BibleTelling Seminar – April 2023

Pastor Brian Thieme and Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, MO, are hosting and leading this BibleTelling Seminar.

Last updated Thursday, February 2, 2023

Brochure

  • Itinerary and Seminar Details (link)
  • Israel map (link)

Dates

  • Friday, April 14 through Friday, Friday, April 28, 2023- Israel Only
  • Friday, April 14 through Monday, May 1, 2023 – Israel Plus Jordan

Travel Info

  • During the Seminar, you will receive a full-color, ~90-page Seminar Guide for April 2023 with information specific to this Seminar (March 2022 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
  • COVID-19 Vaccination is no longer required for entering Israel

Participants

  • Roster and Roommates TBD
  • Travel Information Request form
    • Please have the following information available before completing the form:
      • Passport information
      • Departure and return dates
      • Airline seating class preference, if known
      • Frequent Flyer numbers, if any
      • Emergency contact name and phone number
    • 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 October 1, 2023 (it must expire at least 6 months after the travel return date). If it isn’t, visit the Post Office to renew it.

Schedule

  • Calendar of main sites and activities each day [UPDATED 4/3/2023]
  • 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-$5.
  • Story Assignment List showing which participant will tell each story and when and where.

Fees and payments

Online Registration with Tutku Tours

To book your tour
Step 1: Click to this link to view your tour page
Step 2: Click to “BOOK NOW” button
Step 3: Choose your rate options 
Step 4: Select total participants number
Step 5: Then click to “Next” button
 
After completing booking process, you will able to add participant information
To add participant
Step 1: Click to “Add participant” button on active screen or in “Participants” section
Step 2: Fill all fields as possible in each information section
Step 3: Click to “Done” button
 
After adding participants, you will able to make payment for your deposit or rate amounts
To make payment
Step 1: Go to “Payments” section
Step 2: Select the payment records you want to pay
Step 3: Fill credit card information and click to “Pay for selected prices” button

DEPOSIT: $300 per person on or before November 3, 2022 (refundable until full payment date)
(NOTE: credit card companies may need to know this an International transaction)
FULL PAYMENT DATE: February 2, 2023

Payment options:

  1. Credit Card (Visa or Mastercard only): fill in the secure form at the TUTKU website 
  2. Bank Wire Transfer: email info@tutkutours.com and ask for TUTKU’ bank account details

Israel Only

  • $3250 – double occupancy
  • $4230 – single occupancy ($980 premium)

Israel plus Jordan Extension

  • $3896 – double occupancy (includes $590 for Jordan plus $56 for Jordan Visa)
  • $5046 – single occupancy ($170 premium plus $56 for Jordan Visa)
  • Note: Tutku Tours 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)
  • Any extra nights before or after the Seminar dates 
  • 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

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

Tutku Tours can reserve airline tickets from Chicago O’Hare airport to Tel Aviv and back. Travelers can also arrange their own airline tickets or use travel sites and services.

$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:

    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:
        • 1 New Israeli Shekels (NIS) = 32¢ USA; 200 NIS = $64.40
        • $1 USA Dollar = 3.1 New Israeli Shekels (NIS); $200 = 621 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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