The Zone Gathering

Today, we shine the spotlight on John Hasler (he’s the guy in the middle). I counted John’s picture in the National Community Geographic at least 4 times, but he leads about twice that many groups. John has been a huge blessing to NCC and our homeless community. He stretches us and challenges us to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to share his love in practical ways around us.

We recently promoted John to Team Leader in our zone (the Zempel Zone) where he will provide leadership and pastoral support to the small groups focused on social justice issues. Today, we talk with John about life, ministry, and all things German.

How long have you attended NCC? What brought you to NCC?
I’ve been attending NCC since I moved to DC in August of 2004- I heard about it from several people, but I finally checked it out after having lunch with Mike Godzwa, who I met through a Chi Alpha connection.

Tell us a little about the small groups that you lead and how that experience has impacted you.
Right now I am leading the Tuesday night Social Justice Action(SJA) group and the Wednesday night In Service Small group, as well as the In Service ministry. It is exciting to be leading these amazing groups of people. SJA is composed of dedicated followers of Christ who are trying more and more to understand God’s Heart and Will for His Kingdom on earth. This means seeking to understand how He would have us love each other and build the church worldwide by breaking down the evil structures that keep so many around the world, as well as here, oppressed. One of my mottos for both groups is the idea that when immediate needs of people are met and burdens are lightened, these individuals are given the opportunity to explore the realities of God’s love for humanity and respond to His call. We are called to go into the world and bring God’s redemptive message to mankind- and that message has very little legitimacy if we are preaching it without the hands of service backing it up.

I learn so much from each member of my groups and ministry- God’s creativity in crafting each individual is a constant reminder to me of His Sovereignty and my humble role in His great Plan.

Where can you be found on Sunday mornings?
I am primarily at the 9:30 Union service in order to lead the In Service team after it’s over. However, I have also tried to attend the Ebenezer’s service so that I can be totally free for Sunday mornings to serve. I also check in on the Ballston In Service team from time to time.

When did you start following Christ and what have been some of the spiritual turning points in your life?
This is one of the most difficult questions for me to answer- I don’t have a date, time, moment, like many. I like to think of my walk as a scattered journey through a forest straying to and from the path, never really sure where I was going, yet still moving closer in the direction of God nonetheless. However, looking back, it is so evident that the Holy Spirit was present in my life at many moments. Everything from going to Sunday school and services at the Greek Orthodox Church growing up, to late night Bible reading alone in my room in high school, trying to figure out who Jesus was and what He was all about. I did pray a lot though, always knowing God existed. It is humbling to see how God has His hand in your life, even when you don’t realize it. I did make some more practical changes in my life during my undergrad, when I joined my first Bible study- I also had some major spiritual breakthroughs during my 3 and ½ years living in Germany, where God was able to take me out of my comfort zone and show me the world and His expanding Kingdom.

Tell us a little about your background.
I grew up in a near southwest suburb of Chicago called Hickory Hills. I attended Stagg High School and went on to study at Valparaiso University. Studying International Economics and Cultural Affairs along with German, I got the chance to travel abroad for my junior year, attending the Universität Tübingen. This was an incredible experience to study, travel and fall in love with the German language and culture. I knew I would return and did the fall after graduation on a Fulbright Research Scholarship investigating the eastern expansion of the European Union at the Universität Rostock. I stayed another two years until December of 2003 doing an internship at the German Parliament, getting a Masters of European Studies at the Universität Bonn and interning with American missionaries in Berlin doing campus ministry.

My family all live together back in Chicago, where my dad drives a truck for a large grocery store chain and my mom works in the administrative building of our local school district. My younger sister Dena is a successful stylist in a salon in a near western suburb.

During the summer my family has always spent a large amount of time in a lake region of southwest Michigan where we have a summer home. My grandparents ended up buying a house across the street and retired there. Michigan was always a second home for me growing up and still is today.

What is your favorite Scripture passage?
Whatever the Lord serves me up when I need it (esp. when I need a kick in the butt!)
Aside from that, I love Ecclesiastes. I love Amos and James and their calls for justice. I also love 1 John (not because of the name)

What are your favorite books?
Well unlike the rest of NCC (or so I feel like sometimes) I am not a huge reader- Some recent books I’ve read and enjoyed are Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski, Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott, and Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.

What are your favorite movies?
Now we’re talking! I love watching movies. Some faves:
Oli Stone: JFK, Natural Born Killers, U-Turn
German: Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run), Der Untergang (The Downfall), Good Bye Lenin, Swing Kids (Though not produced in Germany)
Other: All the 90’s SNL cast movies: Sandler, Farley, Ferrell- they’re ‘glorious’

What is your favorite fast food?
It’s always been Taco Bell (oh meximelt), though it tends to make me ill now…

What is something that most people at NCC would not know about you?
I was once co-featured in a half hour documentary done by the Deutsche Welle (Germany’s worldwide PBS) on the Fulbright program. They followed me around for 2 weeks with cameras and microphones to document my study abroad experience while I was in Rostock and crossed my story with that of a German student in the U.S. It was a bit unnerving, but fun. The final version is at times embarrassing, hence the secret nature of the tape! I was however, able to share my faith during in the piece, opposite the German girl they documented who was a self-proclaiming atheist.

**And no Steph, did you think I was going to share that experience that only you and Shipley happened to find out about

Tell us a little about your day job. What is your dream job?
It’s a big mystery… No, I work at the Foreign Service Institute of the State Department, where Foreign Service officers come to get language and area training before going abroad. I am a program assistant in the Slavic Language Department.

I have a ton of visions from God for the future. I would love to have a community center, a place where people in need could come and go for periods of time to sleep, eat, worship, play sports. I would also love to coordinate a Christian night club that allowed Christian djs to spin their techno/house/d&b worship to God… yes those artists are out there, and let me tell you, you haven’t worshipped until you’ve worshipped in a rave-style atmosphere… electric~

Who is your hero? (besides Jesus or any other member of the Trinity)
I never had heroes, though I do love reading/hearing stories about people who take huge risks to step out and give their life to pursuing a dream- I also love hearing about the ups and downs, the toil and struggle of people who are doing ministry and serving in tough places. I like non-fiction, non-glorified stories of the realistic pursuit to follow Christ in practical ways that at times are even life-threatening.

What do you do in your free time?
Soccer, Soccer, Soccer… I have played in up to 3 leagues at a time while here in DC- I love playing the game, it’s the greatest sport out there. I also love going to see live shows, hang out in DC locales with friends and watch sports (esp. Chicago teams!) and movies.

In NCC:THE MOVIE who would play you? Who would play Pastor Mark?
Oh this question…hmmm
Well I had to survey some peeps for this one…
I got, Adam Sandler with long hair…
Carter Oosterhouse (I have never heard of this guy or seen Trading Spaces??)
but finally, we’ll have to go with David Hasselhoff, German connection, and he could pull off the German accent on the word cool (pronounced like Kuehl) not to mention my college friends used to call me hasselhoff and hassles all of the time…

but the role would have to be stipulated by having the “Kuehl” Knightrider David, not cheesy Baywatch David…

For PM- it’s gotta be my chi-town fave Vince Vaughn (tall with that quick witty, Chicago accent, though sometimes I hear too much Minnesota/DC from PM- we’ll work on it)
Can’t you just hear Vince in one of his famous flurry monologues, at the end going “Tdaaat’s what I’m tawlkin’ aaabout!” lol

What is your favorite Pastor Markism?
Beside’s the one I just mentioned above-
Pretty much anything that he says, which is then followed by that high pitched laugh at himself… I am usually cracking up with him.

*Peace, brothers and sisters!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 6th, 2006 at 11:25 am and is filed under Spotlights, Team Leaders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.