Guide to Hosting a SUCCESSFUL TOUR
Dear Host,
The first thing you need to know about imagine Tours & Travel is that we exist to bring glory to God. Colossians 3:17 tells us, “And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (NLT). All we do as an organization flows from this biblical mandate. In the way we relate to our clients, plan and execute our trips, and conduct our business, we seek to represent the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is our desire to be an extension of your ministry as we seek not only to give you an outstanding travel experience, but also help you facilitate community, spiritual growth and deeper relationships within your fellowship. When you travel with us, this happens in several ways.
First, we design our trips with pastors and their members in mind. Whether you are traveling to the Holy Land, taking a Reformation Tour of Germany or walking in the Footsteps of Paul, our goal is to help you as you lead your group into a deeper walk with Christ. While we want you to have an amazing travel experience, our primary goal is the spiritual development of our travelers. This is one of the primary things that sets us apart from so many others in our industry.
To accomplish this we provide you with the best guides, customized itineraries and smooth travel experience. We don’t want you worrying about things like buses or hotels or whether or not your guide speaks understandable English. Those things can distract from what should be the experience of a lifetime and a deep spiritual pilgrimage. All our guides know the Bible well and understand they are there to work alongside you and help you as you lead your group to a deeper understanding of God’s word.
Secondly, we have decades of experience, which we use to make sure you have the best trip possible. Tired and frustrated travelers are less likely to gain all they can from their trip. To that end we work hard to ensure that our hotels are a cut above, our buses are clean, air conditioned, and the food you eat is not only safe, but tasty. These may seem like small things but we’ve learned just how important they are to helping your group receive the maximum benefit from their trip.
Third, our trips are designed not only as educational experiences, but with a devotional objective in mind. That’s why whether you are teaching in the Garden of Gethsemane, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee or as you walk the streets of Jerusalem, your group will come away with a sense that they’ve walked where Jesus walked, and they will have walked there with you.
The overwhelming feedback we get from those who travel with us is that it has not only deepened their walk with God, but with one another and especially with their tour leader.
We are here to serve you and to help you as you work to lead your group to be more like Jesus. This guide book offers a variety of insights into how we can help you have the trip of a lifetime. And as always, if you have any questions you can call me personally or speak to one of our many professionals here at imagine
May God bless you and we look forward to serving you.
In Christ,
Why IMAGINE?
Cost Effectiveness
Our group trips cost less than if you booked the trip yourself. Traveling with a group can save you more than 50% off the price of the same trip traveling individually.
Turn Key
We take the hassle out of trying to figure out the “real” cost of a trip. While some companies quote you a “total” price, what they don’t tell you about all the “additional” or “hidden” costs. At imagine, we quote you a tour price that typically includes everything except lunches, souvenirs, optional travel insurance or a single room supplement (for those who don’t want to share a room). Tour prices can change if the number of travelers falls below the minimum or you add/delete aspects of your tour or the airlines add a fuel surcharge.
We also take the hassle out of preparing for a trip. Our office of professionals stands behind every tour we book. We specialize in logistics so you don’t have to. Leave the details like tickets, hotels, transfers, and schedules to us; that’s simply part of what we do.
Tour Host Benefits
We offer “Tour Host Benefits” that can be used to cover the cost of your trip, to offer scholarships, or however you choose. It’s really up to you. If you’ll take the time to compare imagine with other travel companies, we’re confident that you’ll find our benefits are among the most generous out there.
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Streamlined Tours
Our job is to make sure you have a great experience. To make that happen, we have relationships with top-rated overseas partners. Our relationships with these overseas partners run deep. This means locals are helping us get the best hotels, guides, restaurants and transportation services available.
Additionally, we hire only the best guides. One of the reoccurring comments we hear from our clients is how much they enjoyed their guide. Our standards for the guides we use are high and most of our guides have worked with us for years. It’s one of the things that sets us apart from the crowd.
Customizable Tours
We exist to help your dream trip become reality. That means we work with you from the onset to make sure you are visiting the sites you want to see and going where you want to go. We have standard package tours to places like the Holy Land, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Ireland, England, and many more. But any of these trips can be customized to fit your needs.
Optional Extensions
Many of our tour leaders take advantage of one of the numerous optional extensions we offer. After your initial tour you could visit Rome for a couple of days, or the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, or visit the pyramids of Egypt, or even take a mini Mediterranean cruise. We offer these and many more.
Almost anything is possible - you simply have to imagine it!
Tour Host Financial Benefits
One of the greatest benefits of traveling with imagine is the way we seek to maximize the financial benefits that you, the tour host, receives. The benefits you receive are, in many ways, up to you. Here’s how it works:
Depending on the type of trip you choose and when you travel, your benefits can vary from 1 earned free trip (or equivalent cash payment) for every 3, 4, 5, or even 10 travelers who go with you. It really is all up to you. The more people you take, as well as the ratio of travelers to free trips earned, will determine your benefits. The chart on the next page illustrates how this works.
How those benefits are used is entirely up to you. You can choose to use those earned trips for yourself, as scholarships for other travelers, a fundraiser for your church or organization or you can choose to take them in cash. The possibilities on how to use these benefits are seemingly endless.
You do need to know that most tours usually include airline taxes, fuel charges & tips, however insurance is not typically part of the Tour Host Benefits. When benefits are used to cover scholarships, these costs can be covered by additional earned tours. If you choose to take the benefits in cash they could be considered taxable income. This is something you would need to discuss with your financial adviser.
Your tour is considered final at 90 days prior to departure. Between 45-60 days prior to your group’s departure you will receive a proforma from our accounting department. This document details your tour costs and credits and reflects your benefits as per your proposal. As the tour host, you will be advised whether there is a balance due to imagine or a credit due to you at that time.
All monies are sent to you with your final travel documents approximately 21-28 days prior to departure.
Determining the Number of Tours Earned
Below you’ll find an example of the breakdowns of your
at. To find how many benefit trips you have
Determing the Number of Tours Earned
and then
number by the total passenger count (earned & paying
For example, if your
Spiritual Benefits of a GROUP TOUR
Pilgrimage
For millennia, Christians have understood the value of pilgrimage, of physically going where Jesus walked, where biblical events and Christian history actually took place. Our goal is to help you and those you lead to recapture that reality and strengthen your faith in the process. Whether it’s walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, standing in the empty tomb in Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Paul, or exploring a Martin Luther Cradle of the Reformation trip, our tours are designed to demonstrate that our faith is not built on fantasy but upon historical fact. One of the resounding responses we get from pastors and travelers is how our tours bring history to life. And that’s what a pilgrimage is all about.
Preaching and Teaching
Pastors and educators who have traveled with us continue to comment on how our tours have forever changed their preaching and teaching. One pastor described how visiting the Holy Land changed the Bible from black and white to 3-D color. “It brought it to life,” they said, “I’ll never read the Bible the same again. It was worth more than all the biblical background courses I took in seminary.” Our trips have helped countless preachers and teachers become better at what they do and that directly benefits those they teach.
A Greater Understanding of Christianity in our World
Our tours will take you and your group to places where you will gain a greater understanding of what the Christian faith looks like in other traditions. Whether it is from a Roman Catholic, a Greek Orthodox, or an Evangelical perspective, you’ll rub shoulders with Christians from different countries, ethnicities, languages and backgrounds. You’ll hear people singing and praying from around the globe. What’s more, in the Holy Land your understanding of Islam and Judaism will also deepen. Your group will gain an entirely new perspective on their faith.
Community
One of the greatest benefits you’ll realize is that those who travel with you will quickly develop a sense of community. There is nothing quite like shared experiences to deepen the bonds of friendship and knit people together. Our tours tend to foster new friendships and deepen existing ones, not only bringing people closer to one another, but also closer to Jesus.
Spiritual Renewal
One of the serendipitous benefits many of our travelers realize is spiritual renewal. In the same way a “retreat” enables people to get away from the routine that defines their lives, our tours help people escape to a place where they are surrounded by biblical truths. Our tours help people gain a renewed love for Scripture and a fresh vision of their personal walk with God.
Getting Started
Every journey begins with a single step. Here are the beginning steps to your journey of a lifetime.
Contact imagine
It’s as simple as it sounds. You can call us or send us an email and we’ll get the ball rolling on a tour proposal. We encourage you to call sooner than later as most tours are booked 12-18 months in advance.
Receive and Review Your Personalized Proposal
After speaking with one of our sales professionals you will receive a comprehensive proposal. Then, as the dialogue continues, we will work to customize your tour to fit within your budget and goals.
Receive Color Brochures
One of the services we offer is creating high quality brochures. These are among the many marketing tools we place in your hands which will help you promote your tour. We begin by sending you a digital copy of this brochure. After it meets your approval we’ll send it to the press. In a matter of days you’ll receive as many of our printed brochures and registration forms as you need. We’ll also send you a digital copy for your website or for you to email to potential passengers, along with our online registration link with your tour code.
Plan and Host an Interest Meeting
By this time you will have announced that you are planning a tour. The interest meeting gives you an opportunity to build momentum and see who is interested in traveling with you. We suggest at least 1 or 2 interest meetings at least 9-12 months before the trip. This gives your potential passengers time to save for a trip, and a chance to make plans to travel and be sure they have valid passports. You will find some tips and additional resources to help you host these important meetings later in this guide.
Registration Forms and Deposits
Travelers register for the tour by filling out a registration form online. We accept both checks and credit cards for the deposits. With most trips there are discounts available for those who sign up early. Be sure to ask our staff about this.
At each step along the way, our staff will be available to answer any questions and to help you in any way possible. Our goal is to make this trip a blessing to you and to your group.
Receive Tour Host Master
Each time imagine receives a new deposit or an additional payment, we’ll send you an updated “Tour Host Master.” This document helps you know who has paid what towards their trip and how many people have actually registered.
Continue the Promotion
Between and even after interest meetings, as long as there is space available, we encourage you to continue to promote your tour. Many people wait until the last minute to make the decision to travel. As you keep the trip updates relevant, they will be encouraged to know there is still a place for them or that they should register quickly while there is still space.
Receive Final Documents
Between 21 & 28 days before departure we will send you your final documents. You’ll schedule a final meeting to distribute these documents to your travelers. At this meeting you can talk about transportation to the airport, things to pack and other things your travelers may want to know. Later in this booklet you’ll find a list of things to cover at this meeting.
Your final documents will typically include:
Luggage tags for each traveler, making it easier to spot your bags
Name tags, making it easier for your group to get to know one another
Hotel lists, allowing your passengers to tell their family where they will be staying
Airline ticket and flight itinerary (if applicable)
Finalized day-by-day itinerary
Study guide, a fact-filled booklet helping your group reference each location you visit to scripture (if applicable).
Tips for Hosting the TOUR OF A LIFETIME
Over the years we’ve had tens of thousands of travelers. Here are some of the most common questions we’re asked.
Q. What is a “Standard” tour?
A. Don’t mistake “Standard” for “Ordinary”. There’s nothing ordinary about any of our tours, but many of our tours contain “Standardized” elements. Each and every tour is customizable, but we’ve developed some tried and true itineraries that might be a great place to start.
Q. What would be the best tour for me to lead?
A. That depends on your interests and the group you are taking. We have a variety of tours for you to explore. You can focus on church history, biblical backgrounds, the Reformation, archaeology or even hiking, just to name a few. We are here to make your dream trip a reality.
Q. Is the tour brochure really all that important?
A. Absolutely! Not only does it contain your itinerary and information about your trip, it answers questions about finances, insurance and other “business” issues. As the tour leader, you’ll want to know the brochure well so you can help your travelers get a better grasp of what the trip entails. As always, we are here to help should you or your travelers have any questions.
Q. How long does it take to promote a trip?
A. We suggest a minimum of twelve (12) months. Our experience is that it really takes this long to effectively promote a successful tour. In fact, most tours are booked a year or more in advance, giving travelers time to plan their schedules and finances.
Q. Some people are afraid of traveling abroad. What can I do to help alleviate those fears?
A. This is one of the most common concerns and is perfectly understandable. We have led thousands of tours without any political incident. That is true of our trips to both Europe and to the Middle East. Safety for our travelers is our highest concern. In fact, we’ve prepared a special Holy Land “Safety Brochure,” for anyone who would like it. We are also here to answer any questions you might have.
Q. What should I promise people who are asking about the experience they will have on our tour?
A. We encourage our tour leaders to be enthusiastic but to never over-promise. Experience tells us that our tours provide more than people expect, but a spiritual tour is not a trip to paradise. Some people have unrealistic expectations and if they are given promises that cannot be fulfilled, they can quickly become disgruntled travelers. We encourage our tour leaders to focus on the spiritual benefits of the trip, like growing in faith and knowledge of God’s word.
Q. What do I need to communicate to my group once they’ve enrolled in my tour?
A. Follow up communication with your travelers is of extreme importance; emails and meetings are helpful in this regard. Once people have signed up to travel with you you’ll need to communicate with them about upcoming deadlines. We want to help you make this process as “user friendly” as possible.
Q. How long should I continue to promote the tour?
A. Until the cut off date, usually about 120 days before travel, people can often still sign up. Of course space is limited on flights and in hotels, so signing up early is always best. Plus, those who sign up early can take advantage of early bird savings. But we encourage our tour hosts to continue to promote their trip for as long as possible, since some people simply wait until the last minute to sign up.
Q. Should I encourage people to purchase the optional travel insurance?
A. Travel insurance is always a good idea. It covers a host of emergencies, things like illness or family tragedies or even delayed baggage. It also provides for peace of mind when your travelers are overseas. To learn more about coverage, contact the insurance company directly.
Q. How should I prepare my group for the tour?
A. There are a variety of ways to help prepare your group. You can encourage them to read a good book about the place to which you are going, or you can preach a series of sermons which highlight some of the things which took place in the Holy Land, for instance. Again, we are here to offer resources and suggestions.
Tour Host Schedule
12+ Months Before Departure
þ Contact imagine to become a tour host. Begin promoting your tour. Travelers submit deposits and registration forms directly to imagine
þ Reinforce the “Early Bird” benefits on the front of the brochure to encourage people to send their deposits and registration forms to imagine. (if applicable)
6-12 Months Before Departure
þ Email passengers and prospects to remind about payment deadlines. REMIND PASSENGERS TO GET PASSPORTS IMMEDIATELY.
þ Continue to reinforce the “Early Bird” benefits on the front of the brochure to encourage people to send their deposits and registration forms to imagine
4-5 Months Before Departure
þ Hold a passenger meeting for travelers and prospects. Check out our YouTube page (youtube.com/@ittworld) for testimonies and information. This should be a fun meeting.
þ Remind passengers that final payment and passport copies are due to imagine 90 days prior to departure, unless specified otherwise on brochure.
120 Days Before Departure
þ Deposits, registration forms, and full payment are due 120 days before departure, unless specified otherwise on brochure. A late fee may be added for registrations received after the final payment deadline. Trip Insurance is highly recommended!
60-90 Days Before Departure
þ If space is available, any passengers adding to your tour during this time may be charged an additional fee above the price of the tour. They will need to send in full payment with their registration.
þ Tours are closed no later than 90 days before departure. Additional passengers and itinerary changes are no longer accepted after 90 days before departure.
3-4 Weeks Before Departure
þ Final Documents will be shipped to you for your local passengers. Non-local passengers (over 50 miles away from you) will receive their Final Documents directly from imagine. We encourage you to conduct a final meeting to distribute Final Documents, answer questions, and to discuss travel arrangements to the airport (be at the airport a minimum of 3 hours prior to departure for all international flights).
þ If conducting a final meeting, please contact imagine with the date of your final meeting at least 5 to 6 weeks prior so we can verify that you will receive the final documents by that date.
Departure Day
þ Most of your work as a tour host is finished. Sit back, relax and enjoy the trip. Your responsibilities now consist of following the tipping schedule (money and suggested tipping guide will be mailed with your Final Documents) and dealing with issues as they arise. Upon arrival at your destination, your guide will be equipped to help you with any questions.
Promoting Your Tour
Now that you understand a bit more of the timeline of your tour, here are some tips to help you promote your trip.
Begin with an invitation – You’d be surprised at the number of people who would travel with you, if only they were invited. Each of us have a well of relationships from which to draw. Think about it - you can invite friends, family, in-laws, business associates, friends from church, from school and so on. Additionally, many times people who have already decided to travel with you have friends they’d like to invite. The possibilities are endless. The key is to invite as many people as possible.
The best invitations are always personal. When you personally invite someone it tells them that you want THEM to go with you and that THEY are important to you. This is one of the most effective ways of recruiting people for your tour.
Be personally invested – One of the primary reasons people want to go on your tour is to be with you. As you own the trip and exhibit personal excitement, people will catch the passion and want to be a part of it. Using email you can invite anyone from anywhere.
Host an introductory (interest) meeting – This builds excitement and gives people an opportunity to see that many others are also interested in traveling with you. Introductory meetings usually contain at least some of the following elements:
a. Videos – We’ll provide you with pictures and videos which will help people grasp the scope of your tour. On our YouTube page, youtube.com/@ittworld, there are testimonies from previous travelers as well as overviews of specific tours. Remember to screen the video before the meeting so you’ll know what they are going to see before they see it.
b. Personal stories – One of the most powerful encouragements is when potential travelers hear testimonies from those who have already visited your intended destination. People can share how their trip enhanced their understanding of Scripture and drew them closer to the Lord and to other believers.
c. Brochures (Electronic & Paper) – We will provide you with brochures complete with color pictures, itineraries and a host of other information about your trip. These brochures cover things like price, schedule, insurance and much more. We’ll provide you with as many as you need to promote your tour.
d. Sign up sheet – Interest meetings help you determine who is interested in traveling with you. This enables you to follow up with them, answering their questions and encouraging them to travel with you. This is one of the most important things to remember.
e. Community – Interest meetings also help people grasp the reality of community, since they will not just be traveling with you but with others from your church or group. This is both comforting and encouraging as it presents them with the opportunity to make new friends.
Guidelines While ON TOUR
Once on the ground in your destination of choice, there are some important things to keep in mind.
1. Tour Guide – When you arrive at your destination you will meet your tour guide/escort. As the host you will be the liaison between the guide and the group. You’ll be surprised how quickly your guide will become a friend and really, a part of the group. Your guide will work with you throughout your tour, helping meet any special requests/needs and helping interpret all you see and experience.
2. A host is not a tour guide – As the host you will have your responsibilities and the guide will have theirs. The guide will speak at the various sites and deal with the specifics/logistics of the trip. You, as the host, will be there to shepherd your group and offer spiritual insights along the way. As you get to know your guide you will recognize the amazing gifts they bring to the table. They are experts in what they do and are there to help you have the best experience possible.
3. Teaching – Before you travel, we’ll send you a study guide that will help you prepare devotional thoughts along the way. At the same time, your guide will have an in-depth working knowledge of how each site relates to Scripture and history and will offer assistance as needed. You are welcome to also teach at any of the sites.
4. Combined tours – It is not uncommon for smaller groups to combine their efforts to form a larger group. This enables a small group to meet the minimum number of travelers for the best group price and offers the potential of making new friends. When groups are combined, it is usually best to choose one person to act as a liaison between the various groups and the guide.
5. Positive attitude – As with any travel, sometimes things don’t always work out as planned. That’s why your positive attitude is so important. If any problems arise on your trip, try to solve them with the guide privately. This will enhance the travel experience of the entire group.
6. Luggage – Travelers are limited to one large suitcase per person, one carry on bag that must fit in the overhead compartment and one personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you. Make sure you know your airline’s specifications. Some allow 50 pound bags and others only 40.
Luggage occasionally gets lost. Any lost luggage should be reported immediately to the airline, to your guide and to the hotel. Remind your group that it is their responsibility to spot their luggage at transfer locations (i.e. after clearing immigration and customs, loading on to the bus and leaving a hotel or airport). In most cases, hotel porters will pick up luggage on the final day at a hotel and deliver it to the bus. The guide will provide information along the way. While we provide each traveler with a luggage tag, we also suggest travelers mark their luggage so that they will recognize their bag. Names and addresses should be on the inside and outside of each bag.
7. Passports – All international travel requires a valid passport. Each passenger should be in possession of their own passport at all times. Passports should NOT be put into checked luggage. Passport numbers are needed to fill out customs forms (valid for 6 months from the tour’s return date) during the return flight. It’s always a good idea to have a copy of your passport handy and to put one in your luggage. Lost passports can be replaced, but not easily. For more information about passports visit www.travel.state.gov
8. Air Connections – If passengers are held over in a city due to weather, mechanical issues, or flight cancellation, the airline is responsible to get you to your destination and will normally cover a hotel stay, if necessary. Be firm with the airlines if they are lax in accepting this responsibility. Do not be afraid to ask for an airline supervisor. Please call imagine or their overseas partners concerning any major delays so they can make necessary arrangements for your tour. Contact information for the overseas partners will be in your final documents.
9. Illness and General Health – If a tour member becomes ill, contact your guide or hotel representative to get professional medical services. Any bills for medical service should be settled locally. If travel insurance was purchased, contact the insurance company immediately and keep all receipts.
While tap water is safe in Europe and Israel, we suggest drinking bottled water whenever possible. Coffees in the Middle East can be strong, so use caution. It is safer to drink tea without cream. Do not overburden your system with unfamiliar foods too quickly.
10. Travel Insurance – Travel insurance should be a priority when traveling internationally. It is highly recommended that you purchase insurance that covers trip cancellation and interruption. The cost is very low compared to the trip cost. This may become the cheapest investment you could make if you must cancel last minute or if you are delayed overseas.
If an emergency occurs, please contact your guide, imagine Tours and Travel, or the imagine partner in the country you are visiting. Contact information for imagine and their representatives will be provided to you in your Final Documents. Keep all receipts and information (i.e. lost baggage receipts, accident reports) to send to the insurance company when you return.
11. Hotels – When arriving at the hotel, your guide will provide room numbers and keys for the group. First class hotels abroad are generally different than those in America, but all selected hotels are used by American visitors regularly.
Meeting rooms for discussions or seminars should be reserved in advance. Wake-up calls can be obtained by passengers at the front desk. When departing, please make sure all travelers settle any outstanding hotel bills, such as internet purchases.
12. Hotel Meals – Breakfast and dinner are generally included in your tour cost (see brochure). Lunches are not usually included, but will be available at additional cost (usually $18-$20 per day). Breakfast and dinner are usually buffet-style. In Europe, breakfast is smaller (Continental-style), while in Israel there are usually many choices. Dinner will consist of a variety of foods local to the country while also including items enjoyed by most Americans. Coffee and hot tea are served at most meals. Other beverages, such as sodas and alcoholic beverages, are available for a nominal charge.
13. Name Tags – Encourage your group to wear their name tags throughout the trip to help people get acquainted and to help them identify the group when they get separated. This also helps your guide know which travelers are included in your group.
14. Sightseeing –Sightseeing days are sometimes rearranged to provide the best tour possible. If a site cannot be visited due to holidays, etc., the tour guide should offer an alternative. As the Tour Host, you are responsible for making sure all passengers are on the bus prior to departure from the hotel and from each site.
If some of the group is not interested in a scheduled site, never take a vote. Simply take those who wish to go. If your group wants special use of the bus outside of the itinerary, this should be arranged with the driver and guide and paid for locally.
15. Shopping – Time is made for shopping throughout the tour. Your guide will introduce you to stores where you will receive a good value, sometimes paying less than an individual tourist. You can discuss with your guide about visiting a favorite shop from a previous tour. Some purchases can be sent home by mail if needed. Reputable shops will accept payment by credit card.
16. Peddlers – Be aware that adult and children street peddlers may interrupt the group. Remind your driver and guide that peddlers are not allowed on the motor coach, as we cannot be responsible for lost articles. Protect your valuables from pick-pockets by keeping money, wallets, and passports in secure locations. Always be aware of your surroundings.
17. Tips – Drivers and guides are salaried, but they also depend on tips. Tipping is important. Without it, our best guides would work for other groups. As the Tour Host, you are responsible for distributing the tips for your group, unless other arrangements have been made with imagine. You will receive a Tipping Guide along with money for tips with your Final Documents. Tips can generally be paid in U.S. dollars.
Resources For Your Use
Read the Bible You’ve Never Read
There are pages in your Bible you probably have never read or studied. They are all the way in the back of the book, just past the ‘inspired’ part, for sure. These pages lie there untouched by most; only a few people bother to thumb through them to glean their insights. They are wise and true. They are revealing and informative. They tell great information about Israel. Furthermore, they are accurate…and some are in color!
We are speaking about the MAPS! Did you know the Bible is the only religious book with maps in the back? Why do you think that is?
Because the entire story of salvation is written on the Old and New Testament pages, it is also on the land! God’s redemption story is tied to a people AND a land! Some even call the land of Israel the ‘Fifth Gospel.’
For example, we all have Sunday School pictures in mind when we hear the name of the Sea of Galilee. But it is nothing like the real thing. The lake is small—about 16 miles (ca. 26 kilometers) long and 7 miles (ca. 11 kilometers) wide. Names you know so well are along its shoreline: Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Bethsaida, Magdala. They are THERE! You can see them yourself!
Jesus spoke half of his parables around this lake and performed most of his miracles here. He walked around the lake—he walked on the lake—he sailed its distance from east to west. He preached from a boat on its shores. Furthermore, he ate breakfast with his disciples on its banks.
Isn’t it time you see it for yourself? You can! You can sail it, walk its shores, eat a sample of its fish. Likewise, you can share Holy Communion on the shoreline. Most importantly, you can learn even more deeply about the love, ministry, message, and impact of the Lord Jesus Christ by walking the land.
And that is just the first few days of the trip to Israel. The rest of the journey is wonderful; it will awaken a new kind of faith in you. A color-filled faith. A 3-D faith. A fully ‘grounded’ biblical faith. If you are an ordained leader, pastor, minister, seminary professor, bishop, or graduating seminarian…open the last part of the Bible… the MAPS… and imagine yourself THERE!
Isn’t It Time to Come Home?
There is a widespread expression that Christians make when they land in Tel Aviv (Joppa). They say, “It feels like I’ve come home…” The land where our Lord lived and loved and died and rose again is our home! It is open for all Christians to visit and experience. This, undoubtedly, is the most fantastic trip you will ever take.
Israel: The Fifth Dimension of Faith
Our first stop is usually in Caesarea Maritima, which has a rich biblical connection. Cornelius, who had the vision of Peter having his vision, was stationed there (Acts 10). Paul defended his life and faith before the corrupt but powerful rulers of his day (Acts 24-27). Moreover, Herod the Great, the amazing architect/madman from the time of Christ’s nativity, built a seaport on the beach; he MADE a Bay where there was no way! Furthermore, an arena is located there, a hippodrome, and many shops and stores with beautiful mosaics. We can see ruins from the Romans, the Byzantines, the Muslims, the Crusaders, the Turks, and on and on.
When people come to Israel, and their first stop is Caesarea Maritima, they commonly share, “If this is all there is to the Holy Land, I would be happy to have come here just for this one day.”
But of course, there are more—many more days to come in the land of Judah and Zebulun and Naphtali. The land of our Lord will amaze! You may have doubts as you come here, but few doubts will remain as you leave. The land proves this story.
This is why many refer to Israel as “The Fifth Gospel”. Most people know that there are four different gospel accounts of the work of Jesus Christ. But the Holy Land serves as a ‘fifth narrative’. And the land is there to be walked and to be ‘read’. Let’s read it together.
Seeing the End of the World: Armageddon
On a clear day, you can see both the beginning of the Gospel and the end of the world. Like on most days on a Faith Passage tour, what you see will blow you away, especially when you look east from the top of Mt. Carmel.
Mt. Carmel is at the northern end of a chain of small mountains that run up the coastline ending in the modern city of Haifa. Carmel means “God’s Vineyard.”
When you stand on the mountain, the whole biblical narrative rolls out like a map. In fact, from there, you can see the distant small town of Nazareth. Here is where the Gospel begins. You can also see the Plains of Megiddo or, as said in the Bible, the Valley of Armageddon, where forces will fight the last battle. Here is where the world ends.
When Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth, it didn’t go very well. He went from hometown hero to zero in the span of a short sermon (Luke 4). Those who heard him thought he spoke eloquently until he went from ‘preaching to meddling.’ Jesus challenged their pride. As a result, when he got in their faces and deep in their hearts, they responded with rage. They ran him up to the peak of a cliff and were prepared to toss him over it. He narrowly escaped.
Jesus never returned to his hometown.
The Battle Ground
The Megiddo Valley floor is just on the other side of that cliff (called Mount Precipice). Well over 30 battles have been waged on this land, also known as the Jezreel Valley. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that it was “the most natural battleground of the whole earth.”
Want a list of battles? Here are some of the important ones:
• Thutmose III vs. the Canaanites in ca. 1472 BCE
• Deborah & Barak vs. Sisera (Judges 5)
• Saul vs. the Philistines (1 Sam 31)
• Solomon vs. Pharaoh Shishak (2 Chr. 12:3-4)
• Josiah vs. Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29)
• Saladin and the Crusaders in the 12th century (four times)
• Egyptian Mamluks vs. Mongols in 14th century
• Napoleon Bonaparte vs. Ottomans in 1799
• General George Allenby vs. Ottoman Turks in 1918
• Kibbutz Mishmar Ha’emek vs. Arab Liberation Army in 1948
According to the Bible, there will be one more battle, the last battle on the Plains of Armageddon (a word mentioned only once in the Bible: Revelation 16).
Consequently, it is no wonder then that the Israelis built a military base on the floor of the valley with secret underground runways, hangars, and bunkers. You can see this secret base in operation, especially on Wednesdays when the Israeli Air Force runs their drills. The F-16s land on the floor of the valley and then literally disappear underground. It is hard to imagine, but it is
true. Just the concept of an underground runway at Armageddon is enough to blow you away.
Similarly, there are other places on the map too. Cana, Nain, Capernaum, Magdala, Bethsaida, and Korazim are all within a 45-minute drive of each other. To put it another way: most of the towns mentioned in the New Testament are a day’s walk from each other.
Mensa Christi
One of the most beautiful sites in the Holy Land is Mensa Christi (The Table of Christ) on the northern shore of Galilee. It is serene, picturesque, and profoundly moving. It is the place where the Risen Christ shared the First Breakfast with seven of his disciples. The story is recorded in John 21, the reading for the 3rd Sunday after Easter.
Preachers who preach of this passage will talk about failure and restoration, about love and abundance, about the great goodness of the Risen Christ. However, there is nothing like being at the place for real. It is moving to be at the location where Jesus appeared to his disciples the third time.
These Guides are Good!
While you may meet many wonderful people in your travels to the Holy Land, the guides are the most amazing. They do NOT disappoint. They will make or break a tourist experience in Israel, and they are known for their excellence. They must do far more than just repeat facts and dates at a site. And they are the language interface between Hebrew, Arabic, English and Spanish. They must be an emergency contact, official historian, a stand-up comic, detailed logician, consummate peacemaker, rigorous time-keeper, tenacious luggage-finder, friendly pastor, convincing preacher, biblical teacher, courageous leader, and gracious host. They seldom disappoint.
Reading List
You should update this list according to your ideas and any other information that you can glean. Many people will never crack a book until they are seated on the plane ride to Israel. But I think it is crucial to help them know that YOU are taking their participation and preparation seriously.
• In the Steps of Jesus, Peter Walker.
• The Source, James Michener.
• Killing Jesus, Bill O’Reilly.
• Jesus: A Pilgrimage, Fr. James Martin.
• Jerusalem, Simon Sebag Montefiore.
• Start-Up Nation, Dan Senor, and Saul Singer
• Go to Galilee, Jacob First.
