A new chapter for the footsteps of Paul
Verity Journeys has opened Verity Greece to founding groups for 2026, extending its leader-first model of faith-centered travel from the Holy Land into the lands of the Apostle Paul. The announcement marks a significant step for the company, which built its reputation over four decades as Shalom Journeys guiding Christian groups through Israel and now carries that same standard across the Aegean.
For pastors, professors, and ministry leaders who have led groups to the Holy Land, Verity Greece is the natural next journey. It follows Paul from the Macedonian call at Neapolis to the sermon on the Areopagus in Athens and the eighteen months of ministry in Corinth, and it does so with the same emphasis on reading the New Testament letters in the cities that first received them. Philippians at Philippi, Thessalonians in Thessaloniki, Corinthians at Corinth — the alignment of text and place is the heart of the itinerary.
What founding groups receive
Leaders who register their group as a founding Verity Greece party for 2026 receive first choice of travel dates, a direct role in shaping the itinerary, and the attention of the company's most experienced planning team. Founding groups also receive preferred pricing and a dedicated pre-trip teaching plan, built around the passages the group will read on site.
The offer is limited to a small number of groups in the founding season, and Verity Journeys is accepting inquiries now. Leaders who join early help define what Verity Greece becomes, and the company has made clear that the founding cohort will set the standard for the destination going forward.
Why Greece, and why now
The decision to open Greece follows years of requests from group leaders who have traveled to Israel with Verity and asked for a next step. Greece is the one destination that continues the New Testament story in the same physical, text-grounded way. The book of Acts is the travel narrative, and the Pauline letters are the teaching, and a Greece journey is the place the two come together. For a church that has walked the life of Christ in Israel, walking the mission of the church in Greece is the completion of a picture.
The timing reflects the maturity of the Verity platform. The same systems that have made Verity Israel a trusted partner — licensed guides who teach the biblical text on site, a team that handles every logistical detail, and an itinerary built around the leader's teaching goals — now extend across the Aegean. Verity Greece is not a resold third-party package; it is a Verity-built journey, with the company's own planning, guiding, and care.
The route in brief
The standard Verity Greece itinerary runs ten to twelve days and follows Paul's European mission in sequence. It opens at Neapolis, the modern Kavala, where Paul first set foot on European soil, and continues to Philippi, where Lydia was baptized and where Paul and Silas sang at midnight. From there the route moves to Thessaloniki and Berea, with an option for the monasteries of Meteora, before turning south to Athens and the Areopagus and finishing in Corinth, where Paul stayed eighteen months and wrote 1 Corinthians. An optional extension to Patmos, the island of the Revelation, closes the New Testament story.
For seminary and apologetics groups, the Athens and Corinth leg is a particular draw, and Verity can arrange extended teaching at Mars Hill and at the ancient agora. For church groups, the northern route through Macedonia is the emotional heart of the journey, and the baptistery at Lydia's river is a natural place for a group to renew their faith together.
How to register a founding group
Group leaders who are considering a Verity Greece journey for 2026 are invited to inquire through Verity Journeys. The team will walk through the route, the calendar, the budget, and the pre-trip teaching plan, and will hold dates for founding groups on a first-come basis. Leaders do not need a final group count to begin the conversation; the planning process is designed to move from initial inquiry to confirmed itinerary over several weeks.
Verity Greece is now welcoming founding groups. For leaders who have been to the Holy Land and are ready for the next chapter, the footsteps of Paul are open.
Frequently asked questions
What is a founding group? A founding group is one of the first parties to travel with Verity Greece in 2026. Founding groups receive first choice of dates, a role in shaping the itinerary, preferred pricing, and a dedicated pre-trip teaching plan.
How many founding groups are you accepting? A small number in the founding season, on a first-come basis. Leaders do not need a final group count to begin the conversation; planning moves from inquiry to confirmed itinerary over several weeks.
Do we need to have been to Israel first? No, though many founding groups are returning Verity Israel travelers. Greece also works as a first pilgrimage for groups drawn to the letters of Paul and the story of the early church.
What does the founding itinerary include? The standard route runs ten to twelve days from Neapolis to Corinth, with an optional Patmos extension. Founding groups help shape the emphasis — a seminary may weight Athens and Corinth, a church group the northern route and Lydia's river — and the pre-trip teaching plan is built around the passages the group will read on site.
When do founding groups travel? Departures begin in spring and autumn of 2026, with the founding cohort limited to a small number of parties. Leaders who inquire early receive first choice of dates and the closest involvement in shaping the program, and the team holds dates on a first-come basis.
How is Verity Greece different from a resold package? It is a Verity-built journey, not a third-party product. The company's own planning, licensed guides who teach the biblical text on site, and the same leader-first standard of care that has guided Christian groups through Israel for forty years now extend across the Aegean.