Higher Things Conference 2027

FCS Group Chatt is planning to take all of our 7th - 12th grade youth to Higher Things in Mequon, WI next June! This will be our first big trip all together with our sister congregations, which is exciting for quite a few reasons - the best one being that it's going to be FUN!

(Another great reason is that this will be an awesome opportunity to introduce our students to a Concordia University campus, which could be especially helpful for our juniors & seniors who are deciding on which college they may want to attend.)

But, that also means there is a lot of planning to do, starting right now, to get us ready for the event and make sure we're all on the same page between now and next summer.


PLEASE NOTE: The fundraiser that was originally on the shared youth ministry calendar for next weekend has been postponed. It will be rescheduled for later this year after our initial parent meetings have taken place. For now, take some time to check out the info below, and be sure to keep an eye out for more information coming soon!

WHAT: Higher Things is an RSO (registered service organization) of the LCMS designed for youth and young adults, with the goal of educating and nurturing their spiritual journeys from a distinctly Lutheran perspective. It started back in the year 2000, and usually hosts around 700 youth + adult chaperones.

WHO: For students in 7th -12th grade, and even college!

WHEN: We will be planning to attend the conference in Mequon, June 22-25

REGISTRATION: Registration info comes out on October 1st, and we will host parent info meetings shortly thereafter so you can get all the details on cost, transportation, deadlines, etc...

The Plenary Speakers for the Conference in Mequon next June are:

Rev. Dr. Jamison Hardy - President of the Concordia University System

Rev. Jonathan Bakker - Campus Pastor at Concordia Wisconsin

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Pulse - Director of Certification and Placement, and of Continuing Education at Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Planning & Meetings

First Lutheran Church has taken a group to Higher Things before, but it will be GSLC and Cross of Christ's first time - so we are very much looking forward to trying out this new trip together!

Many of the details about cost, deadlines, and travel will not be available until early next month.

The FCS Group Chatt leaders will be meeting to plan out more specifics early in October, and we will all host parent meetings soon after so we can get everyone up to speed. Thanks for your patience as we work to make this event awesome for our students and families!

We do plan to do some fundraising for this event! While it will not be as extensive an effort as it tends to be larger, more expensive trips like the LCMS Youth Gathering, we will still do our best to help our families out as much as we can.

Some fundraising events are already on our shared youth calendar, but please know that those dates and events are subject to change based on need and availability. We will keep you updated on all changes that are made to the calendar.

GOOD NEWS: Registration for Higher Things includes lodging and most meals, which truly means that the slightly higher registration cost covers more and makes the overall trip less expensive.

MORE GOOD NEWS: As always, in addition to fundraising, payment plans will be made available to help out with the cost. More information on that will be available at the first parent meeting (TBA).

"The Ten Commandments. Two tablets of stone carved with “thou shalt nots.” Torn down from courthouses by a culture that calls them outdated. Wielded by the pious to knock down their enemies. And held at arm’s length by sinners afraid of what they’d see in the mirror. In all of it, the Ten Commandments feel like a weapon. The law kills, after all.

We should fear and love God in a way that looks like something. Don’t do those things of death. Do these things of life. And we have sinned. And so there is death all around us. All of us. But the law exists to do more than show us our sin. It shows us how things are supposed to be.

Torah means more than just the first five books of the Bible. It means more than just the Law. Torah literally means the teachings of God. It’s revelation. Because the law teaches us more about God than it does about ourselves. The Law only really teaches you one thing about yourself. You’re a sinner. You aren’t the one who created this law, but it teaches us a lot about the one who first spoke it. You have a God who insists He be God to you. Have no others. He insists He be the one to care for you, to save you. Each commandment paints a picture of God caring for creation. If you want to know what the law really looks like, look to Jesus, not you.

The law paints a picture of Jesus, who fulfills it for you, even when you could not. The gospel paints a picture of you. Only here does the law look like a lamp to our feet. A light to our path. It won’t save you. It doesn’t have to. But it teaches. Each commandment is a good Gift from God, guarding something important to Him. You.

Join us in 2027 for Torah."