BibleTelling Seminar – April 2026 (Tentative)

We are planning to resume BibleTelling Seminars to Israel and Jordan.

Last updated Monday, January 20, 2025

Itinerary

Travel Info

  • During the Seminar, you will receive a full-color, ~90-page Seminar Guide for April 2026 with information specific to this Seminar (here is the April 2023 Seminar edition) along with many charts, maps, and diagrams for study during and beyond the Seminar (previously a separate booklet).
  • Travel Information  – Israel Safe link

Schedule

  • Calendar of main sites and activities each day 
  • Maps showing planned routes and major stops for each day 

Learning to tell stories

  • Learning Bible Stories for Israel video (specific to BT Seminars in Israel)
  • BibleTelling 101: Draw and Tell workshop (more generic and focused on one learning method)
  • Key points in the workshop include:
    • learning (not memorizing!) the stories
    • dividing the stories into sections or scenes
    • recruiting five designated listeners
    • practicing telling each of your stories 5 times to actual people before telling it in Israel
  • Summary sheet for learning the stories you will tell

The stories 

  • The Stories to be Told
    • Bible stories often span more than one geographic location. We want to limit the scope of the stories we tell to just those story events that occurred at that speaking location.
    • Please use this collection of (location-specific) “Stories To Be Told” to limit the scope of the stories you learn and tell.
    • It is OK to add additional details found in the Biblical story, but please do not include events at other locations—someone else is very possibly assigned to tell that part of the story at the other location!
    • The booklet is also available for purchase-$10.
  • Story Assignment List showing which participant will tell each story and when and where.

Fees and payments

Israel Only

  • $3985 – per person, double occupancy
  • $4965 – single occupancy ($980 premium)

Israel plus Jordan Extension

  • $5155 – double occupancy (includes $590 for Jordan plus $56 for Jordan Visa)
  • $6245 – single occupancy ($170 premium)
  • Note: we will obtain the required Jordan visas for U.S. citizens. The $56 cost is included in the Jordan fees.

The Seminar Fee includes:

  • Lodging
    Three meals a day
    Entrance fees
    Ground transportation
    Tips
    Tour guide
    Bible teachers

Expenses not covered by the cost of the trip:

  • Airfare to and from Israel (see Flights section below)
    Travel insurance (recommended)
    Activities on the “free day” (actually, 2 “free half-days”)
    Drinks cost extra at some of the meals
    An extra $200 per person is recommended for random expenses

Registration

To book your tour, complete this form (TBD)
To make payment – TBD

Cancelation Refund Policy:

90-60 days prior to departure: Full refund
59-30 days prior to departure: 50% refund
29-15 days prior to departure: 25% refund
14 days & After: No refund

Flights

Participants are encouraged to reserve group airline tickets from Chicago O’Hare airport to Tel Aviv and back. 

$1000-$1200 Estimated price for Economy seats (lowest cost)

    Travel Insurance

    Travel insurance is available for purchase and is highly encouraged to protect your ticket cost in the event of cancelation.

    • $100-$400 Estimated cost of Travel Insurance, depending on traveler age and level/amount of coverage selected.
    • Travel insurance is commonly used to insure the cost of airline tickets
    • You may want to purchase coverage to protect your Seminar fee:
      • If the entire Seminar is canceled, we will try to transfer your Seminar fee to a future BibleTelling Seminar 
      • If you need to cancel your participation, we will also try to transfer your Seminar fee to a future BibleTelling Seminar
      • In either case, transferring fees may not be possible if money has already been committed to hotels and other Seminar costs that are nonrefundable
    • You need to determine what coverages you want and pay for this on your own
    • Travel Insurance providers you may want to consider:

    Participants

    • Roster and Roommates TBD
    • If you don’t have a passport, visit your local Post Office to apply for one. If you have one, verify that its Expiration Date is greater than November 1, 2026 (it must expire at least 6 months after the travel return date). If it isn’t, visit the Post Office to renew it.

    Packing Notes

    • Packing starter sheet
    • Hiking advice
    • Electrical Adaptors and Converters for Israel (link)
    • Prescription Meds (link)

    Preparation Information

    • Cultural Background and Travel Information (electricity, currency exchange, telephone, internet, etc.)
      • Recent exchange rates (January 2025):
        • 1 New Israeli Shekels (NIS) = 28¢ USA; 200 NIS = $56
        • $1 USA Dollar = 3.6 New Israeli Shekels (NIS); $200 = 715 NIS
    • Credit/Debit Cards: To avoid unwelcome credit/debit authorization rejections in Israel-Jordan, please contact your card issuers and let them know of your travel plans (may not necessary for some cards). Also, to avoid surprise charges, ask about their foreign transaction fees (sometimes no fee, often 3%, sometimes waived if purchase is made in US$$ rather than the foreign currency).
    • Free time in Jerusalem (sites our Seminar doesn’t include)- suggestions
    • Optional Activities
      • Climb Mt. Arbel (2-3 hours, early start to reach the top when the rest of the group arrives by bus – description  video
      • Baptism in the Jordan – Some tours offer baptism/re-baptism in the Jordan River–check with your Seminar leader. Water will be cold, advise bringing swim wear and water shoes. Changing rooms are provided, towels/robes can be rented.
      • Dead Sea Swimming – Always popular for first-time visitors. Swim wear needed. Salty water can irritate sensitive skin or other conditions. Changing rooms are provided, towels can be rented. Non-swimmers can enjoy the beach.
      • Camel Ride -Safe, leisurely, camel chain (no loose camels). The hardest parts are riding the camel as it gets up and down.
      • Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem – There are 2 paths—wet or dry. The wet tunnel is very dark and takes about 15 minutes to walk. Advise bringing water shoes, shorts or pants that can be rolled up, and a flashlight/head lamp for the wet tunnel.
      • Israel Museum OR Yad Vashem – One free afternoon in Jerusalem will offer bus rides to either of these world famous museums. You may choose to visit either or neither—you won’t have time for both.
    • BT Seminar Preparation Videos (not specific to our exact itinerary, but close and still relevant)
    • Weather Temp Expectations (average high/low temps) for all months at various Israel locations, Jordan locations
    • We will use the Whisper communication system on this trip. It will allow the Seminar leaders and guides to speak into transmitters allow the entire group to listen via individual receivers. It helps keep our group together and minimize difficulties in hearing due to noise and distractions. (promo video).

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