ENCOUNTER JESUS IN ISRAEL 

with Amazing Grace Fellowship, Twin Falls, Idaho

Nov 3- Nov 14, 2025

⬇️ Scroll to the bottom for the full itinerary!

Amazing Grace Fellowship is going on a retreat in Israel from Nov 3 - Nov 14, 2025. Of course, the whole church can’t go! But our church can see Israel through you. When you return, your pilgrimage will refresh people at Amazing Grace Fellowship and Twin Falls.

Why an Israel retreat? Because you were made for a purpose. Israel is the place where Jesus first revealed that purpose. Standing where Jesus stood, with an open Bible, will give you a fresh vision of his plan for your influence at home. 

You will touch and feel sites around Galilee where Jesus walked. Plus follow Jesus' cross through the streets of Jerusalem.

Best of all, our Israel travel company, Philip's House, will introduce us to Israeli believers, Jews, and Arabs. Our licensed tour guide believes in Jesus and will give us time for personal reflection at Bible sites. 

Israel's leading tour company, Sar-El Tours, partners with Philip’s House to provide the safest and best in travel, accommodation, professional tour guides, and opportunities to help. Sar-El has kept 1.25 million international travelers safe over 31 years.

Let’s meet Jesus in the Promised Land and let's come home to greater influence for the Lord.

Pastor Rob Heideman

Philip’s House tours are about ENCOUNTER with Jesus. Get sand in your shoes that the disciples shook from their sandals.

ACTIVE: Explore the paths Jesus walked. Scan the mountains on the horizon that his eyes saw.

REFLECTIVE: You are encouraged to take a paper Bible along. You will have time to reflect on a passage written about the spot where you stand. 

RELATIONAL: Meet Jews and Israeli-Arabs. Some are secular, some are religious, and a few are believers in Jesus. Israelis you meet will cause Bible personalities of history to spring to life in your imagination.

Philip’s House hosts ACTIVE tours of ISRAEL for INFLUENCERS from all nations to make Israeli FRIENDS and return home to a life of huge INFLUENCE.

Depart from Boise Airport to connect with an international flight to Israel. (Airlines, flights, times, hotels, and sites are subject to change without notice.)

Note that all international travelers from visa-exempt countries to Israel must have a valid ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) before departing for Israel. A small fee may apply. Visit the State of Israel visa website here https://israel-entry.piba.gov.il/

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 

You will pass through Israel’s immigration, gather your luggage, and be greeted by a Philip’s House representative. 

Look for the smiling face holding the Philip’s House sign! 

If your arrival is outside of the group arrival time, extra transportation charges may apply. Talk with Philip’s House for more details.

Travel up to Jerusalem. Jesus, as an observant Jew, visited Jerusalem 3 times each year to celebrate Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. In the Gospels, 7 different visits to Jerusalem are recorded. 

Your trip is called an aliyah or ascent upward, because Jerusalem is 2,474 feet above Sea Level. Factor in the depth of the Dead Sea at 1,300 feet below Sea Level and Jerusalem stands 3,774 feet above the lowest point of the land. The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) were written to be sung on your way up.

Stop in to view the Dead Sea scrolls at the Shrine of the Book and watch your imagination come alive with the Model of Jesus’ Jerusalem at the Israel Museum.

Your evening will be at Leonardo Hotel Jerusalem near the Damascus Gate.

Ascend to the Temple Mount, a massive platform constructed by King Herod, where once the Temples of Solomon and Zerubbabel stood. On the Foundation Stone, Abraham offered Isaac, David stopped the plague with his intercession, Solomon prayed at the dedication and fire fell, the Babylonians and Romans demolished, and Jesus taught. One day, he will return through the Eastern Gate.

Pray at the Western Wall and touch the stones that made the disciples marvel.

Enter into the Jerusalem that Abraham and David knew in the excavations of The City of David. Take in the sweeping outlook of Jerusalem and a movie that reviews the story of the destruction and rebuilding of Jerusalem over many centuries. Next, walk through the ruins of David’s palace, past walls Abraham saw, the city Solomon and the prophets knew.

For the adventurous, choose Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Bring a flashlight, and shoes and clothes that can get wet. The water will come up to your knees. This is the watercourse chiseled out during the days of Senacharib’s threat to Jerusalem. For those who want to keep dry, take the dry Canaanite-era tunnel.

See the Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes to be cleansed.

Insert yourself into the story of modern Israel at the Friends of Zion Museum. Some report that this is one of the most powerful places they have visited in the land.

Enjoy a dinner tour in Machane Yehuda Market and savor the flavors of the Middle East and Jewish life.

Return to Leonardo Hotel Jerusalem near the Damascus Gate.

Herodium is just one of King Herod's 15 palaces and his final resting place. The building site wasn't high enough. Herod moved another hill to make it taller. Perhaps this is the site Jesus pointed to when he described mountain-moving faith.

Visit Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, the oldest Christian Church in the world. Step into the lowest basement and see the cave where Jesus was laid in the manger.

Step into one of the massive limestone caves where shepherds secured their flocks and heard angels on the hillsides around Bethlehem. It's the perfect setting to sing, "Silent Night."

Step into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built around the Golgotha Hill where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. Today, seven church denominations oversee the building, showing its significance to believers.

Take time to explore and do some shopping in Jerusalem!

Rest for the evening at Leonardo Hotel Jerusalem near the Damascus Gate.

Stop at the Valley of Elah where David won a victory over Goliath and pray for the people of Israel.

Visit the Nova Festival site and pay respects to those affected by the October 7, 2023, attack.

Join the Beit Hallel Congregation for their Shabbat Service with Pastor Israel Pochtar. This congregation has started seven other churches in biblical Judah and does remarkable humanitarian work with refugees coming to Israel on Aliyah.

Leonardo Plaza Hotel in Ashdod is where you'll spend this night.

Visit the Garden Tomb and its realistic depiction of a first-century grave and experience communion as never before.

Take in Jerusalem at the Mount Scopus outlook, then follow the triumphal route of Jesus down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Step into Dominus Flevit, the church commemorating where Jesus wept over Jerusalem.

Walk the Palm Sunday route down to the Garden of Gethsemane, among ancient olive trees (Matthew 26:36-56).

Step into the olive groves of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before his arrest and surrendered to the Father's will.

Enter Jerusalem through the Lion's Gate. Visit the Crusader-era St. Anne's Church, known for its extraordinary acoustics, near the Pool of Bethesda.

Step into the Upper Room where Jesus hosted the first communion and visit the Tomb of David on the lower floor.

Walk through the Jewish Quarter and see the Golden Menorah prepared for the Third Temple. See the Cardo Romano, a marketplace Jesus would have used.

Peer over the railing to look at the Broad Wall built by the leadership of Nehemiah and his team of volunteers.

Experience the history of Jerusalem at the Davidson Center and sit on the Southern Steps where Jesus taught.

Meet Deanna Dolan, and hear her gripping testimony of conversion from Islam to Jesus Christ.

Return to Leonardo Hotel Jerusalem near the Damascus Gate.

Discover Jericho, explore the ruins of the world's oldest city, and relive the epic story of Joshua's victorious battle and the crumbling walls.

See the desert monastery of Qumran, located near the Dead Sea. Here, the Dead Sea Scrolls were prepared and later discovered. John the Baptist was familiar with this place.

En Gedi, a beautiful desert oasis near the Dead Sea, is where King David hid from Saul, the ibex deer helped him to write Psalm 42, while he hid in the cave under the waterfall.

Take in your first view of the Dead Sea and take a swim and try to sink if you want something fun! 

Take in the desert air, night stars, at David Dead Sea Resort and Spa.

Ascend to Masada, King Herod's desert fortress.

Drive north to Galilee. Jesus was raised in Nazareth, but after being rejected, he made Capernaum his hometown of choice. After you see the beauty of the lake, you will understand why Jesus chose this as his home.

See the world's best-preserved Roman city ruins at Beit She'an, renowned for its well-preserved Roman and Byzantine ruins, including a grand theater, public baths, and a stunning archaeological site.

Kayak where Jesus walked on the water in Galilee.

Accommodations for the evening will be at Virginia House, Migdal, a Christian retreat center with a breathtaking view of Galilee.

Bethsaida was the home of Peter, Andrew, John, and James. In 2019, the modern site of El-Araj was confirmed to be the place where Peter grew up. The gospels state that the feeding of the 5,000 happened nearby.

Walk through Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus. See the synagogue where he worshipped and the ruins of the house of Peter's mother-in-law, where the disabled man was lowered through the roof.

In 2009, during hotel construction, workers discovered the remains of a first-century synagogue and the ancient city of Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene.

Explore the Sea of Galilee with a boat cruise on the water where Jesus walked.

Experience a boat from the days of Jesus at the Ginasaur Boat Museum.

Step into the Jordan River to experience baptism at the Yardenit Baptismal site.

Return to Virginia House, Migdal, a Christian retreat center with a breathtaking view of Galilee.

The Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus drew from the local scenery to illustrate the Sermon on the Mount.

Journey an hour north to Caesarea Philippi and touch the red bedrock where Peter stood, see the literal Gates of Hell, and understand the spiritual significance of the church's foundation.

Hike the rapids of Banias Falls, which inspired King David to write Psalm 42 and later Jesus would walk on his way up to Mount Hermon, the place of the Transfiguration.

Return to rest at Virginia House, Migdal, a Christian retreat center with a breathtaking view of Galilee.

Climb Mount Arbel, where Jesus often climbed and prayed. For those less adventurous, take the bus and welcome the group at the top.

Experience Nazareth Village, an open-air museum that reconstructs and reenacts village life in Galilee in the time of Jesus.

Explore Caesarea Maritima, the home of Cornelius, the house of Philip, and the prison of Paul.

Celebrate your journey with a farewell dinner in a local restaurant.

You are now on your way to Ben Gurion Airport and home.

Leave Friends in Israel and go home to greater influence. 

Your flight for the USA departs just after midnight. 

You now have social media friends in Israel. You've left a part of yourself in the Holy Land. You want to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and go back one day soon.

Thanks to the time zone, you will arrive in Boise on the same day!