Haven’t you always wanted to see the majestic Parthenon, walk the impressive streets of Ephesus, or sail the Mediterranean? If you’re ready, your time has arrived.
Our next Nurturing Faith Experience, in collaboration with Campbell University Divinity School, will be a memorable trip to Turkey and Greece May 15-25, 2016. We’ll begin our tour in Istanbul with visits to the famed Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Over the next several days we will visit remains from all seven cities named as “churches of the Revelation” (Laodicea, Philadelphia, Sardis, Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, and Pergamum), along with the glistening travertine falls of Pamukkale and the majestic city of Hierapolis.
The island of Patmos
From Kusadasi, we’ll set sail for a cruise to the island of Patmos, where we’ll visit a cave (now topped by a monastery) where tradition holds that John wrote the book of Revelation, and then sail overnight to the city of Heraklion (home to the ancient palace of Knossos) on the island of Crete, then to the sparkling island city of Santorini before sailing overnight to Athens. Along the way, the cruise ship provides its own entertainment.
A Roman temple in Laodicea
We’ll spend our first day in Greece visiting Corinth, Mycenae, and Epidaurus, and our second day touring Athens, where we’ll visit the Parthenon and other Greek temples, and stand on Mars Hill, where Paul defended the gospel while speaking of “the unknown god.” Oh, and did I mention museums, exotic food, and the company of some amazing people?
Campbell students get first dibs on the trip, but there should be plenty room for others, and we’d love to have a score or more of our Nurturing Faith family along for the journey.
A baptistery in the ancient basilica of St. John, near Ephesus.
Dr. Andy Wakefield, a New Testament scholar who is dean of Campbell Divinity will lead the trip, but I’ll also be along to assist and to help make sure we all have a good experience. To register for the tour, you’ll need to send $300 payable to Campbell Divinity School by February 1. You can find the registration form and other needed information at this link, with the option to register online or download a paper form to send with your deposit. You can find a full-sized, easy-to-read version of the brochure here.
The full cost of the trip is $3,999, due by March 1. That includes airfare from Raleigh-Durham airport, lodging, tips, and all meals except for some lunches. We will try our best to honor the same price from other airports, but there is a possibility it may cost a little more to fly from other cities.
The Parthenon, in Athens.
I’ve been to most of these places, and assure you that this trip will be an experience of a lifetime. If you have detailed questions about registration or payment, contact Amber Johnson-Carter at [email protected]. If you have other questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
What better way to nurture your faith than with an experience like this? Join us!
Professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and the Contributing Editor and Curriculum Writer at Good Faith Media.