April 12-21, 2024
Birmingham VineyArds
Following in the Footsteps of Jesus
Birmingham VineyArds
Following in the Footsteps of Jesus
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Join Kim Frolander, president and director of Ruth Israel Initiative, for a slow-paced pilgrimage to Israel and experience the Bible and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as you never have before. (All this and you'll only need 5 vacation days!). You are invited if you or your spouse/family have ever been part of one of the Birmingham Vineyard Churches: Roebuck Vineyard, Inverness Vineyard, or Vineyard Birmingham over the last 30+ years. Reconnect to your larger Vineyard family and enjoy this 7-nights in-the-Land experience together with one of our very favorite, expert guides, Sonia Waters.
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The Flexible ItineraryStops in Israel are not guaranteed, but this is the ideal plan we've developed. If the Lord is moving (or traffic is not!) we'll tweak the itinerary on the go. Many of the locations below are also links.
Friday, April 12, 2024
Take off in the late afternoon or evening from BHM (or your new home's port city) and fly, fly, fly. If enough people commit early (by June/July) we can plan a group flight, price TBD by airline). Saturday, April 13, 2024 Arrive in Tel Aviv (TLV) by 2:35 pm Israel time (if flights end up being later, we can skip Joppa ang go directly to the hotel). Gather your luggage, exchange some dollars for shekels and meet our guide and bus driver at the Aroma Coffee Shop to the right of the main exit from baggage to the lobby. (Not all the way outside.) We will drive into Tel Aviv to the ancient port of Joppa for a walking tour, with a stop at Simon the Tanner's House. Then we will arrive at our hotel Brown Beach Hotel (1 night). Upon arrival you may choose to take a refreshing (read: chilly) swim or walk on the beach or go directly to a delicious all-you-can-eat dinner buffet before bed. Sunday, April 14, 2024 We start with a bountiful Israeli breakfast with lots of Israeli coffee and fresh juices, pastry, breads, and delicious hot and cold items to choose from (or sample a bite of everything!) We will pack the bus and drive the massive ancient Port of Caesarea and see the Roman Aqueduct that is still standing. (If you haven't touched the Mediterranean Sea yet, you'll have a minute to put your feet in, though not to swim). The we drive west to the Carmel Mountains and stop at the Monastery on Mount Carmel, Muchrakah. With a view of the Valley of Armageddon, we will hear stories of resilience, and of Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al. For a late lunch, we can stop in Nazareth before heading to our first view of the Jordan River for anyone who would like to participate in an optional Yardenit baptism (re-baptism) $15 USD. You can rent a towel and gown for over your swimsuit. Beware though, the water will be chilly! Then we check into our hotel for the night: Ron Beach Hotel (3 nights). We will have dinner on site at the hotel (every night). In the evening we will have time to begin hearing each other's stories. Monday, April 15, 2024 After an amazing breakfast buffet we will stop at the Jesus-related sites and towns around the Sea of Galilee. Today will include a Jesus Boat ride and worship experience on the water; the time we are assigned for our 1-hour ride will influence the timing of the rest of our stops which include: a contemplative stop at Magdela, a visit to the place of Peter's Restoration, St Peter's Primacy, and some time to explore the ruins of Jesus' hometown of Capernaum right on the sea. Today a delicious fish lunch is included in our price. We will drive to the top of Mount Arbel for a slow little hiking trek for a 360-degree view from a precipice overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Then we drive back down into Tiberias. You should have some afternoon free time to begin processing, or sit and stare at the Lake with a coffee, or perhaps brave a swim. Dinner at our hotel. More stories in the evening. Tuesday, April 16, 2024 After a late breakfast and some free time, we will first go to the Mount of Beatitudes then drive north into the Golan Heights. We will visit Caesarea Philippi ("Who do you say that I am?" site) and take our time at the Lebanese restaurant on site for a second paid lunch. Then we'll attempt a post-lunch stair-step hike down to a waterfall at Banias. You might be interested in a Druze snack of a large Druze tortilla filled with fresh cheese cooked in front of you can be purchased on site if you're hungry. Then we move on to Dan Nature Preserve to see several streams that feed into the Jordan River, ancient ruins, and Abraham's Gate, Tel Dan all while enjoying a refreshing shaded walk. Then we drive back down from the Golan Heights to Tiberias and our Ron Beach Hotel. Wednesday April 17, 2024 Early this morning we pack our luggage after breakfast and drive south toward the Dead Sea. Our first stop is the ruins of the ancient Decapolis city, Bet She'an where there was once a thriving Christian community until an 8th century earthquake froze this city in time. Then it is a drive south through the West Bank and past Jericho as we head into the Judean Wilderness for a stop at Ein Gedi, where David hid from King Saul. We will have a picnic lunch here and then hike up to David's Waterfall and you can take a little dip in the pools along the way if you choose. From here you can see the desert blooming with life, according to the Word of God. Our last stop is at Herod's desert wilderness fortress, Masada, and we ride the cable car to the top. Then there will be time to go for a Dead Sea float in the early evening or make your way directly to a massive dinner buffet at David Resort and Spa (1 night). Thursday, April 18, 2024 This morning after a most bountiful breakfast, we will pack up and skirt the edge of the Dead Sea from the Ein Bokek oasis where we were staying up to Qumron, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. The we start heading up to Jerusalem! We will stop along the way at Wadi Kelt where St. George Monastery is carved into the cliff wall. Our entry into Jerusalem will start similar to Jesus' return, at the top of the Mount of Olives to take that iconic Jerusalem view. We receive some great teaching on the very spot where Jesus ascended and will return! Then we will walk down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations for some silent contemplative time. We will meet our driver again and ride over to Yad Vashem to take in the premier Holocaust memorial and museum in the world. We will check into the hotel (2 nights) Dan Boutique Hotel in time for dinner. Friday, April 19, 2024 Today is all about the Old City of Jerusalem, above it and underground! We will stand and learn on the Southern Steps where Jesus once taught His disciples, then walk over to the prolific, active archeological dig, the City of David (in Jerusalem, not to be confused with Bethlehem, the city of David's family) and change into our water shoes to slosh through the Gihon Spring for a kilometer in Hezekiah's Tunnel (video) to the Pool of Silom. When we come out, we'll head over to The Gate Beautiful to explore in the middle of a Muslim graveyard (funny story...) Then we enter the Old City again through Lion's Gate and walk to Saint Anne's Church and perhaps burst into song in the amazing acoustics in the church. We'll also see the ancient Pool of Bethsaida at this place. Then we'll walk back to the Lion Gate and our bus will drive us over to experience worship and communion together at the Garden Tomb before stepping into the empty tomb! Tonight is our last team meeting where we will pray for, bless, and activate each other. In the later evening anyone who wants can walk back into the new city for some shopping. Saturday April 20, 2024 Today after breakfast and yummy coffee we pack the bus for the airport, and get ready for a full day! We start with a ride to see and hear the history of the Zion Gate near which we will visit a replica of the Upper Room and take some time with the Holy Spirit there. Then we walk over to Caiaphas's house, stepping into the cistern chamber (video) where Jesus is believed to have been held awaiting trial. Lunch is on our own near the Cardo today. After we say "Lahetaot" "see you later" to Jerusalem we head out of town to leave a lasting impression on the landscape of the Land of Milk and Honey by planting our own tree in the Israel's ground at Neot Kedumim. Our last stop is the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath to chat about "Navigating Fear" and maybe pick up 5 smooth stones of your own! Then we will head to a traditional Arab finale dinner (included) at the home of the best pita in the world at Abu Gosh. (Seriously, they win awards every year!) Then the bus will ferry us over to the airport where we will go through security and board our flights home (please arrange for 11:30pm April 20th to 3:30am April 21st flight options depending on your needed airline's availability.) Enroute the tour guide will brief you on what to expect for security. Exciting details for this Birmingham Vineyards TripWe will be in the Land of Israel for 7 nights with 9 days of experiencing learning and life and culture together. There is lots of walking involved in this kind tour. We suggest that you start training your body as you train your heart for this trip so you will be able to fully participate in it with your teammates. This trip is personalized for a Vineyard-style experience, and limited to 40 people total. Each Ruth Israel Initiative Unhurried Pilgrimage trip incorporates spiritual development & formations, prayer activations, spiritual formation exercises, and "Friendship with Jesus" strengthening & deepening at nearly every location stop in the Land, all included in the Spiritual Journey Through Israel journal book that you'll receive.
Be sure to check out all the ways you can start preparing for this life-changing (not an exaggeration!) trip that will cause the Scripture to go from black and white to Living Color forever, as we visit the places and learn mentoring in the spaces where Jesus taught His disciples! B-4 You GO link!
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Apply here
Meet our Cambridge-trained tri-lingual (Spanish, English & Hebrew) guide: Sonia Waters!
Costs & Payment Plan
8 days/7 nights in Israel $2600 + flight per person/double occ. Minimum 20 people, max 40. This trip price is underwritten by scholarship pricing. $110 discount for 3rd person in a room Single-room supplement= $750 Add-on 3-day residential Jerusalem experience: TBD by interest. Credit cards may be used; plan for an additional 3% to cover the fees.
$600 down payment per person due with your application. $1000 due August 1, 2023 $1000 due Jan 15, 2024 ~60 days before travel. Plan to purchase your flight as early as May 2023, but certainly by Dec 2023 and send a copy of your itinerary to Kim. What's included on the trip?
7 nights of very nicely appointed accommodation, air-conditioned transportation, driver, expert tour guide, tour leader, Whispers (to help you hear the guide), breakfasts & dinners in the land + 2 lunches, A Spiritual Journey Through Israel book with journal space. Group spiritual journey exercises on site, with possible chance to lead. Not included, but recommended: Flight(!), most lunches (plan $10-15/day), insurance (no-commission medical & trip interruption link above), tips for your servers, bag boys, driver, and guide (ballpark for this trip: $120-130 USD /person), food in transit, and souvenirs. Insurance Details You will need to purchase trip insurance to ensure your travel, trip interruption, lost luggage, or emergency medical treatment or evacuation insurance. Contact your personal insurance specialist or try our favorite here: Insurance. You will need to provide Kim with electronic proof of insurance within 30 days of booking your trip. This would also cover your downpayment if you can't travel for a covered reason. 
Wondering what to pack for a Spring trip to Israel? Here is a suggested packing list. Think in layers and bring lightweight rain gear, backpack covers.
WHAT'S NEXT
Insurance Details
You will need to purchase trip insurance to ensure your travel, trip interruption, lost luggage, or emergency medical treatment or evacuation insurance. Contact your personal insurance specialist or try our favorite here: Insurance. You will need to provide Kim with electronic proof of insurance within 30 days of booking your trip. This would also cover your downpayment if you can't travel for a covered reason. How can I prepare?
(click thru these B-4 You GO links at your leisure) Entry Requirements Reading Prep Walking Prep Prayer Team Building Phone Options to prepare |
