Christ's Church welcomes new pastor

TIFFIN --- Christ's Church at Tiffin recently welcomed a new pastor to their parish family. Pastor Mark Hassler said he arrived in Tiffin about two weeks ago and is "brand new to the area." Previously, Hassler said, he was the pastor of a church in Florida. "I love Tiffin so far," he said. Hassler said his years as a pastor has included serving at nine different churches, all of which required a move for him and his family. The story behind his move to Tiffin, he said, is simply that "God has an interesting sense of humor sending me back where my family first started from." "I go wherever He sends me," Hassler said. Hassler said he has been called to serve since he was out of high school. He received his bachelor's degree from Atlanta Christian College, his master's from Cincinnati Christian Seminary, and his doctorate from Emory University. Hassler said his ministry work is centered on the belief that "people want the truth and the message," and he feels a "worldwide revival" is underway. "God is making major changes in the world," he said. Since arriving at Christ's Church, Hassler said he has already witnessed an increase in church attendance, and new families have joined. "It's very exciting," he said. Hassler said he plans to continue the church's current parish and outreach activities and look to grow them even further. Not only does the church offer a contemporary music experience, but youth programs and adult Bible studies are thriving, he said. In addition, Christ's Church hosts a USDA food giveaway for those in need, and is planning to reach out to the local university communities in the area, Hassler said. The ultimate goal, he said, is to have an event or ministry at the church "every evening." Hassler said he has a heart for ministry in the special needs community and plans to explore opportunities to serve in the area. After living in so many different towns and cities, Hassler said he has been pleasantly surprised by all that Tiffin has to offer. Specifically, he noted the quality of Mercy Health-Tiffin Hospital and the strength of the arts scene in the community. *Editor's note: The story has been corrected to fix the title of the church which had been previously misidentified.