Pilgrimages
A pilgrimage is not a vacation or a tourist’s adventure. It’s about transformation. Pilgrims open themselves up to the people, the place, and the Holy Spirit as they become vulnerable to the journey. Pilgrims prepare for their travels with both heart and mind. Participants in Forest Hill Church pilgrimages engage in pre-travel meetings and readings in preparation for the journey.
Eight pilgrims traveled to Scotland in 2006, 12 journeyed to Nicaragua in 2007, 18 went to the New Mexico desert in 2008 and 32 gathered in Israel in 2009. Who knows where the next one will lead or how many will feel called? Will you be one of them?
Upcoming Pilgrimage to Early Christian Sites in Turkey and Greece ~ March 25 - April 3, 2011
Reserve your spot NOW to join Pastors Clover Beal and John Lentz, Ph.D. in New Testament scriptures, along with Dr. Timothy Beal, Ph.D. in Hebrew scriptures, for a pilgrimage to the cradle of Christianity in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and Greece.
DEPOSITS ARE DUE JULY 31, 2010 Learn more about the trip here.
Previous Forest Hill Church Pilgrimages
2009 ~ Israel/Palestine Holy Lands
The 32 members of the pilgrimage team to Israel/Palestine prepared for their trip by studying the Middle East with Dr. Peter Haas, attempting to get a better sense of the complicated issues between Israel and its neighbors. They met as a group to get to know each other better before embarking on the journey.
The participants envisioned their pilgrimage as not only for the individual, but about bringing home the experience for the community so that all might be shaped by it. Click here for a few photos from the journey.
2008 ~ Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
In May, 2009, 18 members from Forest Hill, along with 2 members from the Federated UCC Church in Chagrin Falls, flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico, then boarded vans for the Ghost Ranch Bed & Breakfast Santa Fe. A day later, they boarded buses for Abiquiu, New Mexico, and the 21000-acre Ghost Ranch Retreat Center owned by the Presbyterian Church (USA). To learn more about this desert pilgrimage, explore various readings and reminiscences from the trip as well as spectacular photographs, visit our photo page at ghostranch2008.shutterfly.com
2007 ~ Nicaragua
In June 2007, 12 pilgrims traveled to Nicaragua with International Partners in Mission for an immersion experience in the culture of the Nicaraguan people. Instead of doing direct service work, the group was introduced to many projects, both urban and rural, developed and implemented by local women and men that addressed the needs of their communities. The pilgrimage was led by Rev. John Lentz.
2006 ~ Iona, Scotland
The first Forest Hill pilgrimage was to the Abbey of Iona, on the Isle of Iona in Scotland. A group of 12 pilgrims led by Rev. Clover Beal spent one week in July in community with others from all over Great Britain. The days were filled with the rhythm of worshipful work, worship and prayers, communal discussion, and hiking the beautiful island. Words cannot express the depth of experience that was had by each pilgrim. We hope to travel again to Iona very soon.