Find the latest news about what’s going on in Higher Things.
Higher Things announces the Daily Reflections for Pentecost and the beginning of the Trinity Season, May 19 through June 29. As always, you can download the Reflections in a variety of formats using the links below.
Printable Booklet (PDF)
“In Line” PDF
Nook and other readers (ePub format)
Amazon Kindle (may require file management software on your kindle device)
In Christ,
Pastor Mark Buetow
buetowmt@higherthings.org
HT Media Services Executive
“To everything there is a season….”
In 2011, Higher Things’ Board of Directors enacted bylaw and policy revisions that brought our organizational structure into better alignment with our mission and values. Included among these revisions were term limits for officers and directors, thereby ensuring a steady turnover of leadership and an infusion of fresh thinking and energy.
Although technically “grandfathered” from these term limits, I have chosen to respect their spirit and intent by not seeking reelection as president of Higher Things. My desire is to serve the remaining year of my term as a director in support of the new president. I thank the board for honoring this desire.
I am proud of what we have accomplished together under God’s immeasurable grace. Higher Things has emerged into adulthood as an organization. What began as a small startup venture among friends has grown and matured into a sizable network of pastors and congregations and an organization of staff and volunteers that is able to sustain a high level of activity. The Higher Things “brand” has become synonymous with liturgical and confessional youth ministry that takes worship, theology and fun seriously while keeping them properly distinct.
I look forward to my dear friend and colleague Pr. George Borghardt taking the reigns of organizational leadership. Pr. Borghardt has served Higher Things tirelessly over the years, most recently as our indefatigable conference executive. He brings to the board a boundless creativity and a long track record of working with our church’s youth. He will add a valuable dimension of outreach and relationship-building to the office of president.
The vacated position of conference executive will be filled by Ms. Sandra Ostapowich, who has been our conference coordinator. In her new position, she will not only continue her present responsibilities, but will be in a position to develop programs and personnel to take Higher Things conferences and retreats to the next level. This central area of Higher Things could not be in more capable hands.
I have learned much over my 8 years with Higher Things as a director, vice-president, and president. I treasure every Higher Things moment. I have had the pleasure to work with some of the most Gospel-crazy justified sinners one could ever hope to meet. I have made many treasured friendships. I have watched young people grow into mature adulthood, get married, start families, launch vocations, and take their place in church, home, and society. I have seen the living Word of God at work and have been privileged to be an instrument in delivering that Word. I have received far more than I have given.
I hope to continue to be a part of Higher Things’ future, whether by writing, speaking, preaching, or presiding. I thank the Board of Directors for placing its confidence in me and entrusting to me its chair and the task of publicly representing Higher Things these past several years. I pray that our Lord would continue to richly bless our church’s youth through the activities of Higher Things as we work together with parents, pastors, and congregations toward establishing a solidly Lutheran identity in our youth.
Stay Lutheran, my friends.
Rev. William M. Cwirla, President
Higher Things
At conferences, you’ve seen the corps of college aged young adults in their colorful staff shirts. The College Conference Volunteers (CCVs) play in integral role on the conference staff. They work hard and play even harder! You see them helping at registration, during breakaways, running from place to place to complete their missions. They do even more that you don’t see! They help with set-up before conference groups arrive on site and take things down after everyone has left.
But what is it that’s so great about being a CCV? With the help of the 2013 From Above CCVs we’ve compiled this Top 10 List:
This year Higher Things received the most CCV applications ever! Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications, we were not able to accept everyone who applied.
We are excited to announce the 2013 From Above CCVs:
Scranton, PA – June 25th – 28th
West Lafayette, IN – July 9th – 12th
Tacoma, WA – July 16th – 19th
We are very thankful for the interest and willingness of these young adults to serve as CCVs. Registration for all three From Above conferences is still open. Register today and see our CCVs in action this summer!
Dating? Relationships? Marriage? Boyfriends and girlfriends. Husbands and wives. What does the Bible have to say about all that stuff? We’ll see what God’s Word has to say about marriage and dating and that thing that only belongs in marriage. Most of all, we’ll see how Christ loves His church as His bride and how that picture helps us to understand all that dating and marriage stuff.
Spend a weekend learning about relationships, Jesus, and forgiveness from Rev. Mark Buetow. Pastor Buetow serves Bethel Lutheran Church in DuQuoin, Illinois and is the Media Executive for Higher Things, Inc.
When: August 9-10, 2013
Cost: $50 per person
Where: Zion Lutheran Church Mitchell, South Dakota
RSVP: By registering online at www.higherthings.org/retreats
Pastor Thomas Brown – (605) 999-2873 or tbrown80@gmail.com
or
Sandra Ostapowich at retreats@higherthings.org – Higher Things Retreat Coordinator
Higher Things is pleased to offer Daily Reflections for the Easter Season, March 31 through May 18, 2013. These daily devotions deliver the Good News told by the angels: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! You can download the Reflections in a variety of formats from the links below:
Printable Booklet (PDF)
“In Line” PDF
Nook and other readers (ePub format)
Amazon Kindle (may require file management software on your kindle device)
In Christ,
Pastor Mark Buetow
buetowmt@higherthings.org
HT Media Services Executive
The Gospel is always more. There is more grace, more forgiveness, more life, more salvation in Jesus than we could ever figure out in this life time. With Jesus, there is always more!
As you have heard, the “From Above” Higher Things Conference at Purdue University is full. It actually is overfilled! We have limited spots in the plenary space, and we have a waiting list of well over over one hundred registrants wanting to attend this conference – with more still coming in!
Thankfully, the Purdue conference is not the only Higher Things Conference this year. There are two other conferences this summer: one in the beautiful Poconos region of Pennsylvania, at the University of Scranton from June 25-28 and another in the gorgeous hills of Tacoma, Washington at Pacific Lutheran University from July 16-19. To encourage groups to register for one of these other conferences, we will be freezing the registration fee at $350/person for these two conferences. (All other deadlines, fees, etc. still apply.)
But what about the waiting list? Well, the Gospel is always more. We’re just going to open registration further at Purdue, and expand the capacity of the conference to accommodate everyone. All registration deadlines will remain in place for the Purdue Conference.
These are unexpected (and good!) problems to have! Good thing our Lord has taught us the Gospel. The Gospel is always more. More at Purdue than we expected or planned but room for everyone. Thank you, Jesus.
Blessed Lententide to you!
Rev. George F. Borghardt III
Conference Executive
revborghardt@higherthings.org
Higher Things, Inc.
The Higher Things 2013 “From Above” VBS is now on sale. You can purchase the material immediately here (Buy link at the bottom of the page). A complete preview of all the material for Day 1 is available to download here. The cost of the materials is $75 for either purchasing method.
In Christ,
Rev. Mark Buetow
Media Executive
buetowmt@higherthings.org
The Higher Things From Above conference at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN is FULL! Actually, there is a decent sized list of people waiting to get in should spots open up.
If you would still like to attend a From Above conference this summer, there is still room at the conferences in Scranton, PA (June 25-28) and Tacoma, WA (July 16-19). You can register for either of those conferences at fromabove2013.org.
Also, with the end of February, comes a couple of conference deadlines. Registration rates go up to $375/person on February 28th. Be sure to pay your registration balances IN FULL by the end of the day tomorrow (2/28) to lock in your current rates.
We have already received tons of College Conference Volunteer applications! If you wish to be considered for a CCV position, the last day to submit your application is also tomorrow (2/28). Please keep in mind that applying to be a CCV does not necessarily guarantee that you will be accepted as one.
We at Higher Things are very excited to celebrate being born from above in the waters of the baptismal font at the conferences this summer. We hope to see you there!
In Christ,
Sandra Ostapowich
Conference & Retreat Coordinator
ostapowich@higherthings.org
February 22, 2013
At its recent Summit meeting in Chicago, the Board of Directors elected Rev. George Borghardt to serve as President for the coming fiscal year, beginning May 1. Rev. Borghardt, Senior Pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois, currently serves the organization as Conference Executive. He has served in this capacity since 2007. He succeeds Rev. William M. Cwirla, the current President, who will remain a Director on the Board. Rev. Cwirla had previously informed the Board that he did not wish to serve as an officer for the remaining year of his term.
Also at the meeting, Rev. Joel Fritsche was elected to a one-year term to complete the term vacated by the resignation of Rev. Jonathan Fisk. Mr. Chris Loemker and Chris Rosebrough were elected as Directors for three-year terms. Mr. Loemker was elected Treasurer, Rev. Fritsche, Secretary, and Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher, Vice-President.
Sandra Ostapowich was appointed Conference Executive. She will maintain all current responsibilities of conference coordinator in addition to those of the conference executive.
Officers of Higher Things are elected to one-year terms. Directors are elected to three-year terms for a maximum of six years. All elections and appointments begin May 1, 2013, the beginning of Higher Things’ fiscal year.
The mission of Higher Things is to assist parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating, encouraging and promoting a distinctively Lutheran identity among their youth and young adults. Join us this summer for From Above, our 2013 youth conference in Scranton, Pennsylvania (June 25-28), West Lafayette, Indiana (July 9-12) and Tacoma, Washington (July 16-19).
NINETY-NINE. As in 99.
That’s how many spots remain available at the Higher Things – From Above conference this summer at Purdue University. We’ll be starting a waiting list soon, which means that those who have not paid a (non-refundable, $100/person) deposit could potentially end up on the waiting list regardless of when their group registered. The deposit does NOT lock-in your registration rate, it only guarantees your group spots at the conference if we should reach capacity. Registration rates go up again on March 1 (to $375/person), and the rate paid is based on when your group’s BALANCE is paid IN FULL.
Also, the From Above conference at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA has less than 50% of its spots remaining. There’s also a 3rd conference from June 24-28 at the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA. FWIW, they have had the best food we’ve had at a conference to date. And you can tour your favorite spots from the TV show, “The Office” while you’re there.
So what I’m saying is… get your deposits and balances paid if you haven’t done so already! Visit www.fromabove2013.org to register and pay online today!
Sandra Ostapowich
Conference & Retreat Coordinator
Higher Things, Inc.
ostapowich@higherthings.org
