Connecting the Dots: Understanding Changing Culture
Cost: $2300, plus airfare
Dates: 09/12/2024– 09/19/2024
Location: Greece (8 Days)
Day 1
Board your overnight flight and enjoy your journey to Athens,Greece, the birthplace of Western Civilization. (Groups should coordinate their flights to arrive in Athens in the late afternoon for Day 2)
Day 2
Meet Dr. Johnson (Global Next’s President) at the airport in Athens where we’ll board our charter bus and head into the city of Athens. We will get settled into our centrally located hotel – just yards from the Acropolis! After an afternoon orientation, we’ll enjoy a great Greek dinner followed by a night walk to see the Parthenon lit up on the top of the Acropolis. You’ll have to pinch yourself at least twice to believe that you’re really here and have stepped back more than 2 millennia in time. After some fellowship, we’ll drop into bed and get some much needed rest.
Day 3
After breakfast our group will head out to the iconic Acropolis, the Agora, the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena, and the Theatre of Dionysus. We will also sit on Mars Hill and talk about the Apostle Paul’s brilliant conversation with the intellectuals of his day! After lunch and some free time for shopping, we’ll return to the hotel to begin our conference, “Before it Gets Dark/Connecting the Dots” where we will discuss the trends of a changing world and how leaders can respond to those changes. Finally, we’ll enjoy dinner together and finish our day!
Day 4
After breakfast, we will continue our studies of all things that are trend-worthy. Our goal is to update your “operating systems” with the latest information on what’s happening in global culture and why! In the afternoon, we’ll hike up to the top of Lycabettus Hill. Standing 277 meters above sea level, this peak provides a stunning view of Athens, including the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panthenaic Stadium and the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea.
Day 5
After breakfast, we will head off to the ancient city of Corinth, the subject of two of the Apostle Paul’s epistles. This city, at one time was known for the wild lifestyles of its citizens during the time of Paul. It is now mostly famous for its ancient glories, especially the 6th century BC Temple of Apollo and the Roman Agora and Odeon. We’ll also take a ride over to the beach at Cenchreae, where Paul set sail to continue his missionary journeys. In the late afternoon we will meet to continue our conference and share impressions about Greek culture.
Day 6
Following breakfast, we will head to the Hellenic (Greek) Parliament in Syntagma Square. Here in the Square, you will conduct interviews with locals, asking them questions about their culture, their lives, and their views on current global issues. After lunch, we’re off to the city of Delphi, the city that used to be viewed as the “center of the world” and the place where everyone came to hear about their futures and fortunes. Here we will see the Temple of Apollo and the Delphi museum. On the way we will visit the mountain village of Arachova, famous for its hand-loomed rugs, bags, and blankets. In the evening, after dinner, our leadership course will continue.
Day 7
With our stomachs full of breakfast, we’ll head to the ancient sites of Delphi. We will walk along the marble Sacred Way, the road visitors have walked on for millennia. We’ll see the site of ancient prophecies, via the “Oracle,” discuss the mystery that surrounds the ancient, “psychic” priestesses and then re-anchor ourselves back to biblical truth. After lunch, we will head back to our hotel in Athens where we will enjoy this ancient city for one more evening.
Day 8
After nine days of wandering ancient archaeological sites, rubbing shoulders with new Greek friends, people-watching in cafés and interviewing locals, it is time to depart for home with unforgettable memories!
Training Theme: “Before it Gets Dark/Connecting the Dots: Understanding Changing Culture and Trends”
Here in the center of philosophy and great thinkers, amongst ancient and current Greek culture, students will study what it means to have a truly Christian philosophy of life and leadership. In a practical, humorous and life-changing way, we will study various worldviews and ways of thinking about the world. We will study fascinating generational shifts in thinking, trends in entertainment/media, changing societal values and discuss where American culture and global culture are headed!