BelPres/OCC Holy Land Trip

Join Pastor Mike Howerton from Overlake Christian Church and Pastor Scott Dudley from Bellevue Presbyterian, for a joint OCC & BelPres Holy Land experience that will take on a different focus than typical Holy Land tour-style trips, but will include some sight-seeing.

Throughout the trip we’ll meet with and hear the stories of Israelis and Palestinians who believe that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is at work in bringing an end to the conflict and is reconciling the people of the Holy Land to each other and to himself. These perspectives will help us grasp a greater narrative than what we’ve received through media and other polarized, one-sided accounts.

We’ll hear about ways that American Christians can be a positive force for peace in the Holy Land, as well as here in our own city, state and nation. Those who maintain faith and hope in one of the world’s most difficult conflict zones will help us understand how to bear witness back home to the Jesus way of reconciliation — from our daily relationships to systemic racial and economic injustice.

Additionally, we’ll have different opportunities to serve and support the Church in the Holy Land and its mission to proclaim the Good News of Jesus that offers peace, justice, and healing for all the nations.

Facilitated by professional conflict resolution specialists and religious leaders, this inspirational Serve the World trip explores the Biblical themes of reconciliation and social justice. Share in fellowship with local Christians, meditate on mountaintop outlooks, and build relationships with local families from the country’s diverse Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities, in a tour that tackles the difficult questions of how Christ calls us to respond in a broken world.

Joining Pastor Mike & Pastor Scott will be Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon. She is a pastor, writer, and academic who cares deeply about God’s heart for the poor and the oppressed. She is the author of Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World (IVP, 2009), Just Spirituality: How Faith Practices Fuel Social Action (IVP, 2012) and co-author of Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith (Zondervan, 2014). Mae earned her doctorate in American History with the minor in Middle Eastern studies from the University of California, focusing her dissertation on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine. She has worked as a consultant to the Middle East for Compassion International and as Senior Director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision.

OCC Travelers Please Contact:
Josh McQueen
Office: 425-284-2519
[email protected]

BelPres Travelers Please Contact:
Elizabeth Hayford
Office phone: 425-454-3082, ext. 3377
[email protected]

Please also see Rev. Mae Cannon’s Sermon: The Things that Make for Peace