Information about the 2010 Higher Things Conferences
GIVEN - Utah GIVEN - Memphis
Why Higher Things?
Utah State University, Logan, UT June 29–July 2, 2010
We live in a culture of blurry religious distinctions and do-ityourself spirituality.Youth, especially, need solid ground that will nurture lasting Christian faith. Rather than treating youth as an adolescent subculture and subjecting them to experiences that cannot be replicated at home, Higher Things believes in challenging youth to learn the pure doctrine of the Christian faith. By teaching them the same message that they hear at home, youth grow in the fullness of the Christian faith as they come to appreciate historic liturgical practice and its unique focus on God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation for us delivered in Word and Sacrament.
The Theme
“Take, eat; this is My body given for you.This is My blood, poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Sound familiar? Jesus does the giving; we are the ones given to. Jesus gives His life for us on the cross, and we are given His cross-won forgiveness in the Divine Service in the Word, in Holy Absolution, in Holy Baptism, and His Supper. As Jesus gives us His life and salvation in the Divine Service, so we are given to pray in His Name, to praise and to give thanks unto our Father in heaven. And just as we are given the gift of Jesus in the Divine Service, so also He gives us as a gift to our neighbors. This year, in Utah and in Tennessee, Lutheran youth will gather to rejoice in all that we are GIVEN in the Divine Service where Jesus gives us His actual body to eat and His blood to drink! His Word and Sacraments enliven us to be given in service to our neighbors. And it’s all given to us in the Divine Service: the cross, forgiveness, eternal life, salvation, and service to others!
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Registration
Registration will open on October 1, 2009, and close on February 28, 2010, or when a site reaches capacity—whichever happens first. We work very diligently to keep costs as low as possible while providing the best conferences we can every year! Here’s how it works out this year:
GIVEN - Utah GIVEN - Memphis
Oct. 1, 2009 to Jan. 1, 2010
Jan. 2, 2010 to Feb. 28, 2010
After March 1, 2010
$300 $325
$310 $335
$325 $350
A deposit of $100/person will secure a spot at a conference. The per-person rates above are based on the date your group’s registration balance is PAID IN FULL. All payments must be made in
University of Memphis, Memphis, TN July 6–9, 2010 U.S. funds. Additional fees may apply for registrations and changes made after March 1, 2010. Not only can you register your group online at www.given2010.org, you can pay deposits and your balance through PayPal (balance due is determined by the postmark date or online payment date). All you need is a valid Higher Things account. If you don’t have a free HT Account yet, you can sign up for one at www.higherthings.org. Your registration fee covers: ✠ Conference programming – Planning – Catechesis – Worship – Entertainment
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Three nights of housing Ten meals Conference handbook Daily services book Conference t-shirt
Are there age requirements for youth?
Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Higher Things conferences are generally planned for high school-aged youth, but registrants may be any youth who have been confirmed before the date of the conference, including college students.We recognize that the age for confirmation may vary from congregation to congregation and just ask that if a group is bringing youth who are not yet in high school that the group leaders be prepared to provide any additional supervision accordingly.
Chaperones
Higher Things requires a minimum of one chaperone for every seven youth in your group. Each group must be accompanied by at least one chaperone: one male adult for the male youth and/or one female adult for the female youth in your group. Chaperones must be at least twenty-one years old at the time of registration and approved by the group’s pastor for their role. All chaperones and other adults in a group must also complete the registration process. If you are unable to recruit the necessary number of chaperones from your church for your youth to attend a conference, Higher Things is happy to help you find other groups from your area who might be willing to share their chaperones with you. More information will be GIVEN to you very soon! But if you just can’t contain your curiousity and excitement, you may e-mail conferences@higherthings.org to make sure you haven’t missed anything or to ask any questions you might have. Everything that is available about the conferences at any GIVEN time at www.given2010.org.
