BibleTelling Seminar in Israel-Jordan April 2026

Fees and expenses

Flights

Members of Calvary Baptist Church in Normal, IL, are primary participants in this Seminar. We encourage all participants traveling from Chicago O’Hare airport to join their group airline reservation.

$800-$1200 Estimated price for Economy seats (lowest cost)

To reserve your Group Flights complete this form (In development)

To reserve your own flights make sure your flights meet this schedule:

– Arrive at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv no later than Saturday, April 18, 2026 (preferably by 5:00pm)
– For Israel ONLY participants, Depart Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv no earlier than Friday, May 1, 2026
– For Israel AND Jordan participants, Depart Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv no earlier than Monday, May 4, 2026

 

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is highly encouraged to protect your Seminar fee and Flight cost in the event of trip disruption or 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
    • your Seminar fee (in the event the Seminar is canceled or you cannot participate and money has already been committed to hotels and other Seminar costs that are nonrefundable
  • Determine which coverages you want and pay for this on your own
  • Travel Insurance providers you may want to consider:
    • Allianz
    • International Travel Solutions

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.

•  

Packing Notes

• • Weather Temp Expectations 

    • (average high/low temps) for all months at various Israel locations, Jordan locations

  • 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)

 

Videos to Watch

• • Introduction
  • Preparation – Cultural Background and Travel Information
  • Flight To/From
  • Arrival
  • Learning Bible Stories
  • Day 1 Caesarea and Mt. Carmel
    • Starting the Tour
  • Day 2 Nazareth and Galilee
  • Day 3 Around Galilee
    • Around Galilee
    • Capernaum – Synagogue and Peter’s House
  • Day 4 North of Galilee
    • North of Galilee
  • Day 5 Traveling South
    • Traveling South
  • Day 6 Jericho and Dead Sea Area
    • Dead Sea Area\
    • Walls of Jericho web site
    • Jericho and Elisha’s Spring
  • Day 7 Judean Hills
    • Judean Hill Country
  • Day 8 Samaria
    • Samaria
    • Shiloh
  • Day 9 Bethlehem
    • Bethlehem
  • Day 10+ Jerusalem
    • Jerusalem
    • Hezekiah’s Tunnel