To view a commemorative video of Higher Things Conferences, go to: http://higherthings.org/10years
Ten Years of Being Given To By Rev. Marcus Zill
This time ten years ago, the final preparations were being put on the conference that would mark the beginning of what is now Higher Things. By God’s grace in the past decade, well over 750 LCMS congregations have been impacted in some way by the mission of Higher Things, and that influence has even extended overseas. For that we rejoice!
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In late 1998, several young LCMS pastors sought to put on a smaller, more regionally-minded, cost-effective, and accessible conference for youth, designed to be uniquely and unashamedly Lutheran. With the loving labor of many volunteers, in July 2000, the Dying to Live National Lutheran Youth Conference, sponsored by the Wyoming District of the LCMS, was held on the campus of the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The conference theme was based on the outline of Rev. Harold Senkbeil’s popular catechetical book, Dying to Live: The Power of Forgiveness. Over 700 youth and adults from some twenty-five states were in attendance at what was for all intents and purposes the first Higher Things Conference. From the sound of the trumpet at the first hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” to the catechetical focus of the plenary sessions, to the mountain hiking and PRCA rodeo, that conference served as a catalyst for the often heard Higher Things motto: Make worship real worship, study real study, and fun real fun! Even though at the time no one knew precisely how Higher Things would develop, there was a shared sense that something both timeless and true, yet unique and new, had been initiated. The conference hymn chosen for Laramie summarized the hope of those gathered:
O God, O Lord of heav’n and earth, Thy living finger never wrote That life should be an aimless mote, A deathward drift from futile birth. Thy Word meant life triumphant hurled In splendor through Thy broken world. Since light awoke and life began, Thou hast desired Thy life for man. (LSB 834:1) The name Higher Things was chosen because it encompassed what those involved desired for the youth of our church: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1–2 NKJV). Higher Things incorporated in 2001, and the first issue of this magazine was also released in that year. Many other resources devoted to Higher Things soon followed and have included Bible Studies, devotional Reflections, retreats, and cutting-edge web-based resources such as e-mail lists, forums, blogs, and even the HT Radio podcast. Higher Things also developed Christ on Campus to help young people remain rooted in the faith while at college.
