Planning A Pilgrimage

A Holy Land pilgrimage is a life-changing faith experience. 

It is also a planning dance that takes months to choreograph. It’s worth understanding how it works best…and what not to do (some based on experience!).

At Northside UMC, we always work with Julene Miller and her Academy International Travel Services team. They specialize in trips for small groups of Christians to religious destinations around the world. Use AITS or another travel planning partner, but make sure they have significant expertise in planning and hosting small Holy Land trips, and strong relationships on the ground in the Holy Land.

Here are some other proven tips for a successful Kingdom Journey pilgrimage:

• Travel as your own, private group. You spent two years developing a strong, intimate sense of community and connection. All that is lost when you go as part of a larger group. Joining a larger group may save ~10% in costs, but that ‘savings’ is actually a loss when you consider both the loss of community and an itinerary not built around your interests and needs.

• Insist on an experienced Christian guide, and Christian-owned hotels, restaurants, etc. A Christian guide will best connect your experiences to Christianity through personal knowledge and witness. There is nothing inherently wrong with non-Christian guides, but your experience will be even better with a Christian guide as it is personal for them. The owners and staff of Christian hotels, restaurants, etc. feel the same.

• Kid friendly. Make sure your travel partners know high schoolers are about ½ your travel group. They should build an itinerary and provide a guide that appeals to younger pilgrims. A quick, simple example: our groups love a guided night time mountain bike ride through Jerusalem.

  A younger group of pilgrims also means you can move faster than most groups, and go longer each day. This means you can see and do more each day, so don’t hold back.

• Know that plans may change. The Holy Land is an imperfect place, just like the rest of the world. Even the most carefully planned itinerary may need to change in the moment due to weather, construction, etc. Don’t waste time and energy lamenting what is lost. Also, there are other travel destinations that immerse you in pivotal moments of early Christianity if the Holy Land isn’t practical.
  
  There may be times where travel to the Holy Land is discouraged - even stopped. There are a number of very interesting alternatives to have as Plan Bs. Examples from among many:

• Jordan: Petra and Beyond

• Greece/Turkey: Early Christianity of Paul, etc.

• Rome/Italy: Art & Faith

• Scotland: The Reformation

• Stay in the Christian Quarter of Old Jerusalem. Nicer (5 star) hotels are a 10-20 minute bus ride away from Old Jerusalem, but you want to have maximum time to experience all that Old Jerusalem has to offer. The best way to do this is to be IN Old Jerusalem, and walk. There are several great options in the Christian Quarter. You can take vehicles to other areas of modern Jerusalem as you need.

• Lunch on the go most days. The Mediterranean lifestyle food in Israel will blow your mind with its freshness, flavors, and variety. You’ll likely eat breakfasts and dinners at your lodging, and eat lunch along the way. Standard itineraries may spend up to two hours a day at a multi-course, heavy lunch. Absolutely do this at least once during your trip, but we recommend a short lunch at a street restaurant/cafe, likely as you walk from one site to another during your day. A 30 minute lunch vs. a two hour lunch means an extra site to see every day.

These are suggestions, gleaned from the practical experiences of hundreds of Kingdom Journey pilgrims. They aren’t laws - please feel free to do what you believe is best.

We’re happy to share detailed pilgrimage itineraries from past trips, or put you in contact with AITS. Just contact us.