Higher Things Conferences: A Life-Changing Experience

This summer, I had the extraordinary opportunity to serve the Lord in sharing the gospel with hundreds of youth, including myself: first, on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and then a week later on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, I laughed, sang, read the Lord’s words, made friends, received forgiveness (and quite a few blisters), ate, walked, lived and breathed in an environment centered entirely in Christ.

I’ve gone to quite a few Higher Things conferences since 2010, and every year I’ve always looked up to the College Conference Volunteers (CCV’s) and imagined myself becoming one of them, serving the Lord and having a blast while doing it. Fast forward six years later and my waiting was finally over. Over the course of the week that I participated as a volunteer for HT, I slept very little, learned very much, and ran all over the place with my fellow volunteers to make sure the conference ran as smoothly as possible. Meeting awesome new CCV friends was not only a plus, it also gave me the opportunity to be part of a cohesive and effective team. At the end of the week, I felt incredibly accomplished in the fact that my new friends and I had done our best to serve the Lord in whatever way was needed. While my experience as a CCV has been a highlight for me, each Higher Things conference has changed me as a person forever.

First, participation in each conference has brought about a change of perspective. Yes, this is the same faith you’re being taught in your home churches, but hearing the same word taught by at least a dozen different pastors is very different than experiencing just one or two in your home church. Every single pastor and teacher at a Higher Things conference has a different story—a unique way they came to teach the gospel to others. Some are converts to Lutheranism, while others have been lifelong Lutherans. Some started out their adult life training to become a pastor; others did not follow that path until much later. So when we get to hear the same words of Christ in all those different voices it can mean all the difference in how it is received. This has helped me to grow in the Gospel in ways that I might not have through hearing from only one pastor at my home church.

Second, there is a sense of community at a Higher Things conference you will never feel anywhere else. Everyone you see and meet at a Higher Things conference is there for one reason: Jesus. Because of this, there is a deep connection that you can feel with complete strangers. Many of my closest, dearest friends in the world I met “by chance” at a Higher Things conference, all from towns and churches I’ve never heard of. It’s become clear over time that meeting these people has been no accident, as the Lord clearly brought me together with them for a reason. Randomly bumping into a stranger can be the beginning of a friendship with your future best friend. Why? Because these friendships start in a pure and raw form: centered in Christ. With friendship grounded on the one true solid Rock, it’s unshakeable and unforgettable.

Third, every single year I get an infinitesimally small idea of what heaven is like during the final service of a Higher Things conference. At the end of the conference, you’ve learned so much, experienced so many things, and have returned to where you began: at the Lord’s Table. In this service you receive the Lord’s gifts, while the orchestra is playing along with the organ to these beautiful hymns, and you hear God’s Word infuse all you have heard throughout the week and in that moment you realize that this is the closest thing to the celebration in heaven that you can ever experience on earth.

At a Higher Things conference, you understand what it means to believe what you believe and how you believe it, how you worship, and how you learn. You’re broken by the Law and raised in the Gospel of Christ. As both an attendee and as a CCV, I’ve discovered how God can use His people as His hands and feet to share His gifts with folks from all walks of life. Ultimately, the best part—one “Thing” is “Higher” than the rest—is the focus on Jesus, for you!

Benjamin Heinz (far left) is currently a freshman at Concordia University Chicago in the Lutheran elementary education program. When he is not attending conferences or delving into his studies, Ben appreciates reading comic books, watching Star Wars films, playing the trumpet, and drawing superheroes. He is a member at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lanesville, Indiana.