B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included
Overview
Itinerary
Purpose
Arrangements
Price
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Faith Travel Conference Overview
Join us April 11-14, 2023, at the Hilton Branson Convention Center for our Faith Travel Conference. This continuing education event for clergy and faith leaders will explore how faith travel can empower congregations to grow numerically and spiritually by sharing fellowship in travel. We will attend shows at the Sight and Sound Theater and the family friendly show presented by The Haygoods. We will also visit the inspiring campus of Hard Work U and take a short road trip to Eureka Springs, AR where The Great Passion Play is presented. The sights and shows we experience are sure to stimulate our conversation around what factors contribute to an effective faith travel experience. Your conference registration fee includes three nights room accommodations, nearly all meals as well as admission to all sights and shows. Special conference fee discounts are available. You may even attend this conference at virtually no cost.
Your Host for the Conference
Your host for our conference, sponsored by Purposeful Journeys by MCE, is our Founder and CEO, Mike Malone. Your host holds degrees from Valparaiso University, Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and the University of Chicago. Rev. Malone served Lutheran congregations for nearly twenty years as a parish pastor. Mike has also developed and taught university courses over more than seven years.
You may also consider your host to be the city of Branson, MO which proudly presents itself as a city of faith, family, and patriotism. While we will discuss other domestic and international faith travel destinations at the conference, Branson, MO continues to be a great faith travel destination that offers an impressive array of fantastic possibilities for an effective faith travel experience.
Your Faith Travel Conference as Continuing Education
We encourage clergy to both view and present this conference to their lay leadership as a continuing education experience. We have developed this conference in a way that clergy can take the time to attend our faith travel conference as time toward continuing education rather than vacation. We believe we have created a conference experience that will be a fun, educational, enjoyable, inspiring, and worthwhile event that is sure to stimulate conversation around faith and ministry. While we have witnessed firsthand how faith travel can empower congregations to grow numerically and spiritually by sharing fellowship in faith travel experiences, we also recognize that faith travel may not fit at a particular time in a particular ministry setting. Nevertheless, we have created our faith travel conference to be as fun and relaxing for participants as the experience promises to be educational and inspiring. Special conference fee discounts are available. Ask how you may attend this conference at virtually no cost.
Day 1 – Welcome!
Tuessday April 11, 2023
Conference participants are encouraged to arrive so that they may check in by 4:00 PM CST into the beautiful Hilton Branson Convention Center. At 5:00 PM, conference participants will be welcomed with a reception followed by dinner. After dinner, we will travel by deluxe coach to Clay Cooper Theater where we will enjoy a spectacular show: The Haygoods. D
Day 2 – Encounters with the Bible and Biblical History
Wednesday April 12, 2023
Breakfast will be offered at our hotel. At 8:30 AM, we will depart for Eureka Springs, Arkansas where we will tour the attraction where The Great Passion Play is presented. We will tour The Holy Land exhibit that features a full-sized replica of the East Jerusalem Gate and Marketplace to Biblically inspired exhibits which include Moses’ Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Bethlehem Inn and the Nativity, the Upper Room, the Garden Tomb, the Walk with Peter, and other exhibits which depict life in Bible times. We will also visit the Bible Museum which includes rare Bibles including an original 1st edition 1st printing 1611 King James Version, the only Bible signed by all of the original Gideons in 1898, the first Cherokee Bible, as well as a page from the Gutenberg Bible!
After lunch, we will head back to Branson where we will see the show at the impressive Sight and Sound Theater. After the show, we will enjoy dinner at our hotel, the beautiful Hilton Branson Convention Center. B, L, D
Day 3 – A Visit to Hard Work U
Thursday April 13, 2023
After breakfast served at our hotel, we will have time for relaxation and serious reflection before we travel to Hard Work U after lunch for a tour followed by dinner in the impressive Keeter Center. This unique college, the College of the Ozarks, has become known for the reputation this institution has cultivated over many years. Informally, as a testament to the experience who attend this college, the College of the Ozarks has become known as Hard Work U. Our tour will reveal why this institution of higher learning is so impressive. Students who attend this college work throughout their time as students so that they graduate debt free. The restaurant in the Keeter Center models the reputation of this college as a student run, student sourced venue that offers incredible ambiance and great food. B, D
Day 4 – We Depart to Continue our Work
Friday April 13, 2023
Breakfast will be provided at the hotel. Our conference host will be available through checkout time and beyond, if requested, to answer questions or discuss how faith travel can enliven and empower congregations to grow numerically and spiritually. We depart friends and colleagues to continue our work. B
Purpose
This continuing education event for clergy and faith leaders will explore how faith travel can empower congregations to grow numerically and spiritually by sharing fellowship through travel experiences. Branson, Missouri provides the context for our conference as a city that proudly presents itself to the world as embracing values of faith, family, and patriotism. Branson offers a great faith travel destination with many opportunities to appeal to various groups within congregations as well as an intergenerational appeal.
Our experience of sights and shows in Branson, Missouri is sure to stimulate conversation as part of a fun, worthwhile experience. Branson also provides a wonderful context for this conference for considering other domestic and international faith travel destinations as part of an effective faith travel experience.
Consistent with our philosophy in creating travel experiences for cohorts of fellow travelers, this conference will balance rich experiences of sights and attractions that are sure to stimulate serious conversation over faith and ministry with time to relax and reflect as well as other experiences that promise to be just plain fun.
This Conference as Continuing Education
We encourage clergy to both view and present this conference to their lay leadership as a continuing education experience. We have developed this conference in a way that clergy can take the time to attend our faith travel conference as time toward continuing education rather than vacation. We believe we have created a conference experience that will be a fun, educational, enjoyable, inspiring, and worthwhile event that is sure to stimulate conversation around faith and ministry. While we have witnessed firsthand how faith travel can empower congregations to grow numerically and spiritually by sharing fellowship in faith travel experiences, we also recognize that faith travel may not fit at a particular time in a particular ministry setting. Nevertheless, we have created our faith travel conference to be as fun and relaxing for participants as the experience promises to be educational and inspiring. Special conference fee discounts are available. Ask how you may attend this conference at virtually no cost.
We recognize from direct experience that the time of a pastor is very valuable. We believe pastors who choose to invest their time in participating in this conference will come away with ideas and perspectives that will serve their congregations well for the time invested.
Our Philosophy
We hope you will measure the quality of your journey, not by the quantity of sights you see, but by the invaluable experiences you absorb.
Balance of stimulating experience, serious reflection… …and just plain fun.
One word describes our intention for your journey: balance. We believe each place we visit should relate to whole story, the arc of a narrative. We believe in creating journeys formed and shaped as narratives; journeys that are serious, purposeful, and fulfilling with time to reflect with fellow travelers or alone while providing opportunity for experiences that are just plain fun.
Expert interaction and rich personal encounters
Rather than a trip led by a tour guide trained to disseminate information from a script, we endeavor to seek experts to lead you on a journey who are available as a resource for as much depth as you desire or to leave you to your own reflection.
One beautiful base location
Too often, group travel can leave you feeling like you are part of a herd of a large group of strangers hustled from sight to sight, packing and unpacking everyday of your trip. With us you will stay in one beautiful base location that serves as a base for our excursions. Changing hotels as few times as possible during a journey allows greater opportunity to experience people and culture.
Meticulously planned; yet flexible journey
How does a trip become a journey? Carefully selected excursions that form a narrative, staying in one beautiful base location, with time and flexibility for reflection, and activities that are just plain fun.
Cuisine as a delectable complement to culture and conversation
Cuisine, and the wonderful dining experiences we share in an eclectic array of venues, provide a delectable complement to your rich encounters with the culture and the delightful conversation you enjoy with fellow travelers.
Arrangements
Arrangements for your conference will appear in this section as those arrangements are confirmed. More detailed information will appear on the password protected Fellow Travelers page. Once your application to participate in this conference has been approved, you may be sent a password to access specific arrangements for this journey:
Transportation to and from the Conference
Conference participants are expected to provide their own transportation to and from the conference unless otherwise agreed with Purposeful Journeys. Deluxe coach transportation will be provided during the conference.
Hotel Accommodations
Hotel accommodations will be provided by the Hilton Cincinnati Airport.
Meals
Nearly all meals are included with your conference registration fee. Meals provide time for us to relax, reflect, and discuss all that we have seen and experienced as conference participants that day. See the current, tentative itinerary for details.
Ground Transportation
Ground transportation during the conference will be provided as specified in the final itinerary.
Sightseeing and Events
Your conference registration fee includes tickets all attractions and shows including The Haygoods and Sight and Sound Theater as well as tours and dining experiences.
Price
Cost—The Faith Travel Conference registration fees are as follows:
- Single Hotel Room Occupancy–$1,350
- Double Hotel Room Occupancy–$1,150
- Triple Hotel Room Occupancy–$1,000
- Quad Hotel Room Occupancy–$975
Once your application to attend our faith travel conference is approved, you will receive a statement that reflects your desired hotel occupancy as well as any discounts.
Discounts:
There are several discounts available to reduce your conference registration fee. You may even attend the conference at virtually no cost. Our current discounts and incentives include the following:
- Attend our Faith Travel Conference at virtually NO COST: Participants who agree to embark upon a Purposeful Journey we mutually agree is viable, can attend our Faith Travel Conference at virtually NO COST. By attending our Faith Travel Conference at virtually no cost, the focus of your participation can change from whether faith travel is right for your ministry to a focus on creating your faith travel experience to be as effective as possible.
- Early Bird Application Discount: Submit your application to attend our Faith Travel Conference by the specified early bird sign up date and receive $100 discount.
- Payment in Full Discount: Pay the balance of your conference registration fee by the due date of your first payment and receive a $100 discount.
- Special Discounts: Check your email and watch your Facebook timeline for special discounts off your conference registration fee.
- Full Conference Fee Credit: We fully recognize that faith travel may not fit a particular ministry context at a particular moment in time. If that becomes your determination, then you will have enjoyed a great, collegial experience at a price that reflects a great value. If you determine after attending our conference that your congregation is ready to plan a faith travel experience, and you agree to embark upon a Purposeful Journey we mutually agree is viable, we will apply the full value our your conference registration fee less any discounts you receive to your next purposeful journey.
Your conference fee includes:
- Deluxe coach transportation as specified in the final itinerary
- Single or Double occupancy hotel room
- Meals as specified in the final itinerary
- Admission fees as specified in the final itinerary
- Only goods, services, or activities as explicitly included in the General Terms and Conditions.
Your conference fee does not include:
- Gratuities for service staff, coach driver(s) and guides
- Alcoholic beverages, bottled water, after dinner drinks
- Travel insurance
- Any goods, services, or activities expressly excluded in the General Terms and Conditions.
Remittance Schedule:
- Deposit of $150 is due with your application.
- Once your application to attend our faith travel conference is approved, you will receive a statement that reflects your desired hotel occupancy as well as any discounts.
- Final payment must be received no later than the date specified on your statement and remittance schedule.
When approved as a conference participant…
…you will receive an invoice and a remittance schedule from Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC doing business as Purposeful Journeys and may receive a link to a password protected page on our website that will offer details and updates about your journey.
General Terms and Conditions
Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC doing business as Purposeful Journeys will administer your conference. You must accept the General Terms and Conditions at the time you submit your application. Please refer to the General Terms and Conditions for any applicable additional fees that may apply in certain situations and circumstances such as any deviation from the group flight itinerary or your requirement of a single room.
Please complete the application form. You will be prompted to submit a payment deposit of $150 with your application once your form is complete with all required fields. We are delighted you are taking the step of submitting your application to become a participant in this Faith Travel Conference: Featuring Branson, MO. We look forward to notifying you of your acceptance as a conference participant.
