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Christian Expedition is hosting a 9-day familiarization trip to Israel!
This trip is intended for pastors of churches with 500+ average weekly attendees. It is limited to 1 pastor and guest per church. Some exceptions may apply. If you have questions regarding your eligibility for this trip, please contact us by email at hello@christianexpedition.com or by phone at 877-234-3002.
*Christian Expedition can arrange airfare for you from your local airport for an additional cost. Please contact us for a quote.
Pastors who travel on Christian Expedition’s 2024 Familiarization Trip, and return to Israel with a group from their church with Christian Expedition within 18 months of the familiarization trip’s return, will be entitled to a full refund of monies paid for the familiarization trip.
The day has arrived, and we begin our overnight journey to Israel.
Today we arrive at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Time permitting we visit Jaffa, where Peter had his vision on the roof top of the house of Simon the Tanner.
🌙 Overnight in Tel Aviv
🍴Dinner included today
Today we drive to Caesarea Maritima, a magnificent city with Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. Here we elaborate on the story of the baptism of Cornelius, the first gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10), and on the travels of Paul – those events that led Caesarea Maritima to become a springboard of the spread of Christianity to the west. We continue to Mount Carmel, where we consider the contest between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18), discussing the reasons why Elijah chose this place for the contest, and the lessons we learn from the story. We visit Tel Megiddo, reflecting on the future end of days battle between good and evil mentioned in Revelation 16:16 and the return of Christ. At Megiddo we also see the Solomon city gate, stables and palaces from the time of Ahab, an ancient high place, and an impressive water system dating to the 9th century BC. We then head to Nazareth, where we visit the Church of the Annunciation which was built over the traditional site of the house of Mary. We visit the Upper Basilica and the nearby archaeological museum and see the remains of Nazareth from the time of Jesus. We depart for the Sea of Galilee area, passing Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle.
🌙 Overnight in Sea of Galilee area
🍴Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today
We begin our day sailing on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of a boat from the time of Jesus. We dock at Ginosar, where we visit the ancient boat museum, containing a 2000-year-old fishing boat. We visit Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene. We see the remains of the town’s 1st century synagogue, the oldest discovered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Then its on to the Mount of Beatitudes, where we reflect on Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. In Tabgha we visit the Church of Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time after the Resurrection. Stopping for lunch, we have the opportunity to try “St. Peter’s Fish,” which was commonly eaten by people in the time of Jesus (non-fish options also available). After lunch we visit Capernaum, Jesus’ Galilean ministry base. We see the house of Peter’s mother-in-law and Capernaum’s ancient synagogue. Finally, we visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site, where there will be an opportunity to be baptized. Please note that there is a cost of approximately $15 to rent a baptismal gown and have access to the changing rooms.
🌙 Overnight in Sea of Galilee area
🍴Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today
This morning we leave the area of Galilee, driving south through the Jordan River Valley. We stop at Beth Shean, the capital of the Decapolis. Here we see the ruins of the Roman and Byzantine cities and discuss the demise of King Saul and his sons, whose bodies were hanged on the walls of Beth Shean. Continuing south we make our way to Bet Arabah, where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land, where Elijah was taken to heaven, and where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. We then drive to Jericho where we see a Sycamore Tree reminding us of the encounter between Jesus and Zaccheus. We visit Tel Jericho, where we see the location of the city at the time of Joshua and, from a distance, the Mount of Temptation. En route to Jerusalem, we stop to view Wadi Qelt, which is believed by some to be the “Shadow of Death” of Psalm 23.
🌙 Overnight in Jerusalem
🍴Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today
We begin our day on the Mount of Olives, where we enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Jerusalem. We walk along Palm Sunday Road, stopping at Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept over the city. We proceed to Mount Zion where we visit the Upper Room, or Cenacle, which commemorate the Last Supper. We head to the Israeli Museum, where we visit the Shrine of the Book, home to some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We also see a model of Jerusalem as it looked in the 1st Century AD. We make our way towards Bethlehem, visiting the Shepherds’ Field, where the angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of Jesus. These fields are also the setting for some of the events of the book of Ruth. In Bethlehem we visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity, where we see what is, according to ancient tradition, the place of Jesus’ birth.
🌙 Overnight in Jerusalem
🍴Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today
This morning we visit the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We ascend the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple stood until its destruction in 70 AD. Here we reflect on Jesus’ ministry at the Temple, seeing the Dome of the Rock, a possible location of the Holy of Holies. We visit the Church of St. Anne, a perfectly intact Crusader church where it is customary to sing a song together, sometimes will fellow Christians from around the world. We will view the nearby Pools of Bethesda, where the healing at the pool took place (John 5). We depart Jerusalem for Masada, visiting the ancient fortress built by King Herod the Great and made famous by the Zealots in 73/74 AD with their standoff against the Romans. We proceed to Qumran where we visit the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered and the buildings that formed the public center of the Essenes. Time and weather permitting we will enjoy a float on the Dead Sea
🌙 Overnight in Jerusalem
🍴Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today
We begin our day at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent the night before his crucifixion. We also see the nearby Gethsemane cave where Jesus often spent the night and where he was arrested by the High Priest’s guards. We walk along the Kidron Valley, seeing “Absalom’s Tomb,” the Gihon Spring, and the Water Gate. We visit the House of Caiaphas, St. Peter in Gallicantu, where we see parts of the streets on which Jesus was dragged by his captors, and a dungeon where he was kept overnight. We move on to the Old City, where we visit Ecce Homo, the site named for Pontius Pilate’s words, “Behold the man,” and where Jesus was beaten, crowned with thorns, and clothed in a purple robe. We walk the Via Dolorosa following the traditional route of Jesus on his way to the cross. At the end of this route we visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of two proposed sites for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. In the afternoon we visit the Garden Tomb, the other proposed site. Your flight home may depart either tonight or the next day.
🌙 Overnight in Jerusalem or return flight home
🍴Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today
Your flight home may depart either the previous night or today. If today and time allow, breakfast is included today. Either way, today we arrive back at home.
A deposit of $450 per person is required to hold your reservation. Remaining payment is due on May 14, 2024. Payments are accepted via debit/credit cards and checks.
Christian Expedition hosts familiarization trips annually, with a twofold purpose:
This particular familiarization trip has an additional purpose. Since October 7th, the people of the region have experienced a great deal of suffering. Apart from the obvious impacts of the conflict on everyone, those in Israel who have devoted their lives to serving Christian groups visiting Israel have been struggling greatly. This trip is an opportunity for Christian leaders from the United States to show support for and solidarity with the people. This is an opportunity for pastors to be among one of the first groups back to Israel after the horrific events of October 7th, and to do so at a low cost. We have been told by many pastors that they would be interested in travelling to Israel now for the above reasons.
While everything in life, and especially travel, always carries some degree of risk, Christian Expedition would not bring a group to any destination unless we were confident of the safety and security of that destination. We have carefully monitored governmental travel advisories and have listened ongoingly to the reports of our partners on the ground in Israel. Furthermore, we have monitored the state of Christian travel to Israel and have noted that a limited number of groups have traveled to Israel in the past months, all without incident. We have concluded that travel to Israel is safe, apart from certain regions within the country which our itinerary will avoid (and which our itineraries generally avoid, anyway). We understand and respect that, in spite of the conclusion at which we have arrived, people’s perceptions will vary, and some will not feel comfortable travelling to Israel at this time.
Senior and executive pastors will pay $999 for the trip, while their guest (if applicable) will pay $1,799. Pastors traveling alone and who would like a private room will pay an additional $600 single supplement. If a pastor chooses to return to Israel with a group from their church within 18 months of the return of this trip, these costs will be refunded to them.
