Category: News

Amen is the receiving word – Christ forgives and we receive that forgiveness, responding, “Amen.”  Amen was spoken at our Holy Baptism.  Amen is spoken when the Lord forgives us in Holy Absolution.  Amen is spoken when the Word goes into our ears – preached, spoken, and prayed.  Amen is the only word we say after Christ puts own His Body and Blood into our mouths at the Sacrament.  Amen.  Gift received.  Thank you, Jesus.

Do you want to celebrate this faithful response to the Lord’s gifts?  There will be three opportunities next year to be caught up in Amen.  You’ve heard about the locations of two our conferences: the Poconos and St. Louis.  We’ve also been hinting that we just might have a third conference on the West Coast.

Today, we are pleased to announce that our third conference will be at Concordia University Irvine, CA from July 15-18, 2008.  Come to beautiful Irvine, to the beaches, to Hollywood, to Disneyland…and, for the first time in Higher Things history, to one our synodical universities!

Excited? We are! Come rejoice in the response of faith at three Higher Things conferences next year:

A deposit of $100/person is due at the time of registration.

Three opportunities to hear the Gospel at a Higher Things conference in 2008!  Three great locations!  Registration for this summer’s conferences opens on All Saints Day (November 1, 2007) and will close on March 1, 2008 or whenever each conference reaches its capacity.  Get ready to register your groups soon – we expect these conferences to fill quickly!   More details about the conferences will be posted on our website <http://www.higherthings.org> on October 15 and conference posters will soon be sent to your congregations.

In Christ,

Sandra Ostapowich
2008 Conference Coordinator
Secretary, Board of Directors
Higher Things, Inc.

“Our Paschal Lamb, that sets us free, is sacrificed. O keep the feast of freedom gallantly.
Let alleluias leap; Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Again, sing alleluia, cry aloud:  Alleluia! Amen!”
(LSB #473, verse 1)

Higher Things is excited to share with you an exclusive interview with the Pastor George Borghardt of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Conroe, TX on Issues, Etc. on the topic of “Youth Ministry”. You can find this great interview with the Higher Things Conference Executive, Higher Things Reflector, regular Magazine Columnist and frequent teacher at Higher Things Conferences and Retreats on the Higher Things Media page. You can also find a link to this most recent interview with Pastor Borghardt on myHT. If you’re a regular listener of Issues, Etc. you can also find this interview at their website on their daily podcast.

Dear everyone,

I am pleased to announce that we have recently added three new Christ on Campus Chapters, bringing the Christ on Campus Chapter network to twenty-six.

The new Christ on Campus Chapters include:

• Christ Lutheran Church, Superior, WI
  (University of Wisconsin – Superior)
• Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Duluth, MN
  (University of Minnesota – Duluth)
• St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
  (Sam Houston State University)

The interest in the Christ on Campus network and our Chapter program continues to grow daily. To learn more about the Christ on Campus Chapter program and see the full listing of Chapters go to: http://higherthings.org/campus/chapters.html.

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

“Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517”

We are pleased to announce that the Sixth Annual Christ on Campus Staff Conference will be held next summer in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Kp>More details are to come, but please mark your calendars and make plans to join us for…

THE SIXTH ANNUAL CHRIST ON CAMPUS STAFF CONFERENCE

May 28-30, 2008
Lutheran Campus Ministry Knoxville, TN

Look for more details in the coming months!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

“Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517”

As we continue through the Church Year, the Lord’s Word continues to declare Jesus FOR YOU. The Scriptures and Catechism for each day declare Christ’s forgiveness FOR YOU. Even as Summer changes into Autumn, the unchanging gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation continue to be FOR YOU. You can download the latest Reflections, covering September 29 through October 31, here.

Thank You to Pastor Marc Paine, St. Luke Lutheran Church, Starkville, Mississippi, who authored for this batch of Reflections.

For more information contact Pastor Kurt Onken of Messiah Lutheran Church, Marysville, WA (360) 659-4112.

The first batch of FOR YOU pictures are on the FOR YOU website. Check them out here! Have more pictures? Email them to us and we’ll put them online.

I don’t want to cause a competition or anything, but we have double the number of pictures from Asheville than we do from Minneapolis. You might even see them in the Higher Things magazine!  Send in your pictures now!

Higher Things is looking for a Business Executive to oversee and manage our financial affairs. Responsibilities include accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, tax-related filings, and financial reporting. The qualified candidate should be familiar with Excel and QuickBooks, ledgers, spreadsheets, and standard accounting practice. Good organizational and administrative skills are essential as is the ability to pay the bills on time. He or she will be committed to confessional Lutheran orthodoxy and share in Higher Things mission to assist parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating and promoting a distinctively Lutheran identity among our youth. A good sense of humor and the ability to fly by the seat of one’s pants is very helpful.  Check out the job description here.

Higher Things is a not-for-profit organization that relies heavily on volunteer workers dedicated to the cause of youth work. This position will pay a whopping $6K plus the benefit of working with creative, intense people on a shoestring budget in the greatest Lutheran youth organization on the planet.

If you are interested, please send a resume and cover letter to Pr. William M. Cwirla at cwirla@higherthings.org.

In Christ,

The Rev. William Cwirla
Vice President
Higher Things, Inc.

Higher Things is looking for a Development Executive to oversee and coordinate our development and marketing efforts. Responsibilities include management of all marketing, fund raising, donor development and grant application. The qualified candidate will have experience in fund raising, grant writing, and donor base development along with a commitment to confessional Lutheran orthodoxy, and a zeal for Higher Things’ mission to assist parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating and promoting a distinctively Lutheran identity among our youth. A good sense of humor and the ability to fly by the seat of one’s pants is very helpful.  Check out the job description here.

Higher Things is a not-for-profit organization that relies heavily on volunteer workers dedicated to the cause of youth work. This position will pay a whopping $6K plus the benefit of working with creative, intense people in the greatest Lutheran youth organization on the planet.

If you are interested, please send a resume and cover letter to Pr. William M. Cwirla at cwirla@higherthings.org.

In Christ,

The Rev. William Cwirla
Vice President
Higher Things, Inc.