Category: News

The leaves are changing and the mornings have become crisp and cool, which means it’s time to launch Higher Things Magazine’s Bread of Life Retrospective fall issue, featuring several HT conference plenary speakers, catechists and attendees. From Rev. Borghardt’s tender account of his daughter’s First Communion to Rev. Cwirla’s saga of his stolen Schwinn bicycle, the underlying theme—as always—is Jesus FOR YOU! Be sure to check out our two-page Bread of Life photo collage and delve into all of the details of the HERE I STAND Higher Things 2017 Summer Conferences. Registration opens November 1!

• The Sophia of Worthy Reception – By Rev. George F. Borghardt
• Praying for Your Front-Line Pastor – By Rev. Duane Bamsch
• Higher Things Conferences: A Life-Changing Experience – By Benjamin Heinz
• Who Am I? – By Rev. Harrison Goodman
• Free to Sing in Faith – By Taylor Schmidt
• Does Everything Happen for a Reason? – By Sarah Grandfield-Connors
• The Stepfamily Redemption Connection – By Katie Hill
• Catechism: The Gift of Stuff – By Rev. William M. Cwirla

Check out this issue with an HT-Online Subscription at http://higherthings.org/magazine. With your HT-Online Account, you also gain access to every issue of Higher Things® Magazine ever printed along with Bible Studies and Leaders’ Guides for many of the articles.

Print copies of the magazine should be arriving in your mailbox soon. You can subscribe to the print edition of the magazine at http://higherthings.org/magazine/subscriptions.

Higher Things presents the next set of Daily Reflections for the weeks of Trinity 22 through the End of the Church Year, October 23 through November 26, 2016. Reflections are available as a printable booklet and in a variety of other formats below.

Download the Trinity 22 through End of the Church Year Reflections as a booklet by clicking here or in a variety of other formats at higherthings.org/reflections.

In Christ,

Rev. Aaron Fenker
aaronfenker@higherthings.org
Media Executive
Higher Things, Inc.

Higher Things will join Lutherans around the world commemorating the 500th anniversary of the church’s Reformation at four youth conferences next summer:

• June 27-30 — Trinity University, San Antonio, TX*
• July 4-7 — Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC
• July 18-21 — Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
• July 25-28 — Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN*

Registration will open at hereistand2017.org on November 1, 2016.

The all-inclusive registration starts at $355/person, which covers 3 nights on-campus housing, 9 meals, and all conference programming. Frequently asked questions are covered in the downloadable registration packet.

Each of the four conferences will run Tuesday through Friday afternoons and have similar schedules, with specific times for worship, Bible studies, and planned free time entertainment.

The ‘Here I Stand’ conference theme is based on Dr. Martin Luther’s response at the Diet of Worms when asked if he recanted of his 95 Thesis hung on the Wittenberg church door that started it all.

Luther said, “Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct ground and reasoning—and my conscience is captive to the Word of God—then I cannot and will not recant… Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

“The Higher Things motto echoes next year’s conference theme,” said Conference Executive Sandra Ostapowich. “Here I stand. Dare to be Lutheran. We’ll look at how we’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”

Capacity is limited to 1000 attendees at the Texas conference, 500 in North Carolina, 600 in Montana, and 950 in Indiana.

“Get ready to register early so you have less chance of standing in a waiting list line!” Ostapowich said.

Higher Things is a Recognized Service Organization of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod that holds annual youth conferences and assists parents, congregations, and pastors in cultivating a distinctly Lutheran identity among youth and young adults. The 2017 conferences will be the 35th-38th conferences Higher Things has held since its beginnings in 2000. To learn more about Higher Things, visit higherthings.org.

Higher Things presents the next set of Daily reflections for the weeks of Trinity 17 through 21, September 18 through October 22, 2016. Reflections are available as a printable booklet and in a variety of other formats.

Download the Trinity 17 through Trinity 21 Reflections as a booklet by clicking here or in a variety of other formats at higherthings.org/reflections.

In Christ,

Rev. Aaron Fenker
aaronfenker@higherthings.org
Media Executive
Higher Things, Inc.

The dog days of summer are still with us, so find some relief in the latest issue of Higher Things Magazine! This issue contains a mix of articles related to navigating the changes and trials in this life, to defense of the faith, to the delight we can take in the liturgy and sacraments—all reminders that Jesus is FOR YOU! Be sure to check out our farewell to Rev. Mark Buetow as well.

In this issue:

• Moving On: A Letter from Father to Son – Rev. George F. Borghardt
• Stop This Ride! Handling the Relentless Changes of Life as a Baptized Child of God – Rev. Mark Buetow
• You Are Not of This World – Rev. Eric Brown
• Unplanned Parenthood and the Abundance of God’s Grace – Karina Pellegrini
• Seven Apologists Every Christian Should Know, Pt. 7 – Rev. Mark A. Pierson
• Let’s Take Jesus at His Word – Rev. William Snyder
• Hymns Are for Proclamation – Rev. Gaven M. Mize
• The Ultimate Narrative – By Alex Stakos
• The Sixth Commandment: The Gift of One Flesh – Rev. William M. Cwirla

Check out this issue with an HT-Online Subscription at http://higherthings.org/magazine. With your HT-Online Account, you also gain access to every issue of Higher Things® Magazine ever printed along with Bible Studies and Leaders’ Guides for many of the articles.

Print copies of the magazine should be arriving in your mailbox soon. You can subscribe to the print edition of the magazine at http://higherthings.org/magazine/subscriptions.

Higher Things is pleased to announce the next set of Daily Reflections for the weeks of Trinity 11 through 16, August 7 through September 17, 2016.

Download the Trinity 11 through Trinity 16 Reflections as a booklet by clicking here or in a variety of other formats at higherthings.org/reflections.

In Christ,

Rev. Mark Buetow
buetowmt@higherthings.org
Media Executive