Covenant Journey's Israel Experience Changes Lives
Christian students from 23 colleges are preparing for a life-changing adventure in Israel to grow and develop their leadership potential on Monday, January 2nd. Led by Covenant Journey, a non-profit organization founded by Liberty Counsel, Christian millennials will be touched by a rich blend of biblical history, Jewish history, and Israel's global technological innovations and current geopolitical challenges. These trips have already had a profound impact on the Christian faith and perspective toward Israel of students from about 170 colleges and universities. Many of these young Christian leaders have found that this journey connects them to the roots of their Christian faith and they will never read the Bible or think about Israel the same.
"The impact of a Covenant Journey experience in Israel is beyond description. Many of these students are just beginning on their leadership path and yet I already see the huge impact their deeper understanding of Israel is having around the world. Many Covenant Journey alumni say this experience has had a greater influence on them than anything else thus far," said Mat Staver, Founder and President of Covenant Journey.
One Covenant Journey alumni is Jennifer Sullivan, Apopka's State Representative. Jennifer was the youngest female ever elected to the Florida House of Representatives at age 23. During her freshman year in the House, she sponsored a major pro-life bill that was signed into law in 2015. Then in January 2016, Jennifer was able to travel to Israel on the seventh Covenant Journey experience. Returning to the States on January 7, 2016, Jennifer was back in the Florida Legislator on January 11, where she helped lead the effort in Florida to pass a pro-Israel Resolution that opposed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
One student, Alexis, described her experience this way, "Not only is this trip a spiritual awakening, but it is also a political and social awakening to the trials of the Israeli people. This trip allows me the opportunity to speak on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people. The resilience and courage of this nation needs to be shared with the world and I intend to share it." Giovanni, whose public speaker blog is ranked 24 of the top 50 on the internet, said he experienced Israel in "a more powerful way than I could have imagined." Megan said, "I knew this trip would be a great experience, but I had no idea how much it would impact the way I read the Bible and the way my life should look as a follower of Jesus."
The Covenant Journey tour accepts applications from college-age students who (1) are Christians, (2) have leadership potential, and (3) have some level of support for, or interest in, Israel. College students selected for the tour pay only a $500 registration fee. Everything else is covered by Covenant Journey, including flights from the United States to Tel Aviv, hotel, three meals a day, luxury bus, experienced tour guide, speakers, and all entrance fees.
In 2017 Covenant Journey has five trips scheduled:
Jan 2 – Jan 11, 2017
May 21 - 30, 2017
June 12 - 21, 2017
July 11 - 20, 2017
July 31 - Aug 09, 2017
"The impact of Covenant Journey on the lives of Christian millennials is far beyond what we imagined. It is hard to describe. You just have to experience it," said Staver.
The Covenant Journey website is www.CovenantJourney.org, and the phone number is 407-875-1967. Covenant Journey began in 2011 and launched its first student experience in 2014. Covenant Journey has offices in Florida and Washington, DC.