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Turkey Study Tour with Thornapple Community Church
July 7-18, 2025
Led by KENT FRENS
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Trip Blog Posts
Day 09 - Western Coast: Priene, Didyma, Miletus
posted on Friday July 18 2025 at 12:00 am UTC
We gazed down the mountain from the temple of Athena, nestled among the pines, across the wide valley painted green by olive trees, fig trees, and a hundred other agricultural products, many of which we have feasted upon during the last nine days. We marveled that this great green bread basket was, until...
Day 08 - Ephesus, Ephesus Museum, Evening Cruise on the Aegean
posted on Wednesday July 16 2025 at 8:00 pm UTC
To a person, we agree that we’ve been blessed with a truly high quality of leadership. Teaching leader, Pastor Kent, has connected Scripture to places we visit, illuminated never before considered perspectives, and taken deep dives into why Paul and John chose particular words to write...
Day 07 - Western Coast: Pergamum, Weaving Center
posted on Tuesday July 15 2025 at 8:00 pm UTC
“I know where you live – where Satan has his Throne.” This morning we spent our second day in Pergamum, where Jesus said that Satan lives. Pergamum was a magnificent city that overlooked two valleys and the Aegean Sea. It was also home to the "neokoros", which is the honor given...
Day 06 - West Central Turkey: Sardis, Thyatira, Pergamum Asclepion
posted on Monday July 14 2025 at 6:00 pm UTC
Wake up! The roosters crowed us this message as we made our way under the olive trees into the ancient city of Sardis. Wake up! The call was echoed by the cooing doves, the singing cicadas, and the distant mosque calling the faithful to prayer as morning temperatures neared 100 degrees. Wake up! ...
Day 05 - West Central Turkey: Aphrodisias, Philadelphia
posted on Sunday July 13 2025 at 8:00 pm UTC
"Overcome" On this Lord’s day we celebrated communion in (or near) the Church of Philadelphia, the smallest of the 7 churches in Revelation. It was a day of self-assessment and reflection. The amount of agricultural land is striking. Each day we pass through areas with fruit trees, olive...
Day 04 - West Central Turkey: Laodicea, Colossae, Hierapolis
posted on Saturday July 12 2025 at 9:00 pm UTC
"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water".' Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in...
Day 03 - Pisidian Antioch
posted on Friday July 11 2025 at 7:00 pm UTC
Pastor Kent’s very first reflection considered the pregnant time of Jesus’ birth. Everything was ready for the coming of the Messiah. The time and the place were perfect! We continue to marvel at just how true that was as well for the spread of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus. God’s...
Day 02 - Southern Coast: Aspendos, Perga
posted on Thursday July 10 2025 at 8:00 pm UTC
Four hours walking in the ruins of Perge provided a good beginning to imagine what Paul found when he arrived at the start of his First Missionary walk (Acts 13:13) in this part of present day Turkey. He stopped again months later as this journey drew to a close, where he “spoke the word”...
Day 01 - Southern Coast: Antalya Harbor, Antalya Museum, Roman Road
posted on Thursday July 10 2025 at 12:00 am UTC
We started our first day with an early morning walk around the harbor and devotions by Pastor Kent: Galatians 4:4 - "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law..." and John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and...
Day 00 - ARRIVAL
posted on Wednesday July 09 2025 at 12:00 am UTC
After a long day of travel from Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are happy to report that we have successfully arrived in Antalya, Turkey. We may be a little sleep deprived, but both flights were safe and comfortable. We are all ready to immerse ourselves into this tour into the history and geography...
Preparing for Turkey
posted on Wednesday July 02 2025 at 7:35 pm UTC
Our trip will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground we'll post periodic updates and photos. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. We'll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family, to not only bring you along...