Rev. Matt Tuggle, Rev. Walt Marcum, and members of the church are on a pilgrimage through Israel visiting the prominent places of Jesus’ life.

Their trip includes worship at the Sea of Galilee, communion at the Garden Tomb, baptisms in Jordan, and more. It will be a remarkable journey, and we’ll be following along as they go!

Bookmark this page for updates from Matt and the team about their incredible experience, or follow @hpumcdallas on Instagram for moment-by-moment photos and videos from the trip!

Rev. Matt Tuggle shares thoughts on Day One while visiting the Church of the Annunciation, the traditional place where Mary first heard the Good News of her coming son, the ancient port city of Cesarea Marittima, and the (windy) Valley of Megiddo!

"I learned more my first two days as a parent than any other two days of my life. These past 48 hours are now in second place. I have learned and experienced even more these past two days than I expected (and I expected A LOT)." - Rev. Matt Tuggle

Our team of clergy and congregants were able to visit some special sites today, including the Synogogue at Magdala and Mount Hermon, two places where Jesus would have certainly taught.

Today was a special one indeed for our Holy Land Travelers as they finally got to look out over Jerusalem herself from the Mount of Olives. They were also able to visit the Temple area, featuring the Western Wall and the Teaching Steps, where we know for a fact that Jesus would have walked and preached near the Temple.

Day seven allowed our team to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, from his arrest on the Mount of Olives to where he would have spent his last night, the House of Caiaphas. In this house, there is a prison where one would have to be lowered through the floor to the cell below. Archaeologists believe this is the place where Jesus spent his last night awaiting his trial and crucifixion.

Our team spent their final day traveling through Jerusalem, following the final moments in the life of Jesus leading up to his crucifixion and burial. The group walked the Via Dolorosa on the streets of the Holy City, ending with a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb. Rev. Matt Tuggle and Rev. Andrew Beard describe what the entire journey has meant to them and their understanding of the Bible.