Israel & the Holy Land

There is no substitute for standing in the land. Israel is where the Word of God became flesh, walked dusty roads, calmed a sea, and was crucified outside a city gate. This ten-day faith journey traces the full arc of the Gospel — from the northern shores of Galilee where Jesus began his ministry, through the Judean wilderness, and into Jerusalem for the week that changed everything. Pastors return home transformed. Congregations return home closer to the text.

What You'll Encounter

• Caesarea Maritima — where Cornelius received the Spirit and Paul awaited trial (Acts 10, 24)

• The Sea of Galilee — a first-century boat ride, Capernaum's ancient synagogue, the Mount of Beatitudes

• Magdala — the newly excavated first-century synagogue where Jesus himself likely taught

• Caesarea Philippi — where Peter declared "You are the Christ" (Matthew 16:16)

• Bethlehem — the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd's Fields at Beit Sahour

• Jerusalem Old City — the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

• The Garden Tomb — private communion service for your congregation

• Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran, and the Dead Sea

The Journey

Day by Day

1. 01

   Departure

   Depart from your home city. Cross the Atlantic in prayer and preparation — this is the beginning of a journey your congregation will carry for the rest of their lives.
2. 02

   Arrival in the Land

   Touch down at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. Transfer north to your hotel in the Galilee region. The land you have preached from for years now lies outside your window.
3. 03

   The Northern Coast

   Visit Caesarea Maritima — the great Roman port city where Cornelius first received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10) and where Paul was held in custody before his journey to Rome (Acts 24). Continue to Mount Carmel, where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal over the broad Valley of Armageddon below. Conclude in the Nazareth area, where Jesus spent thirty years before his public ministry began.
4. 04

   Magdala & the Heights

   Walk the newly excavated synagogue at Magdala — a first-century building so recently uncovered that the mosaic floors still retain their original color. This is precisely the kind of synagogue Jesus entered and taught in. Travel north to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter's confession "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" still echoes against the cliff face (Matthew 16:16). Arrive at the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Renew your baptismal covenant at Yardenit on the Jordan River.
5. 05

   Galilee of the Gentiles

   Board a first-century style wooden boat and push out onto the Sea of Galilee — the same water Jesus calmed with a word (Mark 4:39). Visit Capernaum, Jesus' ministry headquarters, and the ruins of the synagogue built over the one where he cast out demons and healed the centurion's servant. Walk the hillside of the Mount of Beatitudes and read the Sermon on the Mount where it was first preached. Visit Tabgha, commemorating the feeding of the five thousand. End the day at the ancient Roman city of Beit She'an.
6. 06

   The Road to Jerusalem

   Ascend from Galilee southward. Stand on the Mount of Olives and survey the city Jesus wept over (Luke 19:41) — the Kidron Valley below, the Eastern Gate directly ahead. Descend into the Garden of Gethsemane among olive trees that were ancient even in the first century. Continue to Bethlehem: enter the Church of the Nativity over the traditional site of the birth, then drive out to Shepherd's Fields at Beit Sahour, where the angels appeared to men keeping watch.
7. 07

   The Wilderness & the Sea

   Descend to Qumran, the desert community where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 — scrolls that confirmed the antiquity and faithfulness of the Hebrew Scriptures. Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod's great mountain fortress, where a community of Jewish zealots made their final stand in AD 73. Refresh in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea — the lowest point on earth. Pass through ancient Jericho before returning to Jerusalem for the night.
8. 08

   Jerusalem

   Enter the Old City on foot through the Jaffa Gate. Visit the Temple Mount — where Abraham offered Isaac, where Solomon built the first Temple, where Jesus overturned the tables and taught in the courts. Stand at the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Second Temple enclosure. Walk the Via Dolorosa, the traditional route of the Passion, station by station. Enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the traditional sites of Calvary and the empty tomb.
9. 09

   Mount Zion & the Garden Tomb

   Visit the Upper Room on Mount Zion — the traditional site of the Last Supper and, fifty days later, the first Pentecost (Acts 2). Walk to the Garden Tomb, the quiet garden outside the northern city wall where many believers have long sought the place of the resurrection. Your group will gather here for a communion service: bread and cup, in the garden, outside Jerusalem. A fitting close to the faith journey.
10. 10

    Return Home

    Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your return flight. You will not return the same. Neither will your congregation.