Upcoming Trips
Experience the Holy Land and being with the people living there first hand
Visiting the churches and the people of Palestine and Israel is a primary component of the ELCA’s campaign, Peace Not Walls - Stand for Justice in the Holy Land.
Group Travel Directors
These tours arranged by Group Travel Directors of Minneapolis have space available. For details: www.gtd.org, click Find a Tour, enter year, then Middle East. Almost always, other departure cities are available. For direct inquiries: Janet Tollund, 952-885-2133 or 800-747-2255, jtollund@gtd.org to talk about scheduling your own trip.
- January 7-22, 2010: The Holy Land, A Pilgrimage to Places, Peoples and Peace, sponsored by Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, IA, led by Dr. Ann Fritschel and open to non-Wartburg persons. More information at 563-589-0308 or afritschel@wartburgseminary.edu. $3895 from Chicago.
- June 14-26, 2010: Faithful Journey; Experiencing the Living Stones in the Holy Land, led by Pastor Tim Hansen, Senior Pastor of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Monona, WI. Trip begins in Amman, Jordan, with visits to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Petra and Jerash, before arriving in Palestine and Israel. This balanced tour includes historical and Biblical sites and conversations with Christians, Muslims and Jews living in the Holy Land. Ruth Hansen joins the tour as a guest lecturer. Contact: Tim Hansen (608) 222-1241 or hansen.ststephens@tds.net.
Crossing Borders
These custom-created travel experiences to Israel and Palestine feature visits to Biblical and historical sites along with meetings and dialogue with various local community leaders and members, especially among Christian Palestinians. For further details, contact either the tour leader or CrossingBorders, 800-990-6811, 952-995-9585, info@crossingborders.com.
- January 31-February 11, 2010: Holy Land with Egypt Extension
Faribault, Minnesota pastors, Rev. Craig Breimhorst of Christ Lutheran Church and Rev. Steve Delzer of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church co-lead this Biblical pilgrimage along with visits to Mar Elias Educational Institutes, Christmas Lutheran Church and International Center of Bethlehem, and Augusta Victoria Hospital. Optional extension to Egypt includes visit to St. Andrews International Church in Old Cairo. Departure from Twin Cities; other cities available. Contact Rev. Delzer, 507-331-2276, shdelzer@yahoo.com or Rev. Breimhorst, 507-334-8821, clc@christonthehill.org.
- March 4-14, 2010: Israel/Palestine: Ancient and Modern
Hosted by Rev. Mike Anderson, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Kirkland, Washington. Exposure to a wide variety of current-day perspectives. Visits to the following Christian communities: Mar Elias Educational Institutes, Augusta Victoria Hospital, Jerusalem International YMCA, Christmas Lutheran Church, International Center of Bethlehem and Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Departure from Seattle; other cities available. Contact Rev. Anderson, 425-823-2727, manderson@hslckirkland.org.
- March 12-23, 2010: Ecumenical Lenten Pilgrimage
Visit the Holy Land with the Executive Director of the Arizona Ecumenical Council, Rev. Jan Flaaten. Ecumenical theme and discussion throughout. Visits include Mar Elias School, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Armenian Church of St. James Cathedral, Christmas Lutheran Church and International Center of Bethlehem. Departure from Phoenix; other cities available. Contact Jan Flaaten, 602-468-3818, jflaaten@aecunity.net.
- March 11-22, 2010: A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Rev. Joan Deming, Development Director of Pilgrims of Ibillin and Rev. Gene Orr, a Minnesota Presbyterian minister, co-lead a unique travel program featuring a two-night stay at Mar Elias Educational Institutes (MEEI) near Nazareth and a meeting with Archbishop Elias Chacour. Options to extend at MEEI for volunteer mission work or visit Petra, Jordan. Departure from Twin Cities or Chicago. Contact Rev. Orr, geneorr811@yahoo.com , 651-210-6573 or Rev. Deming, 608-241-9281, jdeming7@gmail.com.
- March 2011: Book of Faith: A Lenten Journey to the Holy Land
Director of the Book of Faith Initiative, Dr. Diane Jacobson, is making plans to lead a travel seminar departing after Ash Wednesday in 2011. Encounter the geography, people and places of Israel & Palestine while immersed in scripture on this Book of Faith inspired journey. Dialogue with a variety of local community leaders and visit Christian organizations to learn about ministry in the Holy Land. This journey has special meaning during the season of Lent. Contact CrossingBorders to be included on a mailing list to receive additional information as plans are finalized.
The HCEF Living Stones Pilgrimage Program
This program brings Christians to the Holy Land to live out an extraordinary experience. These journeys are full of spiritual enrichment, grace, and excitement - they are experiences that truly change the way people see the world. The pilgrims get to know the Holy Land Christians (the Living Stones) by sharing their daily lives, culture, obstacles, and faith. Meeting and connecting with the Living Stones of the Holy Land can educate pastors and the faithful about their Mother Church in a personal way. All pilgrimages are coordinated with the local churches. As pilgrims, American Christians form a new relationship with the Holy Land Christian community and also follow the steps of our Lord - a spiritual experience that brings the Bible alive. Living Stones Pilgrimages are opportunities to see and experience the places of Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection.
Contact: Gail Freeman, Pilgrimage Coordinator, 1-866-871-4234, gfreeman@hcef.org
Individual, Synodical and Institutional Trips
The following are stand-alone trips that are not sponsored through a travel agency.
- May 4-18, 2010: A New Jerusalem
This two-week trip to Palestine and Israel, capitalizing on the
New England Synod's Companion Relationship, will be led by Pastor Tim Keyl, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Nashua, NH. This Holy Land Pilgrimage will combine learning about Lutheran Ministries, meeting with Peace and Justice Groups and touring the Old City and the Mount of Olives, and includes a three-day excursion into Galilee. For further information,
contact tkeyl@ctknashua.org, 603-882-6142, or www.ctknashua.org (see left sidebar).
- July 8-22, 2010: New Initiative Planning Youth Trip
A new initiative that grew out of Southeast Michigan Synod’s tradition of taking youth to the Holy Land is inviting other ELCA synods to send youth (ages 15 through 22) to join in a leadership and peace-building youth trip to the Holy Land July 8-22 of 2010. Southeast Michigan Synod, a companion synod of the ELCJHL, is taking the lead with the New England Synod, the other ELCJHL companion synod, as well as other synods and congregations interested in the Middle East. This is a great next step for the heightened interest in the Holy Land generated by the Bishops’ Academy trip there in January. For more information, please contact peacenotwallsinfo@elca.org.