midwest or Putnam County, but across the globe thanks to his roles in religion. 

Growing up the son of a pastor, Tischer, who is the lead pastor at Greencastle Christian Church, was introduced to the church and religion at a young age, but admits he wanted nothing to do with it early on. 

"I was raised in a Christian home, but, like anyone raised in it, I wanted nothing to do with it in high school. It wasn't until college, and I went to a state university in Missouri, Truman State University, where I was a music major and had dreams of vocal performances. Around that time, I really felt the call that ministry was where I needed to be. I finished out my degree at Truman State and went right into seminary. I finished a Master's Degree a few years after, and I began working in the church in January of 2000 in St. Louis," Tischer told The Putnam County Post. 

Tischer started off in student ministry, where he admits he was "hanging out with teenagers, doing stupid things, having fun with them and pointing them to Jesus." Through the years, he has dabbled in worship ministry, had a role in small groups ministry and has spent the last 12 years as a lead pastor. 

Over that time, he admits he has seen some changes within the church.

"Culturally, there have been some big changes. I think our nation is so divided now and there are challenges with knowing there are people with all sorts of different political views that are coming to church. How do you touch on a certain subject and you know regardless of what you do, someone is going to be mad? When I started, we were at the tail end of a big boom in the church. I think 9-11 started to shift things a little bit and here we are today," he said. 

And, he admits he is mindful of current climates when he crafts his Sunday messages. 

"I'm not perfect. There are things every Sunday I will say, and I get home and say, "Oh man, I wish I said that differently." I always preach Jesus, and that is the point. There are some things Jesus says and does that gets us into the political realm. If there are spiritual issues, no matter how political they are, we are going to talk about them. I don't talk about them every Sunday, but, depending where we are at with our Bible study, we are going to talk about it. And, I try to do it with grace. Every sermon I know could be hot, I go into saying I may open up a can of worms, but I want you to hear my heart behind it. If there's something I say that someone doesn't agree with, let's go have coffee and talk about it because I am learning in this too," Tischer said. 

Over the years, Greencastle Christian Church has become a beacon of hope in Greencastle and across Putnam County. 

"One of the things I have always tried to ask myself in the ministries I lead is if the church was to go missing tomorrow, would the community miss it. I have always asked myself that question. That is a very telling question, and we try to operate in a way the community would feel it, and I hope that is the case," he said.

The reach also extends globally, as Tischer is heavily involved in mission trips with GCC. 

"Ever since I have been an adult, my wife and I have always valued travel. We don't get to do it as much as we would like because things are tight and there's little babies at home, but one of the things I love about travel is it gets you out of the norm. For mission trips, when you go to another place, you get to see how God is working, and it could be vastly different in that culture," Tischer said. 

Through his mission trip work, Greencastle Christian Church has partnered with 

Missions of Hope International and, as a result, a new school has started in Adidas Ababa, Ethiopia. 

"It's not just a new school, but a school specifically for the poorest of the poor. These are people who live in extreme poverty and make less than $2 a day. Think about that. If you make less than $2 a day, you are in complete survival mode and you think how do I get through this day and make sure my babies have something to eat and do whatever I need to do to make sure that happens. A lot of families in extreme poverty are stuck, and a lot of times there are horrific stories of girls being sold to have money. We want to try and break the cycle. This new school started with 200 kids and our church has sponsored every child in that school so far. That is a brand new adventure, and we are organizing a trip for our church to go and see those kids. I have talked to a few community members and I want to take 40 people to Ethiopia to see our kids next June. Now you are becoming the hands and feet of Jesus. It's not just about giving money, now you can see that you are making an impact," Tischer said. 

And, the veteran pastor notes the trips always make him think and push him to be better and more involved. 

"The cool thing is it is a hard trip because you see poverty like you don't see here, and it is safe. If the church doesn't do it, who will? The government won't. GCC has really bought into it. I knew going there we would be going into the slums. I have been in a few before, so I kind of knew what I would see, but when you are sitting there with the families and you see the conditions, you get a lump in your throat and can't get words out. Flying back, there's people who have never been in an airport or on a plane before. Then you get home, and you may have grilled a steak and you realize people don't have that. You get a feeling of being grateful, and then you realize you have a job to do, so what are you going to do about it," Tischer said.