Meet Tom Spicher

Tom Spicher has two jobs that he loves: teaching high school chemistry and raising sheep.  It's an ideal combination, he says.  "Sometimes in the evening when I come home, I just need to go out and do some manual work.  That refreshes me." 

Tom, who has been a teacher since 1973 and has taught at Huntingdon Area High School for the past twelve years, considers teaching to be his calling.  He calls his classroom "a little different."  Rather than practicing zero tolerance, he believes in second chances.  "In the church I've seen forgiveness and healing, and I've seen mercy trumping [retributive] justice," Tom says. 

"So I try to do that in my classroom.  Kids can have a bad day, they treat you disrespectfully, they act up in class, they don't do their homework.  But after I've had a run-in with a student, I'll say, 'We might have had a problem yesterday or last week, but today the board is clean.  Today is a new day.'  I do that often.  After the kids hear it often enough, they start believing it, and the classroom climate changes into something positive.

"I see the image of God so much stamped on every child," Tom continues, "and it seems our culture wants to erase that image.  That can break your heart.  Kids work so hard to come off as tough and experienced.   And they want to belong more than anything.  That's where teenagers are like sheep:  They want to be part of the group so badly, they will injure themselves to do it."

But even when a teen seems beyond help, Tom says, good things can happen with patience and prayer.  "Just last week I had a young man come in-he'd been in my class in 2004 and is now a junior in college.  He was so aimless in high school.  But he sat down and we started talking, and he said, 'Mr. Spicher, I just wanted to tell you that I've become a Christian.  And I always knew you were praying for me.'  I have no idea how he knew-I never told him.  I wonder sometimes why some kids have to go through such a hard time, but maybe it's just part of coming around to realizing how lost we are before we can be found." 

Tom and his wife, Sharon, live on a farm in McAlevy's Fort, along with their oldest daughter, Bethany, and her husband, Micah.  Bethany and Micah attend University Mennonite as well, and they grow and sell vegetables through their CSA, Plowshare Produce.  Tom and Sharon have another daughter, Karen, who teaches English in Korea, and a son, Brian, who owns a construction business in Lancaster. 

Tom and Sharon began attending University Mennonite Church in 2004, and Tom enjoys serving on the meetinghouse committee.  One of the things he appreciates most about University Mennonite is the spirit of welcoming he sees.  "There's room for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and that's a blessing to see people who may not have financial wealth be respected in church leadership positions.  We affirm each person's gifts, regardless of financial or educational status.  I think that's unusual in a church." 

Tolerance and willingness to "agree to disagree" are also important to Tom.  "I can disagree with someone about an issue, but we can still respect each other and worship together.  Even in the years since we've been here, I think there's been a broader inclusion, and I believe this blending of views is making a more mature church. We focus on what unites us-discipleship and walking with Jesus.  That's one of the beauties of University Mennonite."

by Krista Weidner