B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included
Overview
Itinerary
Purpose
Arrangements
Price
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Journey Overview
Join us in Weimar, Germany for an inspiring encounter with Reformation sights and a fascinating immersion into German culture and cuisine. We will also enjoy several days in the captivating city of Berlin. Your journey will seek to balance sights intended to stimulate serious reflection and activities that are just plain fun.
Join us in summer when flowers are in full bloom, and the warm air seems to enhance the taste of Thüringen cuisine and the refreshment of Lutheran Tea. Your journey will offer you the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful German landscape from mountains to rolling farmland. Our daily adventures will take us to destinations of compelling historical, religious, and cultural, significance. Our more serious reflection on events that occurred more than 500 years ago will be balanced with wonderful European length dinners in an eclectic array of settings and evenings soaking in the festive atmosphere of our host cities of Weimar and Berlin.
Your Host for Our Journey
Our host for Reformation Reflections will be Pastor Randy Conley. Always eager to meet people new to Joy, Pastor Randy has a genuine passion to help people people learn and grow in the grace of Jesus Christ. As pastor, he remains readily available to serve the people of God in all kinds of spiritual and life situation visits, appointments, counseling, and ministry.
Pastor Randy currently serves the people of God at Joy Lutheran Church—Richmond, Texas. When the people of God at Joy Lutheran Church called Rev. Randy Conley to be their pastor, they expressed a desire for a greater and more impactful presence in the community. The people of Joy want others to recognize Joy as a church when driving by the building in the hope they will visit. Joy loves to welcome new people. When a person visits Joy, they find a warm welcoming atmosphere. “Joy is the warmest most welcoming congregation I’ve served in a long time,” Pastor Conley said on the cusp of his installation as pastor. “My hopes and dreams are to reconnect with the community we serve,” expressed Pastor Randy, “because there are new families and opportunities to help people grow in their faith.”
Reformation Reflections will offer fellow travelers who join Pastor Randy in Germany the opportunity to reflect on what living as a Christian Lutheran today means in light of events that occurred more than 500 years ago during the age of European reformations. This journey promises to empower, enrich, and enliven the faith of fellow travelers so they might become an even greater blessing to others in their community when they return home to Joy.
Pastor Randy has served congregations for over four decades. He formerly served as pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Hubbard Lake, Michigan as well as other congregations. In 2022, Pastor Randy led a group from Joy to Israel and very much looks forward to serving as journey host for Reformation Reflections.
He is a graduate of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. He holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Central Florida. He is married to the love of his life—Robbie.
Day 1 – Wheels up!
Monday, July 14, 2025
Reformation Reflections fellow travelers depart from Houston on an overnight flight to Germany.
Day 2 – Weimar, Herzlich Willkommen!
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Upon our arrival in Germany, we will travel to our beautiful four-star hotel where we will have time to unpack, relax, or explore a bit before our welcome reception and dinner. D
Day 3 – Truly Medieval Experience
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Today, we will visit the fascinating city of Erfurt where Martin Luther lived as a monk. We will have time to explore and shop on the famous Merchant’s Bridge. B, D
Day 4 – The Reformation in Global Perspective
Thursday, July 17, 2025
It is at this castle where Martin Luther stayed when the rest of his party traveled onward to Augsburg and what became the signing of the Augsburg Confession. This Veste Coburg houses some fascinating reformation age artifacts as well as an amazing art collection including works by Lucas Cranach the Elder. B,D
Day 5 – A Mighty Fortress
Friday, July 18, 2025
In Eisenach, the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, we will visit the Bachhaus Museum and Wartburg Castle. Living in exile disguised as a knight, Luther translated the New Testament into German while living here. B, D
Day 6 - The Reformation
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Our visit in Wittenberg, will include sights made famous by their association with Martin Luther. We will also plan to attend worship at one of the two famous churches in this city where Martin Luther served as professor for most of his adult life. B, D
Day 7 - Never Forget
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Your encounter with German testimony and commitment to “never forget” promises to be profound on our visit to K-Z Buchenwald. B, D
Day 8 – The Life and Death of Martin Luther
Monday, July 21, 2025
It is here in Eisleben that Martin Luther was born in 1483, and where he died in 1546. The Geburtshaus that commemorates the birthplace of Martin Luther and the Sterbehaus which commemorates his death will no doubt stimulate conversation on a range of topics about life past and present. Our day will conclude with our farewell to Weimar dinner. B, D
Day 9 – Off to Berlin!
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
We say Auf Wiedersehen to Weimar today, but any feelings of sadness are sure to be swept away by the anticipation of all that we will experience in Berlin. We will check-in at our delightful hotel in time to relax before dinner. B,D
Day 10 – The Best of Berlin
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
We will enjoy breakfast at our hotel before embarking on an experience intended to offer you an experience of the best of Berlin. We will begin with a brief tour of Potsdam and its beautiful palaces. In the afternoon, we will see some of the best Berlin has to offer. B,D
Day 11 – A Darker Side of German History
Thursday, July 24, 2025
The German people have preserved even the darkest chapters of their complex history. Today, we will encounter the darker side of German history by visiting places such as the Olympic Stadium, Jewish memorial, Holocaust Museum, and the DDR Museum as well as other sights. B,D
Day 12 – A Day on the Island
Thursday, July 25, 2025
After breakfast, we will visit Museum Island which is home to five famous museums – Altes Museum (Old Museum), Nues Museum (New Museum), the Pergamon, the Alte National Gallery, and the Bode. There is so much to see and do on Museum Island that we will devote the day for you to explore this awesome . B, D
Day 13 - The Formal End to our Purposeful Journey
Saturday, July 26, 2025
The memories will indeed last a lifetime. We hope your journey will continue with your new friends. Our journey concludes with the departure of our flight home.
Purpose
As we reflect on the Protestant Reformation in Germany during our journey, we may want to ask: How can events and ideas that took place more than 500 years ago continue to exert such a powerful influence today that millions of people around the world consider “Lutheran” to be an indelible part of their identity?
When we pause to reflect on our sources of inspiration; the places we have visited that have influenced and shaped our perspective, there are likely places and experiences we can name with certainty. Reformation Reflections was created to provide multiple encounters with places sure to deepen the faith and enrich the life of fellow travelers as we consider our perspective in light of a distant past that continues to form and shape who we are as Christians today.
The purpose of this journey is to explore what living more than 500 years after the Reformation means for us today. At the turn of the sixteenth century, breathtaking change created an increasingly complex world demanding of Europeans a reassessment of their place in the cosmos and God’s relationship to the natural world. Along this purposeful journey, we will visit sights of the European age of reformations as well as sights of more recent historical events that continue to exert their influence on us today.
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 every day 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
Flight Information
As a fellow traveler, you will have the flexibility to choose how you will join your cohort to formally begin your journey. Purposeful Journeys marks the formal beginning of your journey with the welcome reception and dinner at our destination hotel. On most journeys, you will have three options to join your cohort. Below are the options for joining your cohort with the primary advantage for each option:
- Join Your Cohort on Our Group Flight: On most journeys, Purposeful Journeys will arrange a group flight from a major airport in closest proximity and convenience for the majority of the cohort. The group flight will include a transfer from the destination airport to the hotel.
Advantage: This is often the most cost effective and certainly the most convenient option. - Meet Your Cohort at the Destination Airport: For a number of reasons, you may want to choose a flight other than the group flight and still meet your cohort in time to transfer from the destination airport to the hotel. Fellow travelers who choose this option will incur an additional cost for the transfer from the destination airport to the destination hotel.
Advantage: Fellow travelers may find a balance between the convenience of choosing their own flight from an origination airport other than the airport where the group flight will depart while still taking advantage of the group transfer to the destination hotel. - Meet Your Cohort at the Destination Hotel: As a fellow traveler, you may want to choose to meet your cohort at the destination hotel in time for the formal beginning of your journey with the welcome reception and dinner.
Advantage: This option offers fellow travelers the most flexibility. Fellow travelers will need to weigh the flexibility of this option with what will likely be additional costs.
Group flights will usually be announced between 90 and 180 days prior to departure of your purposeful journey. Fellow travelers will be kindly requested to choose the option for meeting their cohort to formally begin their journey soon after group flight arrangements are announced.
Hotel Accommodations
We will change hotels only once during our journey. Our hotel accommodations in both Weimar and Berlin will be spectacular.
Meals
Most meals you are likely to desire are included in this purposeful journey. We believe that dining experiences offer a window into the local culture. Breakfast and Dinner is included each day with only a couple of noted exceptions in the itinerary. Meals provide time for us to relax, take in the culture, and discuss all that we have seen and experienced as fellow travelers that day. See the current, tentative itinerary for details. Please note that alcohol and gratuities are not included.
Ground Transportation
Transfers to and from the arrival flight into and departing flight from Europe will be provided. Other ground transportation will be provided throughout the journey.
Sightseeing and Events
This purposeful journey includes several premium sight seeing opportunities and tours. As details emerge, specific information will be shared with fellow travelers.
Reformation Reflections Land Only Cost—$4,550
(Up to $600 in discounts available!)
Current Incentives:
- Save $300 with a special journey host discount code
- Apply by the early application deadline and save $150 (see your journey host for details)
- Save $150 if you choose to settle your balance prior to the due date of your first payment
Your journey includes:
- Taxes and airline surcharges
- Deluxe coach transportation throughout your itinerary
- Double occupancy hotel room ($1,100 single supplement)
- 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 journey does not include:
- Round trip airfare
- 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 is approved, you will receive an invoice/statement that reflects your choice for settling your balance. Your first payment will be due approximately 60 days after your application has been approved.
- If you choose to avail yourself of the Pay-in-Full discount, you must settle your balance in full before your first payment is due as reflected on your invoice/statement.
- If you choose to make payments, your payments will be divided into monthly payments with a final payment due as specified on your invoice/statement.
- Payments will become due as specified in your remittance schedule.
- Final payment must be received no later than the date specified on your invoice/statement and remittance schedule.
When approved as a fellow traveler…
…you will receive an invoice and a remittance schedule from Malone Clan Expeditions, LLC along with 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 will administer your journey. 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.
We cordially invite you to apply to join us as a fellow traveler
Please complete the application form. You will be prompted to submit a payment deposit of $150 (regularly $300) 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 member of a journey with us. We look forward to notifying you of your acceptance as a fellow traveler.
