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There's plenty of room at all three conferences in Scranton, St. Louis and Irvine - but you only have until March 1, 2008 to get your groups registered. For more information, check out our website at www.amen2008.org, email us at conferences@higherthings.org, or call us toll free at 1-800-HT-CONF08 today!

For the first time, Higher Things is having its annual Lutheran youth conference in three locations, at campuses on both the east and west coasts of the United States and smack-dab in the middle (well, close enough anyway!).  Whether your group wants to explore the historic Poconos of Pennsylvania from June 24-27 or take in the fireworks and fun in St. Louis from July 1-4 or catch a few rays at the beach and visit a reknown Lutheran college in sunny Irvine, California from July 15-18, we've got a conference for you!

All sorts of other information about the 2008 "Amen" conferences, and Higher Things conferences in general, is available at our website. 

Still have questions?  Email conferences@higherthings.org or call 1-888-HTCONF08.

In Christ,

Sandra Ostapowich
2008 "Amen" Conference Coordinator
Higher Things, Inc.

The Rev. George F. Borghardt III is the Assistant/Youth Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Conroe, TX. He graduated Louisiana State University with a degree in Classics and took five years to do it so that he could graduate from the Concordia Seminary with Pastor Buetow.  Pastor Borghardt and Amy, his wife of eleven years, have three children: George, Thomas, and Sophia.  Pastor Borghardt hates clowns, loves the Mets and is rumored to never sleep due to the amazing powers of Diet Coke.  He was the Coordinator of the 2007 FOR YOU Conference in Asheville, NC and was recently appointed to serve as the Conference Executive of Higher Things.

The Rev. Mark T. Buetow, S.T.M. received his Master of Divinity in 1998 but stayed at the seminary to get his Masters of Sacred Theology because he didn't want to graduate until Pastor Borghardt did in 2000.  He served Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in New Orleans for 5-1/2 years until Hurricane Katrina huffed and puffed and blew him up to Kentucky. After a brief stint as a mediocre TV salesman, Pastor Buetow was called to Bethel Lutheran Church in Du Quoin, Illinois.  (Du Quoin is in the part of Illinois that is not Chicago).  He has been serving there since December of 2006.  Pastor Buetow has been married to Susan for 13 years and they have three children, twins Naomi and Anna and Emily.  Pastor Buetow is the Editor of the Reflections and serves as the Interim Internet Services Executive for Higher Things.  In his free time, Pastor Buetow enjoys playing strategy and boardgames you've never heard of as well as fiddling with computer operating systems you've never heard of.

I'm confident that both will proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in their plenaries and its fruit in the life of vocation.

For more information about the three Amen conferences in the Poconos, St. Louis and Irvine, visit our website at www.amen2008.org.  Registration has already begun!

In Christ,

The Rev. Brent Kuhlman
2008 Conference Catechesis Coordinator
Board of Directors
Higher Things, Inc.