Christ on Campus

The Spring Christ on Campus Care Packages are in the mail!

A special thanks to Rev. Jonathon Bakker and his students at Christ the King Lutheran Chapel in Mt. Pleasant, MI for assembling them once again this Spring semester. Please check out all the pictures from their Care Package assembly nights! Thanks again, Chippewas!

Thanks to everyone who helped who make our 2011-2012 Care Packages possible, including Becky Brammemeier, and all of the parents, youth workers, and others who ordered them!

In Christ,

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

Dear everyone,

For those who perhaps haven't seen the recent announcement related to Christ on Campus, President Cwirla's statement is as follows:

Rev. Marcus T. Zill, our Christ on Campus executive and a founding member of Higher Things, has indicated to our Board of Directors that he would like to devote his time and energy toward steering the upcoming UNWRAPPED-2013 National LCMS Campus Ministry Conference in January (http://unwrapped2013.org). This conference is an integral part of the ongoing efforts of the Synod to increase support of campus ministry through the newly formed Office of National Mission. We believe this to be a positive step in campus ministry and are delighted that our friend Marcus will play a significant role in planning this important conference.

On behalf of Higher Things' Board of Directors and its staff, I thank Marcus for his twelve years of zeal and leadership in bringing Higher Things to the place where it is today and also for his vision for Christ on Campus. We thank God for his labors among us and wish him our Lord's richest and abundant blessing in his work with our Synod.

Rev. William M. Cwirla, President

I'm grateful to God for the opportunity to have served Higher Things as the Christ on Campus Executive, and I am equally thankful for the opportunity to work with Rev. Bart Day and a fantastic team to put on UNWRAPPED, which we pray will be a tremendous conference for college students!

I will be continuing to work as the Christ on Campus Executive through the remainder of the month to help with the transition. Any such details will be provided later in the month.

May God grant everyone a blessed remainder of Holy Week and Easter, may He continue to bless the efforts of Higher Things, and may He bless and guide all the efforts being undertaken throughout the Synod to increase support of campus ministry in the future!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

We are pleased to draw your attention to the recently released publicity for the UNWRAPPED - 2013 National LCMS Campus Ministry Conference!

Higher Things salutes the LCMS Office of National Mission for all that it is doing to increase synodical support of campus ministry. We pray that many college students, and those who work with them, will be blessed by all of these endeavors, including this conference.

We encourage you to read the recent Reporter article about the Conference, get connected at the conference Facebook Page, and forward this information to others who may also be interested.

Please note that in order to encourage maximum participation at UNWRAPPED, Higher Things will not be holding what would have been a tenth annual Christ on Campus Conference this summer. Whether you are a college student, or someone who works with them, we encourage you to do everything you can to attend this conference, and encourage those you know to do so too!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

The Fall Christ on Campus Care Packages were a huge success and the Spring Care Packages can be ordered through March 15th!

These make perfect gifts to send college students from parents, grandparents, church youth groups, LWML circles, and others. So dare to care about your college students while they are away from home and feed them the Higher Things way!

Learn more and order now through March 15th!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

Unfortunately, we have recently heard the news of the potentially tragic sale of another full time LCMS campus ministry facility, University Lutheran Chapel, in Los Angeles, CA (serving students at UCLA). ULC is also a Christ on Campus Chapter of Higher Things.

In short, the Pacific Southwest District of the Synod is seeking to sell this full time campus ministry in order to help pay down their enormous debt. This has opened up many wounds in the wake of the situation with University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis, and of course, is a cause for grave concern for all of us, especially for those who care for campus mission and ministry in SoCal.

News of this situation has already gone viral, perhaps even at a more rapid pace than the situation in MN, likely because everyone is already on heightened alert because of what has already taken place there. But we would like to urge everyone to exercise a bit of restraint, however, at least until we are fully aware of the situation.

We would like to assure you that we will do everything we can to defend, protect and support Pastor Jasa and his congregation at UCLA, just as we have with Pastor Kind and ULC in Minneapolis. We are all in this together!

We at Higher Things are extremely concerned about the actions that are taking place in both situations, and potentially others, even beyond our Christ on Campus chapter network. At the same time we are both hopeful for the future of campus ministry in the LCMS and thankful for the process that President Matthew Harrison and Rev. Bart Day have initiated through the new Office of National Mission.

Thank you for your continued concern and support for campus ministry. Please pray that the hemorrhaging will stop, genuine solutions will begin, and that if there is collateral damage, that it will at least not be the precious young people of Christ's Church:

"O God, Source of all abiding knowledge and truth, who through Your Word and Spirit both enlightens the minds and sanctifies the lives of the faithful; we implore You to look with favor on the campus ministries of Your church, especially both University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis as well as Los Angeles, and grant that they may faithfully proclaim Your Gospel on the campuses of our nation; that Your Word may shine both upon the minds and hearts of students everywhere and that these may be drawn by Your grace and calling to salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."

Kyrie eleison.

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

The first ever batch of Christ on Campus Care Packages are in the mail!

A special thanks to Rev. Jonathon Bakker and his students at Christ the King Lutheran Chapel in Mt. Pleasant, MI for assembling them. Check out the pictures from their Care Package Assembly Night! Thanks Chippewas!

It's not too early to order a care package for the Spring Semester. Learn more and order now!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

It is with a heavy heart that we ask the church to pray in earnest for the members and students of University Lutheran Chapel (ULC) in Minneapolis, MN, Rev. David Kind, and the future of LCMS campus ministry at the University of Minnesota and throughout our Synod.

In case you haven't heard, on 9/13 the Minnesota South Board of Directors voted unanimously to sell the property utilized by ULC in spite of the thriving self-sufficient congregation and the vibrant campus ministry that takes place there.

We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. The thought of bulldozers leveling a beloved campus chapel at a prime location across the street from one of the nation's largest universities with an enormous Lutheran student population in order to build an apartment complex should be unbearable to the church. Such cherished assets should not be for sale! No financial gain is great enough to counter the immeasurable cost of removing a pulpit, altar and font at such a place.

College students at the University of Minnesota can find other temporary places to live, but what they can't hear everywhere is the timeless and eternal Gospel!

We at Higher Things continue to stand by ULC and encourage your support in the following ways:

• Pray for our brothers and sisters at ULC, including Pastor Kind and all his students that they might not despair, and that God would give them strength.


• Stay tuned for news and information about ways to help at http://ulcmn.org.


• Support all the campus ministries of the Synod, which like ULC, serve young people at a very vulnerable time in their life and when so many fall away from the faith.

May God tenderly care for those most closely effected at ULC, comfort those who mourn this course of action, and grant all of us in these gray and latter days further resolve to support and defend the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments on our nations campuses.

Lord, have mercy.

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

Our Christ on Campus Chapter Challenge is in full swing this fall. We have not only reached a milestone of 75 Chapters, but we have surpassed that mark and are just getting started!

We are pleased to announce that we have recently added fourteen new Christ on Campus Chapters in the last three weeks, eight in California, two in both Illinois and New Mexico, and one in both Colorado and Nebraska.

There are now seventy-seven Christ on Campus Chapters in twenty-nine states, with bragging rights still going to California, now with a whopping SEVENTEEN chapters. Anyone in the Midwest feel challenged?

The newest Christ on Campus Chapters include:

• Faith Lutheran Church, Capistrano Beach, CA
  (Saddleback College; Concordia University - Irvine)


• Faith Lutheran Church, Seaside, CA
  (CSU-Monterey Bay; Naval Postgraduate School; Defense Language Institute)


• Faith in Christ Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, NM
  (University of New Mexico; Central NM CC)


• Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA
  (CSU-San Marcos; Palomar College)


• Grace Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, NM
  (Central NM CC; University of New Mexico)


• Grace Lutheran Church, San Diego, CA
  (San Diego State University; Univ. of San Diego and others)


• Grace Lutheran Church, San Mateo, CA
  (College of San Mateo)


• Immanuel Lutheran Church, Orange, CA
  (Chapman University; CSU-Fullerton; Fullerton College)


• Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Denver, CO
  (University of Denver)


• Our Savior Lutheran Church, Salinas, CA
  (Hartnell College; Naval Postgraduate School; Defense Language Institute)


• Peace Lutheran Church, Hastings, NE
  (Hastings College; Central Community College)


• St. John's Lutheran Church, Chicago, IL
  (Concordia University Chicago)


• Trinity Lutheran Church, Whittier, CA
  (Whittier College; Rio Hondo College)


• Wittenberg Lutheran Center, Normal, IL
  (Illinois State University; Illinois Wesleyan University; Heartland CC)

Learn more about our Christ on Campus Chapter Network and step up to the challenge!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

We at Higher Things have been dedicated since 2006 to supporting a network of faithful campus ministries through our Christ on Campus Chapter program. We are thrilled that after five years we are now partnering with sixty-three chapters in twenty-eight states.

However, we realize that there are many more places that could be ripe for campus outreach throughout The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and many, many more congregations that may be interested in partnering with us in this way.

• Are you looking for ways to expand your congregation's outreach in the community?
• Is your congregation near a four year college or community college? (Over half of all college students in the U.S. attend a community college)
• Are you already engaged in campus outreach and would like to become a part of our chapter network?
• Do you want to explore starting something from scratch at a local college or university?
• Would you like to send a signal to college students that if they attend a college near you that your doors are open to them?

If any of the above applies to you, we would like to dare you to accept our CHALLENGE and dialogue with us about how you might become a Christ on Campus Chapter of Higher Things for a college campus near you.

Please learn more about how you can become a Christ on Campus Chapter here.

Is your congregation up to the challenge? Let's talk!

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"

We are pleased to announce that we have recently added eight new Christ on Campus Chapters, four in southern California, two in Nevada, and one in both Colorado and Virginia.

There are now sixty-three Christ on Campus Chapters in twenty-seven states, with bragging rights going to California, now with a whopping NINE chapters. The West Coast is certainly representing!

The newest Christ on Campus Chapters include:

• Bethany Lutheran Church, Pueblo, CO
  (Colorado State University-Pueblo)


• Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Carson City, NV
  (Western Nevada College)


• Concordia Lutheran Mission, Lexington, VA
  (Virginia Military Institute; Washington & Lee)


• Grace Lutheran Church, Henderson, NV
  (College of Southern Nevada; Nevada State College; UNLV)


• Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Pasadena, CA
  (Pasadena City College; California Institute of Technology)


• Redeemer Lutheran Church, Huntington Beach, CA
  (Golden West College; UC-Irvine)


• St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Long Beach, CA
  (Cal State University - Long Beach; Long Beach City College)


• University Lutheran Chapel, Los Angeles, CA
  (UCLA)

The interest in the Christ on Campus network and our Chapter program continues to grow daily, even as we are preparing to launch a fall Christ on Campus Chapter Challenge! More information coming soon!

But if you just can't wait, please click here to learn more about all our Christ on Campus chapters.

Rev. Marcus Zill, Executive
Higher Things, Christ on Campus

"Confessing Christ on Campus Since 1517"