Much of the story of the New Testament recounts the spread of Jesus’ movement into the Greco-Roman world and the Roman Empire. As the Jewish followers of Jesus spread his movement, they confronted a world culturally, politically, and religiously opposed to them - a world very similar to what we live in today, where similar challenges face followers of Jesus.

Traveling to Greece with NoVA Community Church will provide you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the Greco-Roman world, discover how first century followers of Jesus navigated their world, and better understand the historical accounts and teachings of the the New Testament.

The heart of this journey is to empower you to become the disciple God created you to be. By better understanding the world of the Bible, you will better understand the words of the Bible, transforming your ability to study it, do what it teaches, and share it with others. Join us for an experience unlike any other as we take you behind the scenes to explore the lands of the Bible in a way that will change your life forever.

Depart USA. Get ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime!

Arrive in Athens no later than 11:00 AM, then fly to Thessaloniki Enjoy dinner and stay overnight in Thessaloniki.

Our morning begins touring the city of Thessaloniki. Amid the bustling modern city, we will explore the remains of the ancient city of Thessaloniki (Acts 17:1-9; 1 and 2 Thessalonians). We continue on to Vergina and after lunch, we will visit the ancient site of Vergina and see the royal tombs of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. We then drive to Berea, where the Apostle Paul arrived and according to custom went to the synagogue. We will see the Byzantine mosaic in the monument commemorating Paul’s visit to Berea (Acts 17:10-11), and we will visit the Jewish Quarter ofBerea with its old synagogue. We return to our hotel in Thessaloniki for dinner as a group and stay overnight.

We begin our morning driving out of Thessaloniki journeying east towards Philippi (Acts 16:11-40; Philippians). Our first stop is the site of Amphipolis (Acts 17:1) where one of the things we will see is the Lion of Amphipolis. We will also visit the small, but important museum at Amphipolis, which contains artifacts from the Roman period. We continue to the modern city of Kavala, ancient Neapolis (Acts 16:11), where Paul first came onto the European continent. After visiting Kavala and eating our lunch there, we visit Philippi where Paul encountered Lydia (Acts 16:11-15) and established a community, to which he wrote one of his letters. At Philippi, we see the theater, the Agora, as well as the Byzantine Basilica. After visiting the small museum of Philippi, we will see a stretch of the ancient Roman road, the Via Egnatia, which stretched across northern Greece, and was utilized by Paul as he journeyed through the region. We return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.

This morning, we will check out of our hotel in Thessaloniki drive to Delphi, stopping in Thermopylae, a historic mountain pass in central Greece famous for the site of the 480 BC battle where the Spartan King made a legendary last stand against the invading Persian army led by Xerxes. We will check into our hotel and have a group dinner at the hotel in Delphi.

We check-out of our hotel in Delphi and take a short drive to the ancient site of Delphi. The Oracle of Delphi was the most important and well-known oracle in the ancient world. In addition to the site, we visit the museum at Delphi, which contains artifacts from the site and illustrates the importance of this mountainous settlement. After our visit, we drive to Athens where the group will enjoy a group dinner at the hotel and stay overnight.

Today we will explore the ancient city of Athens, the birthplace of democracy. Our day begins with a short walk up to the Acropolis, and visit the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena. We then walk down to visit the Areopagus, Mars Hill where Paul encountered the council of Athens (Acts 17:16-34). Continuing down the hill, we come to the Agora of Athens and the Stoa of Attalos. Group dinner at overnight in Athens.

Our day begins with a drive south into the Peloponnese, the peninsula of southern Greece. We drive to Corinth (Acts 18:1-17; 1 and 2 Corinthians). Our visit includes the small, but important museum of Corinth, visiting the theater and the inscription of Erastus, the city treasurer (Romans 16:23), as well as the Bema of Gallio and the agora of Corinth. Before leaving the site, we participate in Communion together (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). After lunch, we visit the upper city of Corinth, the Acro Corinth, and the ancient harbor of Cenchrea (Acts 18:18). On our way back to Athens, we stop to see the Corinthian Canal. Return to Athens. Dinner at Stamatopoulos Tavern. Overnight at hotel in Athens.

Those returning home today will have a group transfer to the airport to catch their flights returning home challenged and encouraged in their faith. Please book a departure flight no earlier than 12:00pm.

For those continuing on for the optional Turkey Extension we'll transfer as a group to Lavrio Port to embark on our 4-night cruise through the Aegean Islands and Turkey. We set sail for Mykonos at 1:00 p.m. Upon arrival at 6:00 p.m. and disembarking, you'll have the evening to stroll the charming cobblestone streets of cosmopolitan Chora and perhaps enjoy a coffee in the picturesque "Little Venice." We'll return to the ship by 10:30 p.m. before setting sail for Kusadasi, Turkey at 11:00 p.m. We will stay overnight on board.

At 7:00 am we dock at the port of Kusadasi in Turkey, the starting point for our included shore excursion to visit the ancient city of Ephesus, where the Apostle Paul preached and lived for three years (Acts 18:19-21). We set sail at 1:00 pm to Patmos, Greece, where the Apostle John was exiled and wrote the Book of Revelation (Rev 1:9). We enjoy our included excursion, which takes us up to visit St. John’s Monastery and the Grotto of the Revelation. We set sail for Rhodes at 9:30 pm and stay overnight on board.

At 7:00 am, we call at Rhodes. You will enjoy your included organized excursion to Lindos, situated 55 km (40 miles) from the city of Rhodes and “bears” above it the Acropolis of Lindos, with the ancient Temple of Athena, built in 300 B.C. In the center of the village, you will find the Church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) of Lindos, with frescoes from the 15th century. At the old city of Rhodes, you will go through D’Amboise Gate to walk on the Street of the Knights. Along this street, you will find the residences of the Knights, separated according to Order, which bear until today their corresponding crests. We set sail to Heraklion, Crete at 6:00 pm and stay overnight on board.

We arrive at Heraklion Crete, (Acts 27:7-13) at 7:00am and enjoy an optional excursion to the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the first European civilization and legendary home of the Minotaur (half bull and half man). Then we set sail to Santorini. We will disembark by tender-boats, sea and weather permitting. We will take the cable car up to the town of Fira, perched high on the rim of the ancient volcano, then you will have time for taking photos, browsing, shopping and enjoying the breathtaking view. We will set sail for Lavrio at 9:30 pm and stay overnight on board.

At 6:00 am we arrive at the port of Lavrio. We will disembark after breakfast at about 7:45 am and drive to the airport in Athens to catch our flights to return home challenged and encouraged in our faith.