About our Trips
Our mission is to introduce American Christians to the Christians of the Holy Land so that new bridges, relationships and friendships can be fostered. The Living Stones of the Holy Land must not be forgotten by us!
Our trips are designed to give you an immersive experience in the lands of the Bible. We believe in the importance of engaging the Holy Land in body, mind, and heart. As we do this you will engage the culture, history, and geography of the Holy Land with your eyes, ears, and feet.
Pilgrims will enjoy worship and fellowship opportunities with Christians of the Holy Land. Activities such as sharing traditional meals, story-telling and spending one night in the home of a local Christian family will be arranged for each group. Each pilgrim will return home with a new sense of understanding and appreciation of the role their Christian brothers and sisters of the Holy Land play in keeping Christianity alive and vibrant in the Land of Christ.
You will experience the warm welcome of Arab hospitality. Pilgrims will meet local Christian people, clergy, and community leaders and participate in local church events. Service activities can be arranged. Pilgrims will participate in serious dialogue, focused on increasing the understanding between Arab and American Christians. All pilgrimages are coordinated with the local Christian congregations to insure an authentic experience.
Our trips are meant to be educational, emotionally impactful, and spiritually uplifting as you walk over the Holy Land’s ancient paths, learn from its local religious leaders, and pray in its holy sites.
What Makes us Unique?
You will enjoy the benefits ts of a well planned and organized trip which includes airfare from your hometown airport, accommodation, all visits, meals and planned activities, including:
- Your pilgrimage will be customized to meet individual group needs, including creating a service project as part of the pilgrimage.
- You the pilgrim will have an opportunity to learn about Biblical sites, worship in the most spiritually uplifting places and meet local Christians in the company of local priests and clergy
- You will be welcomed into the home of a local Christian family for an overnight stay You will be a part of HCEF’s Ecumenical emphasis on Christian solidarity.
- You will support Christian businesses in local Christian communities.
- You will benefits t from the years of HCEF’s presence in the Holy Land through personal knowledge of the Holy Sites and Christian communities in the Holy Land.
How to Prepare?
To get the most out of your experience, we would encourage you to prepare physically and spiritually. Make time to read the Bible every day, especially those passages of scripture whose context you will encounter on your trip. If you are not already active, commit to a consistent exercise regime in preparation for your journey. There are a lot of steps in the Holy Land!
Customize your Experience
Living Stones Pilgrimages also works hard to accommodate particular sites that are of interest to different denominations. The Holy Land is full of sites of major importance to all Christians, but we understand that there are some sites which are of more interest to Catholics, Orthodox, or Protestant Christians. Please let us know your faith background in the questionnaire so that we can create a pilgrimage that suits the interests of your group.
Supporting the Local Christian Community
In keeping with the foundation’s mission to utilize its resources for the benefit of the Christian community in the Holy Land, Living Stones Pilgrimages attempt to bring maximum economic benefit to local Christian Palestinian shopkeepers, travel agents, guides, and hotel operators. By supporting local Christians, we help to preserve their critical presence and influence in the Holy Land.
