Mar 10–20, 2022

Enjoy Israel as a family on this 10-day trip to the Holy Land. Hosted by Pastor Gregg and Kelly Matte as well as Next Generations Minister, Doug Bischoff and his wife, Wendy, families will travel over Spring Break 2022 to see the sites of Israel - Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Bethlehem, Masada, and the Old City of Jerusalem. A focus will be given to family discipleship on this trip including a pre-trip devotional guide and lots of opportunity for discussion and teaching while in Israel. Begin saving now for this once-in-a-lifetime trip with your family.

Registration / Key Info

• For information about Israel reopening for tourism, click here.
• Registration now open. Click here.
• For families of children 3rd grade through college (at the time of the trip).
• Space is limited.
• For the trip brochure, click here.

A Word from Pastor Gregg

Key FAQs

Q: Since the trip leaves on a Thursday, will my kids miss two days of school?

A: No, we will leave Thursday evening for an overnight flight so kids will only need to miss school on Friday. In the past, some schools have provided this as an excused absence for kids who write a short paper or project concerning their trip.

Q: The cost of this trip seems higher than other Israel trips I’ve seen. Why is that?

A: Quite simply, it costs a bit more to do a family trip well. The difference between this trip and many trips to Israel are:

• 5-star hotels which generally provide bigger rooms and more options on the evening buffet. This gives families more space and allows kids many more food options – some kids are picky eaters! 
• Our overnight stay at the Dead Sea allows families to enjoy an afternoon at the beach taking in the unique Dead Sea experience.
• We have included a couple of unique opportunities that kids will enjoy that you might not find on other trips.
• We use an established tour company (Maranatha Tours) that allows us great reliability, protection and safety while in Israel. This costs a bit more, but with kids on the trip, we feel it is worth it.

Q: Will my kids be bored?

A: IMPOSSIBLE! This trip is full of many things to see, touch and hear about. They may stand and listen to a history listen for a few minutes, but most kids 3^rd grade and up will enjoy all the fun things to see and do.

Q: Will Israel require the COVID vaccine for us to enter the country?

A: The short answer is we don't know yet. As Israel reopens (see document above), more and more restrictions are expected to be lifted. We will keep families updated about reopening procedures. Good news is - reopening has now begun (as of May 23, 2021)!

What Families That Have Gone Before Are Saying

“This trip has forever changed the way our family reads the Bible. I consider it a priceless gift that we no longer have to strain to imagine the settings of the events we read about, but that our eyes have beheld and have given us a living, lasting, in-color vantage point so that when we read about David in the wilderness of En Gedi, hiding from Saul or our precious Lord Jesus walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, we go back to those places. We experience the awesome realization afresh, that these are not just stories written thousands of years ago in a setting we could never relate to; these are actual people and actual places. I am forever grateful for the privilege our family was given in going on this trip and pray that we can go again one day.”
— Carrie Hajovsky

“The Israel trip we took with Houston's First was a blessing for our family and was offered at a price we could afford. I really felt we covered more ground they we ever could have on our own and wonderful to have our own pastoral staff there to guide us through the sites and experiences. It made the Bible come alive for our entire family.”
— Lee Partridge