ENCOUNTER JESUS IN ISRAEL 

with Pastor Jon Burgess from Father's House Church, San Marcos, CA

Nov 10- Nov 21, 2025

⬇️ Scroll to the bottom for the full itinerary!

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. 

Father's House Church is going on tour in Israel from Nov 10 - Nov 21, 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 Father's House Church and San Diego.

Experience sites around Galilee where Jesus walked. Follow his cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Visit fascinating Old Testament spots, like the mountain where Elijah prayed, a gate where Abraham passed, and the pool where Gideon selected his men. You can even stand where David faced Goliath.

Our tour company, Philip's House, will introduce us to Israeli believers, Jews, and Arabs. Our licensed tour guide 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.

Pastor Jon Burgess

Philip’s House tours are about ENCOUNTER. 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 your USA departure 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/

Step into the country where the ancient promises were fulfilled.

Your group flight booking arrives in the early afternoon. 

Travel north to the Sea of Galilee to enjoy David's Harp Hotel across the street from Capernaum, the Home Town of Jesus.

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.

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.
 

Stand at the threshold of a synagogue where Jesus taught at the Magdala village, home of Mary Magdalene.

Stand on the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

Enter the church at Tabgha, where Jesus fed 5,000 men and their families and the Primacy of Peter where Peter met Jesus.

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

Spend the night at David’s Harp hotel for dinner and your rest on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Your hotel is right across the street from Capernaum!

 Journey an hour north to Caesarea Philippi and touch the red bedrock where Peter stood, see the literal Gates of Hell, and the spiritual significance of announcing on this spot the church--the "called out ones." 

Take in the 4,000-year-old Gates of Dan, where Abraham took his 318 servants to defeat physical and spiritual forces and how his story connects with Jesus' story. 

Hike down the Banias Falls that inspired David to write Psalm 42.

Nestled near the Jordan River’s headwaters, Kibbutz Snir offers peaceful views of Mount Hermon and the biblical landscapes of northern Israel. Founded in 1967, it stands where ancient history and prophecy meet. Like many kibbutzim, Snir helped build modern Israel—settling the land, farming, and defending its borders. As you visit, may you sense the deep connection between scripture, history, and the people rooted here

Home to David’s Harp Hotel Galilee

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.

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.

Check into Hotel Yehuda near the road where Philip ministered to the eunuch of Ethiopia.

Drive to the seaside city of Ashdod to join the Beit Hallel Congregation for their Shabbat Service.

Drive up to Jerusalem and spend night at Hotel Yehuda.

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 through the Lion’s Gate, marking the spot where Stephen gave his life. 

Visit St. Anne's Church, known for its extraordinary acoustics, near the Pool of Bethesda. 

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

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

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

See the Southern Steps where Jesus spoke to so many.

Home to Hotel Yehuda

Enter into the Jerusalem that Abraham and David knew in the excavations of The City of David. Take in the sweeping outlook of Jerusalem. Take in 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 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.
 

Ponder God’s plan for Israel at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.

 

Home to Hotel Yehuda

Visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the mosaics , the Grotto of the Nativity and experience a serene atmosphere steeped in biblical significance.

Sing Silent Night in one of the limestone caves used by the Shepherds.

Tour Herodium, one of the castles of King Herod. Explore the palace complex, including a therater, bathhouses and Herod's Tomb while marveling aat the views of the Judean Desert.

Walk the Valley of Elah, nestled between the coastal plains and Judean Hills of Israel. Renowned as the setting for the epic battle between David and Goliath.

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.

Enjoy a lunch tour in Machane Yehuda Market and savor the flavors of the Middle East and Jewish life. This meal is at your own cost.

Science has researched the Shroud of Turin more than any human-made object. See the evidence for the burial and resurrection of Jesus at Notre Dame. Take in the stunning view of Jerusalem.

Step into the just-opened Pentecost Room, painted by Chilean artist Daniel Cariola. The walls and ceiling of this spacious room are covered with the images of 119 first-century characters experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. Daniel meditated on the book of Acts and drew from his knowledge of first-century life to create this gripping scene.

Enjoy a stunning view of Jerusalem and fine dining at the Notre Dame Restaurant near the New Gate.

Home to Hotel Yehuda

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.

Visit En Gedi where David hid from Saul.

Scale Masada in a gondola and explore King Herod's desert fortress. Built as an opulent palace to defend against Cleopatra’s armies, it was used by Jewish fighters in their last stand against the Romans in AD 73 or 74.

Take in your first view of the Dead Sea at Kalia Beach. Float in the Dead Sea if you want something fun!

Home to Hotel Yehuda

Check out from Hotel Yehuda

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.
 

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

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.
 

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

You need to be ready for your transport to Ben Gurion Airport for your departure. 

You need to arrive at the airport 3 hours before your departure time for immigration processing.

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 home on the same day!