faith and freedom tour

Book a faith filled journey to learn more about our great country.

Let's get started

We do the planning for you!

 Discover America's Story and Find Your Place in History At Respite from Reality, we believe immersing yourself in the living history of America is a journey that can inspire your family, strengthen your faith, and clarify your purpose. Our customized Faith and Freedom tours allow you to walk in the footsteps of the pioneers, founders and everyday Americans who shaped this nation. As you explore pivotal sites, expert guides will share little-known insights that illuminate how the values and sacrifices of past generations can inform our lives today. Give your family the gift of a shared experience that transcends the screen. Bond with loved ones as you gain perspective on the blessings of liberty and the power of belief. Return home with renewed hope, direction and connection. At this unique moment in history, reconnecting with our roots reawakens our role as stewards of the future. Let the lessons of the past guide you on the path ahead. Discover your place in the American story.

We do the work....

Immerse yourself in living history without any of the logistical legwork. Our team handles every detail, allowing you to relax and fully experience how the sacrifices of past patriots and people of faith can inspire your family's journey.

Faith and Freedom Tours

Monument to Our

Forefathers Tour

Boston to Plymouth

Boston to New Port,RI

Boston to New York City

United States

Seattle to Boston

American Revolution

Washington, DC

In Freedom's

Philadelphia to Washington, DC

Battlefields

New Orleans to Gettysburg

Disclaimer: Respite from Reality does not sell, rent or otherwise disclose personal information collected by our site to third parties in the ordinary course of business. Travel resources are provided by our partner, TravelEdge.

Contact us to learn more, © 2023-2025 by respite for reality.

Flashpoint Live

A mission to rescue america..

It’s time for patriots and believers to come together to get informed, equipped and activated as—together—we will rescue America. Join us in a city near you in 2024 as we come for two days of encouragement, discussion, ministry and equipping. 

restoring the heart of america

The Lord is not done with the United States of America. It is no longer enough for us to simply agree that things need to change. It is up to each of us to do what we can, to impact our spheres of influence for positive change.

Our Friday Flash Talks provide practical, boots-on-the-ground information to empower us to get off the sidelines and take positive action.

July 28, 2024 Fort Worth, TX

August 22-23, 2024 chicago, il, september 12, 2024 omaha, ne, october 10-11, 2024 new orleans, la.

We are calling believers and patriots to Cowtown for a special one-night  FlashPoint event!

Hilton Fort Worth 815 Main Street Fort Worth, TX, 76102

We will be at Pastor James E. Ward Jr.’s church for two days of education, encouragement and equipping.

Insight Church August 22-23, 2024 18500 92nd Avenue Tinley Park, IL 60487

Don’t miss our power-packed one-day FlashPoint LIVE as part of Opening the Heavens Conference as we gather for another stop on the Rescue America Tour.

Mid-America Center 1 Arena Way Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

Let’s bring revival to New Orleans, La., for the final stop on the Rescue America Tour!

Covenant Church 1973 Ormond Blvd. Destrehan, LA 70047

our impactful speakers

We bring together leaders and influencers in government, business, the Church and politics at these event to discuss vital issues that mainstream media will not cover, and to look at topics from both natural and spiritual perspectives, reminding ourselves that.

Jenny Donnelly

Jesse duplantis, krisanne hall, brian gibson, gene bailey, james e. ward, nate schatzline, gordon robertson, pastor ché ahn, dutch sheets, tony suarez, michele bachmann, caroline joyous, mike lindell, andrew wommack, kylie jean tannehill, hank kunneman, lance wallnau, register now.

The 2024 Rescue America Tour will include larger, free FlashPoint LIVE events as well as smaller, more intimate, ticketed events. All our events are designed to bring truth and hope, talking about the things that matter, looking at them from both natural and spiritual perspectives. Visit each location for specific details!

help make a difference

It takes an Army (get it,  FlashPoint  Army?) to pull off these live events! If you have a heart to serve others and want to invest in the  FlashPoint  events, click below and join us as a volunteer during the 2024 Rescue America Tour! 

You can volunteer for as little as a single session—we look forward to having you join our team that makes these events run smoothly!

© 2024 Eagle Mountain Church. All Rights Reserved.

Join us for our upcoming event! You’ll experience a day of inspiration and faith! Connect and gain valuable insights to help grow your faith.

• New Orleans
• Flash Talks

Travel Resources

Everything You Need To Go

Promoting Culture

Family Owned

August 21 - 26, 2024

United states, pilgrimage of faith and freedom with the rome boys.

Join The Rome Boys and Fr. Kevin Lenius on a Pilgrimage of Faith and Freedom through Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Visit beautiful shrines, churches, and historical landmarks to renew your faith and grow in fellowship.

Trip Code: 8677 | Group Code: 17699

PILGRIMAGE INCLUSIONS

•Economy air from Dallas, TX (DFW) to Washington Regan (DCA) returning from

Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

•Five nights’ accommodations

     •One night in the Baltimore area

     •Two nights in the Washington, D.C. area

     •Two nights in the Philadelphia area

•Continental breakfast daily

•Four group dinners

•Motorcoach transportation

•Corporate Travel Services tour manager

•Local guides

•Sightseeing and entrance fees

•Gratuities payable to tour manager, guides, and drivers

•Arrangements of Mass and donations

•Hotel & city taxes

YOUR TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE 

•Airport transfers for travelers on independent flights

•Meals unless specifically identified

•Beverages with meals unless specified

•Other personal expenses

•Travel insurance

•Items not specifically mentioned above

EXCITING DETAILS TO COME

•“Tour is Confirmed” Email | Sent when the minimum number of travelers has been met and no later than 90 days prior to departure

•Flight Information Email | Sent approximately 90 days prior to departure

•Hotel Information Email | Sent approximately 45 days prior to departure

•Final Travel Document Mailing | Sent approximately 10 days prior to departure

Day 1: Wednesday, August 21 - Arrive | Washington, D.C.

Depart on the group flight from Dallas to Washington Regan National Airport. Enjoy your first day with a tour of the WWII Memorial and Lincoln and Washington Memorials. Lunch on your own followed by Mass at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine. You will enjoy a group dinner together and overnight in Washington, D.C.

Day 2: Thursday, August 22 - Washington, D.C.

Embark on a morning tour of the US Capitol, and then encounter the legacy of one of history’s greatest popes with a visit to the Shrine of John Paul II. Explore the exhibits and pray at this beautiful shrine where pilgrims throughout North America come to enrich their faith and heritage as Catholics. Celebrate Mass and tour the largest church in North America and our country’s national shrine, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Gather for a group dinner and evening talk by Fr. Kevin. Overnight in Washington, D.C.

Day 3: Friday, August 23 - Emmitsburg & Gettysburg | Baltimore

Check out of the hotel and depart for the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Celebrate Mass and visit the Basilica and National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Adoration will be offered at the Shrine’s chapel. Continue to the Gettysburg Visitor’s Center Museum and see the famous oil on canvas Cyclorama painting depicting the Battle of Gettysburg by French artist Paul Philippoteaux. Then, enjoy a two-hour guided Battlefield Tour by bus, followed by a group dinner in Gettysburg. The evening concludes with a talk by Fr. Kevin. Overnight in Baltimore.

Day 4: Saturday, August 24 - Baltimore | Philadelphia

Begin with a morning departure to Philadelphia. Visit Fort McHenry National Monument and Park. Tour St. Mary’s Spiritual Center, followed by Mass. Continue the day with a tour of the first Catholic Cathedral in America, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Visit the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori – home of the traditional Latin Mass, and enjoy a group dinner and overnight in Philadelphia.

Day 5: Sunday, August 25 -  Philadelphia

Enjoy another day of beautiful shrines! Visit the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and the National Shrine of St. Rita. Tour and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The evening is yours to explore the historic district of Philadelphia; an opportunity to step back in time and see the foundations of our nation, concluding your final overnight of the pilgrimage.

Day 6: Monday, August 26 - Philadelphia | Depart

Gather for a private Mass at a local church prior to departing for the Philadelphia airport and return flights home.

Itinerary is tentative and subject to change

PRICES STARTING AT

$3,399 - Price per person, single occupancy

$2,799 - Price per person, double occupancy

$2,599 - Price per person, triple occupancy

$2,499 - Price per person, quad occupancy

LAND ONLY REDUCTION - $500

TRAVEL PROTECTION:  

Cancel For Any Reason ( CFAR ) travel protection is highly recommended. 

PAYMENT SCHEDULE AND CANCELLATION TERMS 

Deposit: $500 per person due upon registration

Second Deposit: $1,000 additional due on or before May 1, 2024

Final Payment: Balance due on or before July 8, 2024

All payments are non-refundable, and subject to CTS Terms and Conditions including the CTS Liability Release. All cancellations must be  received in writing. Penalties will be determined according to postmark date, or date of the fax or email sent by the cancelling passenger

BY REGISTERING FOR THIS PILGRIMAGE YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO CORPORATE TRAVEL’S TERMS & CONDITIONS  

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? REVIEW OUR FAQs .

Discover Philadelphia’s Hidden History

Explore an ecosystem of curated walking trails offering a “heads up” tour experience for the discovery of old philadelphia’s hidden storied places of faith and liberty. winner of the gold davey award for best mobile app for education..

• Download for iOS
• Download for Android

Explore Stories

Benjamin franklin’s evolving faith.

From his arrival as a fugitive to his founding of the Fire Department, Library, University and more, Benjamin Franklin’s faith evolved along with his contributions to Philadelphia.

Civil Rights and the Fight for Equality

From the fight to abolish slavery to present day movements, Philadelphia has been an important epicenter in the struggle to secure equal rights for all Americans.

William Penn’s Experiment of Free Faith and Brotherly Love

Philadelphia, the capital of William Penn’s “holy experiment” in freedom, was to be guided by brotherly love. It hasn’t always lived up to its founder’s vision, but its universal ideals of liberty and love helped it become blueprint for the United States and a World Heritage City.

Women of Faith and Liberty

This great city is home to a legion of women guided by faith who work tirelessly to guide liberty in the direction of justice for all. Their stories will inspire you.

Abolitionist Apostles in Philadelphia

Faith-motivated initiatives to abolish slavery have been a hallmark of Philadelphia’s rich history, overcoming resistance to ensure freedom for all.

More Stories

Birth of the Free Press in Philadelphia

The First Amendment begins with a guarantee of freedom of religion, but it also recognizes other related rights including freedom of speech and freedom of the press, “one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty.”

National Treasure Hunt

A treasure trove of unimaginable riches has remained hidden since the American Revolution. Find the secret clues in each site on this trail to uncover a map that will lead you to it!

The Great Awakening in Philadelphia

George Whitefield was a rockstar-like preacher who commanded the attention of thousands, sparking the Great Awakening in Philadelphia, while charming a skeptical Benjamin Franklin.

Ready to Explore? Get the App

Discover Philadelphia’s hidden history and how faith has guided liberty toward justice with our curated trails that explore the city’s must-see sites!

The Faith & Liberty Trail app is part of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which explores the relationship between faith and liberty in America from its founding to today.

join our newsletter

Stay informed about the Faith & Liberty Discovery Center.

© 2021 Faith and Liberty Discovery Center . Privacy Policy .

Hello, you are using a very old browser that's unsafe and not supported. Please, consider updating your browser to a newer version, or downloading a modern browser.

Faith & Freedom Tour

Fort Mifflin is sometimes visible when airline passengers arrive in Philadelphia as it is located adjacent to the Philadelphia airport. The Fort is a historic reminder that Philadelphia was a key port city that needed to be defended by land as well as by the Delaware River. It stands as a silent testimony of the resolve of the American people in the Revolutionary War to stand fast in the liberty that had been bequeathed to them by Penn’s Charter. As Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (NIV).

St. Joseph’s Church is named for the father of Jesus from the nativity story found in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 2. Because William Penn’s Charter of Liberty protected people of all faiths, at one point in the history of the British empire, Philadelphia had the only legal, English Roman-Catholic Church. A commemorative plaque inside the church reads: “ When in 1733 St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church was founded and dedicated to the Guardian of the Holy Family, it was the only place in the entire English speaking world where public celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass was permitted by law.”

And since we’re speaking of Christmas and religious liberty, don’t forget that Philadelphia is also the birthplace of the beloved Christmas Carol, “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Its words were written by Phillips Brooks, the Episcopal rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, on Rittenhouse Square (1904 Walnut St.). He composed the words just before Christmas in 1868, only a few years after a trip to Israel. The music was written by Lewis H. Redner, the church’s organist. It was first sold by Richard McCauley at his bookstore on Chestnut Street west of Thirteenth Street.

 Jewish immigrants found religious liberty as a welcoming gift in the New World. George Washington’s favorite Bible verse was Micah 4:4, “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it” (KJV). He applied this text not just to his home at Mt. Vernon, but also to the whole American experience and particularly to the Jewish people. Washington hoped they would find asylum from their long experience of persecution in our new nation.

One of the early Jewish Sons of Liberty and financial supporters of the American cause from Philadelphia was Haym Solomon. This museum reminds us of the important role that the Jewish- Americans have played in establishing religious liberty and helping to define pivotal aspects of American culture.

The Old Testament story of the Exodus is remembered in the Passover celebration of the Jewish people. A proposal for the Great Seal of the United States was offered to the Continental Congress by an illustrious committee of three: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. Their proposal was from Exodus 12 where Moses leads the Israelites through the Red Sea which is collapsing on Pharaoh and his army. To this they added Jefferson’s personal motto, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” While their proposal was not ultimately accepted by congress, it illustrates the vital role that the Jewish Scriptures’ teaching played in the minds of the American founders.

While Quakers were pacifists based on their understanding of Matthew 5:39, some Quakers in the midst of the American Revolution concluded that the American struggle for independence was a just war against tyranny. For this reason, these Quakers chose to take up arms and establish another Quaker community, which met in the Free Quaker Meeting House. Betsy Ross was one of their members. Along with other revolutionary leaders, their decision to fight reflected Hebrews 11:32-34,“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (NIV). After the war, these Quakers reunited with the original Quaker community.

According to a strongly held tradition commemorated by an early 1900s postage stamp, a Quaker once observed George Washington praying while encamped at Valley Forge. The Quaker, upon seeing Washington pray so fervently, became convinced that the war must be a just war and was converted to the Revolutionary cause. While many doubt the validity of this story, a massive statue of Washington at prayer is found at the Freedom Foundation adjoining Valley Forge National Park. We also know that Washington often prayed as evidenced frequently in his massive writings.

He even speaks of his own “fervent prayers” in a letter dated November 16, 1782:

In return for your kind concern for my temporal and eternal happiness, permit me to assure you that my wishes are reciprocal; and that you may be enabled to hand down your Religion pure and undefiled to a Posterity worthy of their Ancestors is the fervent prayer of General, Your humble and obedient Servant, George Washington.

The idea of a written Constitution, or covenant, between the governors and the governed claims its earliest American expression in the Mayflower Compact of 1620. The word for covenant in Latin is foedus from which our word federal is derived. (See Jeremiah 31:31 for an example of a Biblical expression of covenant.)

The U.S. Constitution limits power by dividing government into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. This seems to be anticipated by Isaiah 33:22, which says “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us” (NIV). This passage suggests the three branches of our federal government.

While at the Constitution Center, make sure you see the statues in Framers’ Hall. According to a study conducted by political scientists at the University of Texas, one third of the quotations used by our founding fathers were from the Bible.

Also see a direct descendent of the last Liberty Tree that is planted on the west side of the National Constitution Center’s grounds. The first Liberty Tree was a large elm which the Sons of Liberty used in Boston in 1765 as a meeting place to protest the Stamp Act. As unjust taxation continued, other Liberty Trees or Liberty Poles were established across the colonies. The dedication of Liberty Trees is illustrated by the words of Silas Downer in Providence, Rhode Island in 1768:

We do therefore, in the name and behalf of all the true SONS of LIBERTY in America, Great Britain, Corsica, Ireland or wheresoever they are dispersed throughout the world, dedicate and solemnly devote this tree to be a TREE of LIBERTY. —May all our councils   and deliberations under its venerable branches be guided by wisdome, and directed to the support and maintenance of that liberty, which our forefathers sought out and found under trees and and in the wilderness.—May it long flourish, and may the SONS of LIBERTY often repair hither, to confirm and strengthen each other.—When they look towards the sacred ELM, may they be penetrated with a sense of duty to themselves, their country, and their posterity:—And may they, like the house of David, grow stronger and stronger, while their enemies, like the house of Saul, grow weaker and weaker. AMEN

His reference to the decline of Saul and the rising of David comes from 2 Samuel 3:1. His Liberty Tree dedication prophesys the decline of British control in America as the new nation grows and boldly asserts its lawful rights in the face of injustice.

Also at the National Constitution Center, on long term loan from the Providence Forum, is the American Eagle carved from wood from the last Liberty Tree. The Eagle is a biblical image of strength. Isaiah 40:29- 31 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (NIV).

Thomas Jefferson was asked to draft of the document that would declare to the world that America was independent. During the days leading up to the debate on independence, culminating with the Declaration on July 4, 1776, Jefferson lived in the Graff house working on this history making document. The building is a reconstruction of the original building. Jefferson’s draft was far more sweeping in scope than what was ultimately approved by congress. As a result, Jefferson’s hope that slavery would end did not become a reality until the bloody Civil War was fought, nearly a century later. Understandably, Jefferson was quite upset that congress made some eighty changes to his original document. A Central theme of the Declaration is that all men are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. Jefferson was a firm believer in the divine design and creation of the world, expressly rejecting the idea of the eternal existence of matter.

Jefferson’s desire to end slavery, although not fully consistent since he was a slave owner himself, was based in part on the idea that God created the whole world, both rich and poor, with inherent rights. Genesis 1:27-28 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (NIV).

These extraordinary words of Thomas Jefferson are carved into the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.:

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

City Hall in Philadelphia is the architectural center of Penn’s city. Here one finds the plaque that records William Penn’s prayer for Philadelphia. It says: “And Thou Philadelphia the virgin settlement of this province named before thou wert born, what care, what service, what travail have there been to bring thee forth and preserve thee from such as would abuse and defile thee. O that thou mayest be kept from the evil that would overwhelm thee, that faithful to the God of thy mercies in the life of righteousness, thou mayest be preserved to the end. My soul prays to God for thee that thou mayest stand in the day of trial, that thy children may be blest of the Lord and thy people saved by His power.”

Penn named the city before it was founded. He took the name Philadelphia from Revelation 3:7. Philadelphia literally means “The City of Brotherly Love.” Penn believed Philadelphia would face a time of severe trial, in accord with Revelation 3:10, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (NIV). Penn anticipated future difficulties because his experiment in religious liberty and his commitment to peace inevitably invited conflict. The invasion of Philadelphia by the British during the Revolutionary War may have been the very time that Penn’s prayer foresaw.

William Penn’s statue atop City Hall faces the direction of Penn’s Landing. He appropriately presides over the City of Brotherly Love. Up until the 1970s, no building could be higher than the brim of Penn’s hat so as to honor the city’s founder. The central theme of William Penn’s leadership was good government coupled with religious liberty. On the cover page of Penn’s defense of religious liberty, he placed the verse Matthew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (KJV ). Penn wanted his city of brotherly love to be governed by Christ’s golden rule which was at the heart of his concept of religious liberty. He had been persecuted for his religion, having been jailed in the Tower of London for his Quaker street preaching. By following the Golden Rule, he knew he couldn’t justly persecute others for their religion.

The concept of religious liberty was developed and defended in America by two clergymen: William Penn of Philadelphia, and before Penn, Roger Williams of Rhode Island. This freedom is established by the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Sadly, this foundational freedom is still unknown to half of the inhabitants of our world today.

John Wanamaker was born in 1838 and died in 1932. His statue commemorates him simply as a “Citizen.” Wanamaker is credited with helping to give birth to the modern retail system, where there is no bargaining over prices. His commercial venture was so successful that he amassed a fortune and his innovations were broadly imitated by others. Wanamaker was a devout Presbyterian who shared his wealth and his Christian faith by word and deed. There continue to be churches, schools, rescue shelters, and institutions of higher learning and civic good that began through his philanthropic investments. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (NIV). Wanamaker believed that being a citizen of heaven allowed one to be an excellent citizen on earth by seeking to love one’s neighbor in the spirit of the gospel of Christ. He said, “I cannot too greatly emphasize the importance and value of Bible study – more important than ever before in these days of uncertainties, when men and woman are apt to decide questions from the standpoint of expediency rather than the eternal principles laid down by God, Himself.”

The Masonic Order is an international, secret fraternity that played a significant role among the officers of the American revolution. The most famous member of the Masonic Order was George Washington. While their history is debated, the tradition argues that Masonry can be traced to Hiram, who helped build the temple of Solomon that is recorded in 1 Kings 6-7. Their classic symbol is a builder’s square with a compass and the letter G. This symbol is called “GAOTU,” which is an acrostic for “ G reat A rchitect O f T he U niverse” suggesting the geometric orderliness of the universe that argues for a creator and designer of all things. Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (KJV).

Although the Wanamaker department stores have been sold, the Wanamaker building still bears the family name and houses the world’s largest organ. Wanamaker had the organ installed as an expression of his commitment to aesthetics as a part of God’s creation and service to mankind. Psalm 150 declares: “Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD” (NIV). Wanamaker believed that such praise even belongs in a department store.

The Union League was established in 1862, in the midst of the Civil War to galvanize the support of Philadelphia for the Union cause advocated and defended by President Abraham Lincoln. Because of Philadelphia’s successful business of turning Southern cotton into manufactured cloth, the loyalty of Philadelphia to the Northern cause was not assured. So, several patriotic businessmen banded together to urge Philadelphia’s leadership to support the Union. The Union League took as its motto: “The love of country leads.”

Within the Lincoln room of the Union League, there is a statue of Lincoln standing under his immortal Gettysburg Address. Therein he speaks of “a new birth of freedom” and in so doing alludes to Jesus’ words in John 3:5: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (NIV). The Gettysburg Address also has other allusions to scripture. His phrase, “Of the people, by the people, for the people” seems to reflect the language of Paul’s conclusion of Romans 11: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (NIV). The parallel suggests that just as God is sovereign over history, so the people are sovereign over creating their government.

The Union League also reflects another speech that Lincoln had given earlier based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand” (NIV). The Union League was a concerted attempt to have a united house so that the American Union of States would stand.

Lincoln also employed significant biblical allusions and quotations in his second inaugural address which are carved in the stone of the Lincoln Monument in Washington D.C.

On the University of Pennsylvania campus, there is a statue of the leading evangelist of the Great Awakening, George Whitefield. The University began in a religious meeting house built to house the crowds that came to hear the eloquent and powerful evangelist. The site of this Meeting House is now where the Holiday Inn on 4th Street is found, adjacent to the Philadelphia Mint.

When Whitefield left, the large building was underutilized for no other church or organization could draw such a crowd. As a result, Benjamin Franklin, Whitefield’s evangelistic ministry’s treasurer, proposed that the building be used for a school of higher learning. So the University of Pennsylvania was born under the leadership of Benjamin Franklin in the meeting house of the great evangelist, George Whitefield.

In the original charter of the University of Pennsylvania, Franklin explained that every country needed a public religion and there was none more useful than Christianity. Thus, Franklin wrote that Christianity would always be taught in the history classes of the University.

In his autobiography, Franklin noted his friendship with Whitefield saying, “ I knew him intimately upwards of thirty years. His integrity, disinterestedness, and indefatigable zeal in prosecuting every good work I have never seen equaled and shall never see excelled.” Franklin also noted Whitefield’s emphasis on the need to be born again from John 3:5-6 which says, “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (NIV ). Franklin records Whitefield’s call on him to experience the new birth as well as Whitefield’s concern that Franklin had not yet experienced the new birth. Clearly, Whitefield’s gospel preaching impacted the colonies. Some scholars have suggested that his preaching may have been one of the significant influences that helped to unify the disparate colonies into united American States.

American coins are minted in various cities. The city where they are created is usually identified on the face of the coin by the first letter of the city’s name. Thus coins produced in Philadelphia have a P. 

The last act of President Abraham Lincoln to be signed into law before he was assassinated was that all American coins bear the national motto: “In God We Trust.” Why did our leaders choose “In God We Trust” as our national motto? In part, because it is such a foundational theme of the Scriptures. Consider a few of many examples from the Old Testament (KJV):

“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.” 2 Samuel 22:3 

“He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” 2 Kings 18:5

“O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.” Psalm 7:1

The motto was actually first suggested by the fourth stanza of Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner” written in the midst of the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1812. Our national anthem declares:

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Washington sought to defend Philadelphia from the British who had landed on the Elk River in Maryland by assembling a strong defense near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. This is known as the Battle of the Brandywine. Washington was not able to withstand the British force and had to retreat. His young French ally and officer, the Marquis de Layfatte, was wounded in the battle. Nevertheless, Washington’s commitment to liberty held the beleaguered nation together. What galvanized Washington’s leadership in such adversity was his unstinting belief in the providence of God. On more than 200 occasions in his writings, both public and private, in times of success as well as in defeat, Washington relied on the truth that God was at work in the affairs of human history. (See Romans 8:28.)

Washington wrote to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson on August 20, 1778: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations, but, it will be time enough for me to turn preacher, when my present appointment ceases; and therefore, I shall add no more on the Doctrine of Providence.” When Washington uses the phrase, “that he must be worse than an infidel” he is quoting 1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV).

At Trenton, New Jersey, a surprise Christmas day attack occurred resulting in the defeat of German mercenary soldiers from Hesse. This was made possible because of Washington’s daring and secret crossing of the ice-laden Delaware River during the early hours of Christmas morning. The Hessians, hired to fight by the British, had celebrated Christmas Eve believing that the war was on hold for the winter months. Thus sleepy, hung-over and surprised, they were overrun by Washington’s surprise assault. This victory was a critical turning point in world opinion. Up to this point, it seemed as though Washington’s army could not prevail in military encounters with the trained British and European troops. Washington’s bold and dangerous move reflected his bold and constant trust in God’s providence. His actions reflect the virtues of Joshua 1:8 and Proverbs 3:5-6. Joshua 1:9 declares, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (NIV) Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).

The Battle of Germantown turned out to be a tie but because it was a tie, the British invasion of Philadelphia could not be stopped. Washington again relied upon God’s providence as he realized the British would enjoy the winter in Philadelphia and his men would have to retreat to the cold wilderness of Valley Forge. There they built their own shelters out of logs. Declaration signer John Witherspoon’s belief in God’s providence was also put to the test as this preacher and patriot lost one of his sons in this battle. The founders, relying on providence, nevertheless wrestled with the truth of Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). Even in the midst of difficult things such as defeat, loss and death, they sought to trust in God.

As General Washington wrote to his wife, Martha, on June 18, 1775: I shall rely, therefore, confidently on that Providence, which has heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, not doubting but that I shall return safe to you in the fall.

Valley Forge was the low point for the American Battle for Independence. Philadelphia, the capital city, was lost. The troops had no provisions as they were forced to winter in the wilderness. Washington’s friends in Philadelphia such as the Rev. Duche of Christ Church urged Washington to surrender because the battle was lost. It was here that Washington’s courage and leadership shaped the outcome of American history.

Washington is one of the greatest men of history for two things he did not do: he did not quit when all seemed lost at Valley Forge, and he refused to become king when the Revolutionary War was finally won. On May 2, 1778 at Valley Forge, Washington called on his men “to add to the glory of being a patriot, the higher glory of being a Christian.” In this simple way he shared the gospel. Matthew 16:26 says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (NIV). Washington believed a good patriot became stronger by faith.

One of the remaining buildings of the original Valley Forge encampment is the stone house of Washington’s headquarters. Soon after the soldiers left, the wood huts began to decay and none of the originals survived, although replicas have been constructed throughout the park. This has led some to ask if it was not a selfish act for Washington to occupy a house for himself when his men were compelled to live in cold log cabins. But the records show that Washington told his men that he would be the last man under roof. He would stay in his tent until every soldier had built his hut! From this, one can understand why Washington was so admired by his men. As one of the wealthiest men in the colonies by virtue of his vast landholdings, Washington risked everything for the American cause of liberty. For many, he has become the example of one who becomes great by becoming a servant for the good of all. Jesus’ teaching on servant leadership declares, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35, NIV).

On the Memorial Arch at Valley Forge one finds   a reminder of the sacrifice that was made by Washington’s troops for the liberties we enjoy. On the west side of the monument is Washington’s statement of admiration for his solders’ loyalty in spite of their hunger and nakedness. In a letter to John Banister dated April 21, 1778, Washington speaks of his barefoot men leaving blood-stained footprints in the snow of Valley Forge: “…no history, now extant, can furnish an instance of an Army’s suffering such uncommon hardships as ours have done, and bearing them with the same patience and Fortitude. To see Men without Cloathes to cover their nakedness, without Blankets to lay on, without Shoes, by which their Marches might be traced by the Blood from their feet, and almost as often without Provisions as with; Marching through frost and Snow, and at Christmas taking up their Winter Quarters within a day’s March of the enemy, without a House or Hut to cover them till they could be built and submitting to it without a murmur, is a mark of patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be parallel’d.”

The principal of self denial for the good of others, an ideal of biblical character, is seen in the story of Valley Forge. Jesus taught in Luke 9:23: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (NIV).

This arch was created by an act of Congress in 1910 and bears the biblical reference Revelation 7:16, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore…” (KJV).

Washington was a member of the Anglican church. But since the Anglican clergy took a vow of loyalty to the king, it became difficult for him to remain an active communicant in his church. As a result, reports of Washington’s communing during the Revolutionary War appear in other Christian contexts, such as with Presbyterian or Reformed believers. But to Washington’s credit, his letters indicate his efforts after the war to seek reconciliation with alienated friends who were Anglican clergymen who had disagreed with him over the revolution.

When attendance in the Anglican church was no longer required with the disestablishment of the church in Virginia, he continued to worship in his childhood church. Having Episcopal bishops and clergymen as friends, Washington as President maintained his worship in the Episcopal church. Thus the Episcopal tradition has honored his legacy and faith by building a church whose stained glass windows depict the story of Washington and American Independence. We can find in Washington’s diaries that he faithfully worshipped throughout the entire country wherever he was during his long public career in the military and government. Washington well exemplified Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (NIV).

The Freedom Foundation was established after World War II to help Americans remember that faith in God and civil liberty are intimately connected in the American story. The stone tablets here emphasize the American heritage of “A fundamental belief in God.”

General Eisenhower, later to become President Eisenhower, helped to establish the Freedom’s Foundation emphasizing his belief in the foundational importance of Faith in God, as Americans confronted the atheistic ideology of communism. In 1954, he signed into law the insertion of the words “under God” into the pledge of allegiance.

The importance of trust in God is dramatically portrayed by a large bronze statue of Washington kneeling in prayer. Washington’s most famous prayer for the nation is found in his farewell letter to the thirteen governors as he leaves his command as general. His prayer concludes with these words based on Micah 6:8: “I now make it my earnest prayer… that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.”

Tenth Presbyterian Church is the Presbyterian pulpit in Philadelphia made famous by the preaching of Donald G. Barnhouse and James M. Boice. The classic greeting of Tenth Church to you as their guest declares:

Welcome To all who are spiritually weary and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort; to all who struggle and desire victory; to all who sin and need a Savior; to all who are strangers and want fellowship; to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and to whoever will come— this church opens wide her doors and offers her welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The motto of Westminster Theological Seminary is “The Whole Counsel of God”. This is based on the Apostle Paul’s words in Acts 20:27: “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (KJV). Westminster was established in Philadelphia in 1929, and today has over 700 graduate students, with over 6,000 living alumni, who serve in over 100 denominations, from over 60 countries around the world.

One of the most courageous moments in American history is commemorated at the Chapel of the Four Chaplains. After the Dorchester, a U.S. Naval ship, had been fatally hit by an enemy torpedo in the icy waters of the north Atlantic, it was soon realized there would not be enough lifejackets for all the surviving sailors. In an interfaith expression of love and trust in God, two Protestant chaplains, a Catholic chaplain and a Jewish chaplain gave up their lifejackets, sacrificing their lives so that others could survive the sinking ship. In sacrificing their lives to save others, they embodied the truth of John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends“ (NIV).

The chapel is currently located at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

What makes a man great—money, power, influence, fame? Rev. Russell Conwell was the founder of Temple University that started at Temple Baptist Church on Broad Street. He concluded his famous sermon, “Acres of Diamonds”, delivered over 5000 times at various times and places from 1900-1925 with these words:

Greatness consists not in the holding of some future office, but really consists in doing great deeds with little means and the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks of life. To be great at all one must be great here, now, in Philadelphia. He who can give to this city better streets and better sidewalks, better schools and more colleges, more happiness and more civilization, more of God, he will be great anywhere. Let every man or woman here, if you never hear me again, remember this, that if you wish to be great at all, you must begin where you are and what you are, in Philadelphia, now. He that can give to his city any blessing, he who can be a good citizen while he lives here, he that can make better homes, he that can be a blessing whether he works in the shop or sits behind the counter or keeps house, whatever be his life, he who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own Philadelphia.

Jesus’ answer to Conwell’s question is found in Mark 10:42-45, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NIV).

This church is the birthplace of a world-wide Christian movement that began with the conversion of a slave to saving faith. This slave in turn led his slave master to Christ. The slave master then freed his former slave, named Richard Allen. The story of the Old Mother Bethel Church reflects the story of Onesimus in Saint Paul’s Letter to Philemon, his shortest epistle. Paul urges the runaway slave’s master, Philemon, to treat his slave, Onesimus, as though he were Paul (v. 17).

From humble beginnings, the African Methodist Episcopalian Church is now a church that has reached millions worldwide. This reminds us that the Christian gospel is, as Revelation 7:9 declares, for “every nation, tribe, people and language” (NIV). When faith is properly lived, it brings communities together. William Penn’s vision for a city of brotherly love, lived out by the application of the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12), is wonderfully mirrored in this church’s founding.

The new Constitution provided for a Supreme Court. The first court met here in the smaller building to the East of Independence Hall. It did not meet on a daily basis, but it served at different times when needed. The first supreme court chief justice was John Jay, a fellow Anglican/Episcopalian like George Washington, who was a close personal friend. John Jay served as the second President of the American Bible Society. The Bible’s teaching on the importance of the judge, maintaining justice is declared in Deuteronomy 25:1, “When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty.”

This building to the West of Independence Hall is where the House of Representatives met, on the first floor, andl where the Senate met, on the second floor. Before the American Constitution was adopted, the Congress elected one from its own number to serve as its president. This of course changed with the new Constitution. The motivation for two bodies in the new congress was due to a recognition of human selfishness or depravity. James Madison’s minutes of the constitutional convention say that he “was not a little surprised to hear this implicit confidence urged by a member who on all occasions, had inculcated so strongly, the political depravity of men, and the necessity of checking one vice and interest by opposing to them another vice & interest. … To reconcile the gentln. with himself it must be imagined that he determined the human character by the points of the compass. The truth was that all men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.”

John Witherspoon, Madison’s teacher at Princeton and delegate to the earlier Continental Congress, took human depravity seriously as he argued in favor of America’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation: ”There is one thing that has been thrown out, by which some seem to persuade themselves of, and others to be more indifferent about the success of a confederacy–that from the nature of men, it is to be expected, that a time must come when it will be dissolved and broken in pieces. I am none of those who either deny or conceal the depravity of human nature, till it is purified by the light of truth and renewed by the Spirit of the living God. Yet I apprehend there is no force in that reasoning at all. Shall we establish nothing good, because we know it cannot be eternal? Shall we live without government, because every constitution has its old age, and its period? Because we know that we shall die, shall we take no pains to preserve or lengthen our life? Far from it, Sir: it only requires the more watchful attention, to settle government upon the best principles, and in the wisest manner, that it may last as long as the nature of things will admit.”

Our Founders’ somber assessment of human depravity is affirmed by the Bible in passages such as Romans 3:10, 23, “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one’ … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

George Washington was present at the first meeting of the Continental Congress when it met at Carpenter’s Hall in 1774. At the Second Continental Congress in 1775, he was elected as General of the Revolutionary Army and left for Boston. For this reason, he didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence as he was leading the army in 1776. When the Constitutional Convention met, he was elected to preside over it in 1787. When the Constitution was ratified and the first presidential election held in 1789, Washington was elected unanimously. He was again unanimously elected for a second term, a feat that will undoubtedly never be repeated.

Washington was a deeply religious man whose favorite Bible verse was Micah 4:4, ·’But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it’” (KJV). He referenced it over 40 times in his writing. At the end of the Revolutionary War when Washington had completed his work as a victorious general, he personally signed a letter to all 13 governors of the new independent states. That letter concludes with the prayer he composed which quotes Micah 6:8, “He hath showed thee, 0 man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (KJV). However he changed the verse to read “to do justice, love mercy, and imitate the divine author of our blessed religion,” referring to Christ’s character of love and peace.

Washington Square is the location where the unknown soldier of the Revolutionary War is buried. It is named for George Washington. Closely associated with true patriotism is the recognition that human life is often required for liberty. The Christian spirit of the American founding era can be found in Jesus’ teaching in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (KJV). This verse is a fitting description of the hero who paid the ultimate price so that others might live in liberty.

The Liberty Bell Pavilion houses the most important relic of American patriotism. The Liberty Bell, as it is called today, is named for its role in proclaiming liberty throughout American history. The bell was ordered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Penn’s Charter, which established religious liberty in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania delegates had the verse Leviticus 25:10 placed on the bell. It declares, “proclaim LIBERTY throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” (KJV).

Penn’s Charter guaranteeing religious liberty declares: “I the said William Penn do Declare Grant and Confirm unto all … these following Liberties Franchises and Privileges first Because no people can be truly happy though under the Greatest Enjoyments of Civil Liberties if Abridged of the Freedom of their Consciences as to their Religious Profession and Worship.”

The bell cracked the very first time it was rung upon arriving in America from the Whitechapel foundry in London. It was broken down, melted and recast twice more before it was finally hung in the Pennsylvania State House. The Liberty Bell began to live up to its name on July 8, 1776 when it called Philadelphia together to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

When the British invaded Philadelphia, all the bells in the city, including this one, were removed for fear that they would be melted and converted into British musket balls. The Liberty Bell was hidden in the basement of Old Zion Reformed Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After the British withdrew from Philadelphia, it was returned. Several years later however, it cracked again. The Bell’s crack was drilled out and plugged so it could still be used. Nevertheless, the bell cracked again never more to ring aloud . If you look carefully, you’ll see that a hairline crack travels up from the drilled out crack through the word LIBERTY, perhaps providentially reminding us how fragile the gift of liberty truly is.

Benjamin franklin was not only, one of the greatest patriots of America, but also one of the greatest inventors in history, both of objects and ideas. One of his proposals has become the esteemed American Philosophical Society. To be invited to be a member has from the beginning, been a high honor. One such member, who accepted the honor with deep gratitude, was George Washington. In his acceptance letter, he reminds us that when someone pursues philosophical concepts such as the study of nature he is contemplating the work of the Great Creator. Washington states, “In the philosophic retreat to which I am retiring, l shall often contemplate with pleasure the extensive utility of your Institution. The field of investigation is ample, the benefits which will result to Human Society from discoveries yet to be made, are indubitable, and the task of studying the works of the great Creator, inexpressibly delightful.” Washington is in agreement with the Psalmist who says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ ‘Psalm 19:1 (NIV).

The First Continental Congress met here in September, 1774 because their discussion made them unwelcome at the Pennsylvania Stare House as they met to critique and respond to the tyrannical actions of the British Parliament and King. Carpenters’ Hall was originally a guild hall for builders and craftsmen.

The building was new and close to the government’s meeting place at the Pennsylvania State House which later became Independence Hall. Thus, it was an ideal place for the delegates to meet. What prompted the delegates to gather were continuing conflicts in Boston between the British governors and the Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and Dr. Joseph Warren.

The delegates’ common concerns brought them together, but they were unsure how to begin and organize their meeting. It was Samuel Adams who proposed that that they should begin with prayer. This suggestion was remarkable, not because prayer was outlawed in government, like it seems to be today in many places, but because the different colonies had varying religious traditions and had yet to find a common ground for worship .

In a remarkable stroke of political genius and Christian charity, Samuel Adams, a Congregationalist, put aside prejudice and proposed that Rev. Jacob Duche, the Anglican minister at Christ Church, should be invited to lead their prayer. Everyone present understood   that   the Congregationalists and the Anglicans had a long history of conflict dating back to the English Civil War when the Puritans, under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, beheaded the Anglican king, Charles I. Adams declared, “I hope I am not a bigot, and can hear a prayer from a gentleman of piety and virtue who is a friend to his country,”

And so, the first meeting of America’s government began with prayer. On the day appointed, Duche arrived in his ecclesiastical robe and led congress in prayer using the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Those who were present for this prayer meeting included: Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and other great patriots, such as Pennsylvanian, John Morton. John Adams later wrote home to his wife, Abigail, that God’s providence must have been overseeing the prayer service. The reason for this remark was that there had been rumors that the British army had just attacked the city of Boston and the biblical text prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer for that day was Psalm 35. Verse 1 states, “Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me” (KJV).

Duche began his prayer saying, “Our Lord, our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of Kings, Lord of Lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon the earth, and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all kingdoms, empires, and governments, look down in mercy, we beseech thee, upon these American States who have fled to Thee from the rod of the Oppressor, and thrown themselves upon Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only upon Thee.”

When America began, there was a major debate over monetary policy and the ownership of banks. Some felt they should be privately owned, whereas others felt they should he owned by the government. America started off with a government-owned national bank, which was eventually ended under Andrew Jackson’s presidency.

The Second National Bank was built in Greek revival architecture. It is a historic building that reminds us of a bygone era, but it underscores the foundational reality of the necessity of a strong economy for the well-being of a country.

One of the virtues advocated by our founders was thrift coupled with hard work which has obvious biblical roots. Deuteronomy 28:12 stresses the importance of thrift: “Thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow” (KJV).

Benjamin Franklin agreed with this as we find in his Way to Wealth: “… as Poor Richard says, ‘Creditors have better memories than debtors.’ … So, ‘Rather go to bed supperless, than rise in debt. Get what you can, and what you get hold, ‘Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into gold.’ … But, after all, do not depend too much upon your own industry and frugality, and prudence though excellent things; for they may all be blasted, without the blessing of heaven; and therefore, ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them. Remember, Job suffered, and was afterwards prosperous.”

Robert Morris’ statue is situated between the First and Second National Banks reminding us of his pivotal role in the Revolution. He was one of the greatest financiers and contributors to the American cause. However, at the end of his life, he was penniless and served time in debtors’ prison. When the war was over, he had lost all his wealth through bad investments in land speculation. Just as the National Banks went out of business, the vast fortune of this great American hero evaporated into thin air. This reminds us of the truth of l Timothy 6:17- 19, which says: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God. who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life”(KJV ).

Like the Second National Bank, the First National Bank now also is just a historic building which was closed under the leadership of President Andrew Jackson. Our founders knew the scriptures that taught not to squander wealth but rather to put it into the bank to gain interest (see Matthew 25:14-28). America’s founders had a great war debt that they had to pay, so they were constantly concerned with good fiscal policy. This concern is easily seen in Washington’s farewell address on September 19, 1776: ”As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible : avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursement to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of Peace to discharge the Debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.” As Proverbs 13:11 says, “He who gathers money little by little makes it grow” (NIV).

Benjamin Franklin offers timeless advice in his Advice to a Young Tradesman: “In short, the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality; that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them every thing. He that gets all he can honestly, and save all he gets, (necessary expenses excepted) will certainly become rich: if that Being who governs the world, to whom all should look for a blessing on their honest endeavors, doth not, in his wise providence, otherwise determine.” Simply put, “a penny saved is a penny earned.”

As a signer of the Declaration of Independence, John Witherspoon was one of the great patriots in the founding generation. A direct descendant of the reformer of Scotland, John Knox, he was like his forbearer: a man of the church and a man of the public square. As a public leader, he was a representative in the New Jersey legislature when it voted to ratify America’s new Constitution. As a churchman, here in Philadelphia, John Witherspoon helped to organize the new American branch of the Presbyterian church, presiding at its first General Assembly 1789.

John Witherspoon came to America from Scotland to assume the role of President of the College of New Jersey, which today is Princeton University. Throughout his career in both the church and state, he emphasized the providence of God. Scholars have stated that Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence was amended at the suggestion of Witherspoon with the words “with the firm reliance on the protection of divine providence.” which then continues with Jefferson’s immortal words: “we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” The idea of divine providence is found in Genesis 22:14 where it says, ‘on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (NIV ) and in Ephesians 1:11, “[he] who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (KJV).

Only a few days before arriving as a delegate to the Continental Congress, Witherspoon had preached a sermon entitled. “The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men” on May 17, 1776, in which he said. “If your cause is just–you may look with confidence to the Lord and entreat him to plead it as his own. You are all my witnesses, that this is the first time of my introducing any political subject into the pulpit. At this season however, it is not only lawful but necessary, and I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without any hesitation, that the cause in which America is now in arms, is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human nature.” He declares, “There is not a greater evidence either of the reality or the power of religion, than a firm belief of God’s universal presence, and a constant attention to the influence and operation of his providence. It is by this means that the Christian may be said, in the emphatical scripture language, ‘to walk with God, and to endure as seeing him who is invisible.’”

In his patriotic sermon, he not only emphasizes God’s providence and the justice of the American cause, but he also calls on his listeners to embrace the Christian faith: “There can be no true religion, till there be a discovery of your lost state by nature and practice, and an unfeigned acceptance of Christ Jesus, as he is offered in the gospel. Unhappy they who either despise his mercy, or are ashamed of his cross! Believe it, “there is no salvation in any other. There is no other name under heaven given amongst men by which we must be saved.” Unless you are united to him by a lively faith, not the resentment of a haughty monarch, but the sword of divine justice hangs over you, and the fullness of divine vengeance shall speedily overtake you. I do not speak this only to the heaven daring profligate, or groveling sensualist, but to every insensible secure sinner; to all those, however decent and orderly in their civil deportment, who live to themselves and have their part and portion in this life; in fine to all who are yet in a state of nature, for except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

John Witherspoon argued for independence in 1776 and became the only clergyman who signed the Declaration. He regularly assisted congress in their annual call for a day of “prayer, fasting, and humiliation.” As Witherspoon said in his sermon at the first National Day of Prayer, “While we give praise to God the supreme disposer of all events, for his interposition on our behalf, let us guard against the dangerous error of trusting in, or boasting of, an arm of flesh … If your cause is just, if your principles pure, and if your conduct is prudent, you need not fear the multitude of opposing hosts.” Again, we see his trust in God’s providential care.

Old Swedes Church was originally started in the 1600s as a Lutheran Church. Over time as the Swedish Lutheran settlers learned English, the church was assimilated into the Episcopalian tradition. One largely unknown fact is that the first president of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, our first Constitution, was John Hanson, who is buried here at Old Swedes Church.

The name Gloria Dei means “the glory of God” in Latin. The theme of the glory of God runs throughout the entire Bible and, as the Apostle Paul says in l Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”(NIV). This historic-church attests to the close connection of faith and public service in our country’s earliest days.

This building was originally the Pennsylvania State House, but today it is known as the meeting place for the development of our new nation. The Continental Congress began to meet here during its second session in 1775. The city of Philadelphia was selected to host these meetings due to its central location and large population. Because of the Continental Congress’ epic decision for independence in 1776, which we celebrate on July 4 th , their meeting place has become known as Independence Hall.

The Declaration of independence has four references to God:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political band, which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the cause which impel them to the separation. (See Jeremiah 31:31-37.)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness …. (Sec Genesis 1:27-28.)

We therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; …. (See Matthew 25:31-46.)

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (See Romans 8:28.)

Constitutional Convention

This historic building is more than just the birthplace of independence; it’s also the birthplace of the American Constitution. The Constitutional Convention met here in the summer of 1787 and was presided over by the victorious general George Washington. The founding documents of America were discussed and debated in the eastern chamber on the first floor of the building. In this room you can see a chair with an ornate carving of the sun on its back. This is the seat where Washington sat while presiding over the convention. Benjamin Franklin said he often contemplated the sun on Washington’s chair. With the signing of the newly framed Constitution Franklin declared, “I now have the happiness to know it is a rising, not a setting sun.”

Before Franklin was able to make such a positive Declaration, the assembly endured many long days of difficult debate. On June 28, 1787 the Convention arrived at such an impasse that Franklin called for a day of prayer. He reminded the delegates that years before, during the American Revolution, it had been a regular practice to pray during their time of need, seeking God’s aid. He said it was time for the delegates to follow their own example from before in the same room. To buttress his call for prayer, he appealed to passages from the Bible. He reminded the delegates of Psalm 127:1 which says “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city the watchmen stand guard in vain” (NlV). He also appealed to Matthew l0:29 reasoning that if God sees even the sparrow fall to the ground, how much more he would notice an empire rising to power. So it has been the custom of the American Congress from the beginning to have a chaplain lead the meetings in prayer on behalf of the country and its representatives.

Politics were not only conducted in the state house, they were often done after hours over food and drink where the great issues of the day continued to be discussed by friends. John Adams called this tavern “the most genteel in America.” George Washington often met with his advisors and friends in a small upstairs room. The Proverbs remind us that “he who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (13:20, NIV). The wise men of early America ate and debated together here in the spirit of Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (NIV).

Although this is a restored building, it is built according to its original plans. If these walls could speak, they would reveal the most passionate concerns and sensitive secrets of the Constitutional Convention. Here you will find original recipes of our nation’s founders still being served today. Bon Appetite!

The National Liberty Museum is one of the newest museums in the city of Philadelphia. In this faith friendly setting, remarkable displays, beautiful glass sculptures, biblical and interfaith teachings combine to underscore the role of faith in creating and preserving the fragile and precious gift of liberty.

The National Liberty Museum welcomes thousands upon thousands of students and visitors who are reminded that religious liberty is an expression of loving our neighbor as ourselves, even when they believe differently than we do. As we read in Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself ” (NIV). We find the same teaching in Matthew 22:37-39.

The importance of teaching the truth and duties of liberty is underscored by Thomas Jefferson who wrote, “There has never been a nation that is ignorant and free. That has never been and will never be.”

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings.” Proverbs 22:29 (NIV)

If ever there was a man who exemplifies this Proverb, it is Benjamin Franklin who only attended school for two years of his life. Yet Franklin forever changed both science and politics. Starting as a printer who studied the writings that his shop printed, this extraordinary genius used his creativity for the good of mankind beginning in his own home, then his city, and then finally from America to the world.

Franklin’s contributions to Philadelphia include the first free library, the first fire company, the American Philosophical Society, the University of Pennsylvania, the post office, as well as the use of paper money and the bestseller Poor Richard’s Almanac . His contributions to science include the first swimming flippers, bifocals, the Franklin stove, and of course the lightening rod. His famous experiments with the kite and the attached key demonstrated that electricity is the same, whether in a lightening bolt or in a wire. Franklin’s contributions to government include the signing of the Declaration of Independence, leadership in the Constitutional Convention, service in the congress of Pennsylvania, and as America’s ambassador to France during the Revolutionary War.

Franklin even tinkered with inventions for the enjoyment of his family. He developed a rocking chair that enabled his wife to churn butter as she rocked. He also created the glass harmonica, a special musical instrument made of rotating plates, for his daughters musical pleasure.

The financial legacy that Franklin left for Philadelphia has grown substantially through the centuries and continues to provide resources for his city. When you look from Franklin court in the direction of Christ Church and see its high steeple, remember that Franklin helped to raise money for the purchase of its bells by proposing, printing and selling tickets in one of America’s first lotteries.

Further fulfilling the spirit of Galatians 6:10 which says “do good to all men” (KJV), Franklin helped to create Pennsylvania Hospital that has continued to this day to do good to those who have physical need. Franklin writes in his autobiography of his early love of reading that included John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress and other Christian books which impacted his life: “There was also a book of De Foe’s, called an Essay on  Projects , and another of Dr. Mather’s, called Essays to do Good, which perhaps gave me a turn of thinking that had an influence on some of the principal future events of my life.”

Franklin’s legacy is celebrated not just here but also at the Franklin institute (222 North 20th Street). A common man who stood before kings, indeed!

Benjamin Franklin said there are two things that should be in every home: a newspaper and a Bible. Not only did they provide education and good content, but they also guaranteed the employment of a man who was a printer by trade!

Franklin’s print shop was employed for government printing, books, newspapers, and broadsides (posters). Franklin even used his print shop to publish his own book, Poor Richard’s Almanac , one of America’s first bestsellers. Some of his classic one-liners that have become part of American life are: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise;” “Fish and visitors smell after three days;” “God helps them that help themselves;” “ Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead;” and “Keep the eyes wide open before marriage and half shut afterwards.”

At the Christ Church burial grounds where Franklin is buried, people still put coins on his gravestone to help support his fictional character, Poor Richard. Franklin’s popular serial story always displayed Poor Richard in trouble and needing to be rescued by his wife. As Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing” (NAS). Some things never change!

A trip to the post office is a routine activity for most Americans, so we also honor Benjamin Franklin as the man who organized America’s first public postal service. As the first postmaster general of the United States, he appeared on America’s first postage stamp. Since that first stamp, Franklin has appeared on numerous U.S. regular issue and commemorative stamps. Franklin clearly upheld the truth of Proverbs 25:25, “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (NIV). Good news became more accessible to everyone through a public post office.

Franklin’s Post Office is still open for business. Stop there and send a Philadelphia postcard home to friends or family to commemorate your trip!

There are many texts that link Christ as the head of the Church throughout the Bible. Ephesians 1:22-23 is a classic passage that shows Christ’s rule over the church. It says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (NIV).

This was the church where our nation’s patriots often worshipped. During one service they heard a sermon from the Rev. Jacob Duche (pronounced du- shay) on Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (KJV). In his message, Duche connected the spiritual liberty Christians have in Jesus Christ with the liberty they should have through a just government. He dedicated this sermon to General George Washington who often worshiped here, even having his own pew. Several signers of the Declaration and Constitution are buried here as well as in the Christ Church burial grounds.

As a result of the Revolutionary War, the Anglican church could no longer operate by that name in America as it was the official Church of England. An agreement was reached between English officials of church and state as well as the American Congress and American Anglicans to establish the Episcopal church. The first bishop of the new Episcopal church was the pastor of Christ Church who followed Rev. Duche, the Rev. William White. White had previously served as the assistant and successor to Rev. Duche as well as chaplain to congress. Bishop White is buried inside Christ Church.

This church has never ceased to be an active center for worship. Absolom Jones, one of the first ordained African-American preachers in America, studied the Bible and theology here in an upstairs room. The baptismal font, which is still used today, was a gift from All Hallows Barking, an Anglican church in London. The font is the very one in which William Penn was baptized as an infant.

Although the printing of translations of the Bible into other languages, including Native American languages, had occurred in North America, the printing of the Bible in English had not. Bible publication was under the direct control of the king of England. Due to the Revolutionary War, shipments of the Bible from England and Scotland were suspended and new Bibles became unavailable in America. To rectify the issue, the Continental Congress explored the possibility of importing English Bibles from the Netherlands.

The problem was solved in 1782 by a Philadelphia printer named Robert Aitken. Using his own finances and printing press, he printed the first English Bible in North America. The cover page of his Bible identifies the historic address of his printing shop as “Under the sign of the ‘Pope’s Head’ in Market Street, just three doors away from the coffee house.” Today this is 110 Market Street, the current location of Shane Handcrafted Candies, the oldest candy store in Philadelphia, dating from 1876. The coffee house was The London Coffee House, the meeting place of all the newspaper men of early Philadelphia because it was so close to the waterfront and was a great place to hear the news being brought in by the many ships docking on the Delaware River. This coffee house also became the meeting place of the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia.

Aitken’s printing of the Bible was still technically illegal as the peace treaty with England would not be signed until the next year in 1783. The Bible was submitted to the Continental Congress for its review. Those who assisted Aiken in his efforts to gain congress’ approval and reviewed his work included three congressmen, the Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon of Princeton College in New Jersey, James Duane of New York and Thomas McKean from Delaware as well as the two chaplains of congress, Episcopalian William White from Christ Church in Philadelphia and a Philadelphian Presbyterian Minster, George Duffield. It was found to be satisfactory and was recommended to the American people for their use. As a result, Aitken’s Bible has been called ‘Congress’ Bible.’ Congress’ desire that Americans have the Bible to teach the new nation reflects the teaching of the Bible itself. Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (NIV). George Washington said that he would have been happy for each of his soldiers in the Revolutionary Army to receive one of these Bibles if they had been available before the soldiers were given leave to return to their families.

Penn’s first landing in Pennsylvania was actually some miles to the south of Philadelphia in the city of Chester. However, his arrival is commemorated in Philadelphia because this is the city that was named by Penn before it was “born.” Philadelphia finds its name in Revelation 3:7. The name Philadelphia literally means: the city of “brotherly love.” This reflects Penn’s hope that religious liberty would prevail and that no one would ever be persecuted for his or her faith in his city, like he had been in London for his Quaker faith.

Penn was converted to the Quaker faith when he heard street preacher, Thomas Loe, in London preaching on 1 John 5:4-5, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (NIV). The preacher asked, “There is a faith that is overcome by the world and there’s a faith that overcomes the world, which is yours?” Penn determined to have a faith that would overcome the world, and indeed it did. His faith and pursuit of religious liberty made a permanent impact on our Constitution as seen in our Constitution’s first amendment that guarantees religious liberty.

Penn’s Landing appropriately reminds us that William Penn left an indelible mark upon his city. But the Christopher Columbus memorial is a visible reminder that Penn built on the labors of those who had gone before him.

Columbus never set foot on North America, but his voyage of discovery to the New World paved the way for settlers who came after him. Just as William Penn was influenced by biblical teaching, so also was Christopher Columbus. In his own journal, Prophesies which Admiral Don Christopher Columbus Gathered… translated by K. Brigham (Ft. Lauderdale: TSELF, 1992), he writes “At this time I have seen and put in study to look into all the scriptures, cosmography, histories, chronicles and philosophy and other arts, which our Lord opened to my understanding (I could sense his hand upon me)…” (p. 178-179). “ Who doubts that this illumination was from the Holy Spirit? I attest that He, with marvelous rays of light, consoled me through the holy and sacred scriptures…” (p. 179). And “I have already said that for the execution of the enterprise of the Indies, neither reason, nor mathematics, nor world maps were profitable to me; rather the prophesy of Isaiah (see, for example, Isaiah 60:9) was completely fulfilled” (p. 182). In this work Columbus has 100 pages of scriptural citations and quotations from theologians.

Betsy Ross was a widow working as a seamstress who, according to a strongly held tradition, sewed our first stars and stripes at the request of General Washington. Her pew was next to the Washingtons’ pew at Christ Church. According to this tradition, Betsy is credited with helping Gen. Washington to decide to use five- rather than six-pointed stars on the flag due to the ease in their creation by one snip on a neatly folded cloth. This tradition reflects the compassion of James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (NIV).

Our nation’s colors of red, white and blue were selected by congress for our flag on June 14, 1777, a day that we still celebrate annually as Flag Day. The meaning of these colors was explained by the Continental Congress with the establishment of our Great Seal on June 20, 1782. You can see the Great Seal on the reverse side of a dollar bill. Congress said that the shield on the eagle should have the colors of red, white, and blue. Congress’ interpretation of the colors, following accepted rules of heraldry, represented seven different moral virtues. Congress said that red represented “heartiness and valor,” white represented “purity and innocence,” and blue represented “vigilance, perseverance and justice.” By implication these same character qualities are before Americans whenever the flag of red, white, and blue is seen.

Each of these virtues is taught by the Scriptures. Heartiness and valor are seen in Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (NIV). James 1:27 calls for purity and innocence: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (NIV). Paul encourages Christians to have Christ-like perseverance in Hebrews 12:1b-2, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (NIV). Micah 6:8 commands justice: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV). Vigilance is taught in Acts 20:28, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (NIV). Furthermore, 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (KJV).

Quakers were a persecuted Christian sect in England. Under Penn’s leadership as a trained attorney and theologian, Philadelphia became the “Quaker City.” Quakers developed their faith from a literal reading of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 which forbids taking oaths and taking up weapons. In the spirit of loving one’s neighbor as oneself, as found in Matthew 22:39, the Quakers sought to make Philadelphia a city of brotherly love and peace, indeed, a city without walls.

The Quakers called themselves “friends,” reflecting Jesus’ teaching in John 15:12-17, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other” (NIV).

Among the thousands buried in this cemetery are several signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin. The epitaph that Franklin wrote for himself says:

The body of B. Franklin, Printer (Like the Cover of an Old Book Its Contents torn Out And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding) Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be Lost; For it will (as he Believ’d) Appear once More In a New and More Elegant Edition   Revised and Corrected By the Author.

Franklin, the printer, compares the resurrection body with a re-bound book. Thus, his epitaph reflects his publishing career as well as his belief in 1 Corinthians 15:20, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (NIV).

The other signers of the Declaration buried here are Joseph Hewes, George Ross, Dr. Benjamin Rush and Francis Hopkinson. Francis Hopkinson was not only a signer of the Declaration, but also the organist at Christ Church and a student of heraldry. There is good evidence that he is the one who first proposed the stars and stripes for the American flag. He also helped design symbols used on early currency.

Dr. Benjamin Rush was a signer and a notable leader in medicine, mental health and the anti-slavery movement. As a leader of one of America’s earliest Bible societies, he strongly advocated the use of the Bible in public education.

Stay Informed

Receive the latest updates from Providence Forum, including video reports, books, and commentaries that document America’s true history as one nation under God.   Sign me up!

• First Name *
• Last Name *
• Email Address *
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share on Mastodon

Statement on Proposed 2024 Republican Party Platform

Today, Faith & Freedom Coalition Founder and Chairman Ralph Reed released the following statement in response to the proposed 2024 Republican Party platform: “The Republican Party platform makes clear the unborn child has a right to life that is protected…

Tim Head Op-Ed Featured in the Washington Examiner

Four boxes Trump’s vice presidential pick should check, an op-ed written by Tim Head, the executive director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, was recently published in the Washington Examiner. In his op-ed, Tim outlines four important criteria that Donald…

2024 Road to Majority Policy Conference Galvanizes Thousands of Christian Voters Ahead of November Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2024 The Faith & Freedom Coalition on Saturday concluded its 15th annual Road to Majority Policy Conference in the nation’s capital, featuring an extensive lineup of speakers and panelists, including former President Donald J. Trump…

Latest news from Faith & Freedom

July 8, 2024

June 28, 2024

June 24, 2024

Unable to load Tweets

• visitPA.com
• Hospitality Jobs

Type To Search

Faith and Liberty Discovery Center

This Independence Mall attraction puts the American experience in a whole new light...

Copied to Clipboard

Location & Contact:

• 101 N. Independence Mall East, STE 100 Philadelphia, PA 19106
• (215) 309-0401
• Visit Website

Note: Faith & Liberty Discovery Center is permanently closed as of March 2024.

Looking for other fun things to do in Philadelphia? Visit our guide to Philadelphia’s must-see attractions !

See American history in a whole new light during a visit to the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center (FLDC), which opened in May 2021 in Philadelphia.

Located on Independence Mall in the Old City neighborhood, the immersive and interactive attraction allows visitors to explore the relationship between faith and liberty throughout the country’s history by illuminating the influence of the Bible on people at key historical and personal moments.

Guests explore interactive galleries, learn about the influence of scripture on key Americans and take a journey of discovery guided by an illuminated hand-held lamp that activates key exhibits throughout the attraction.

Plus, guests are encouraged to explore sacred sites throughout Philadelphia using the attraction’s Faith and Liberty Trail, an app offering 13 themed trails that guide users to more than 80 historic sites in Philly.

The Experience

The $60 million, 40,000-square-foot Faith and Liberty Discovery Center — a subsidiary of the American Bible Society — is the latest development in a decades-long transformation of Independence Mall.

Located across the street from Independence National Historical Park and key attractions like Independence Hall and The Liberty Bell Center, FLDC highlights how leaders throughout American history have looked to faith, liberty, justice, hope, unity and love for guidance and strength.

Across two floors and six galleries (plus a 3D theater!), guests discover films, artifacts, interactive media and more while learning about influential Americans, including civil rights and Baptist leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Catholic anti-war activist Dorothy Day and Quaker William Penn, founder of colonial Philadelphia.

Throughout the experience, each guest carries an illuminated handheld lamp, which automatically activates key exhibit areas and collects quotes and images that visitors can access later at home.

Faith and Liberty Trail App

Before or after a visit to the attraction, visitors are encouraged to download the Faith and Liberty Trail App , offering 13 themed trails that guide users to more than 80 historic sites in Philadelphia.

Stops along the way range from major attractions like the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall to some of the nation’s early religious institutions like Arch Street Friends Meeting House, Congregation Mikveh Israel and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The app is available for free download on Apple and Android devices beginning on April 28, 2021, and is accompanied by a companion website as well as augmented reality experiences.

Admission & Getting There

Timed tickets for the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center — ranging from $8 for youth to $10 for adults — are on sale now and can be purchased online .

Note that FLDC is open on select days , so be sure to check online or call ahead before swinging by the attraction.

FLDC is easily accessible via public transportation (including the Market Street subway, which has a stop right outside the attraction). Parking is available at several nearby garages. Read more about getting there here.

• Museums & Attractions
• Center City
• Historic District
• Philadelphia Neighborhoods

The Perfect Hotel Package for an Easy Philly Escape

The  Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.

Stay in Touch

1-800-378-1571 |  Your Connection to Williamsburg

"Faith and Freedom" - Adult Tour

Destinations:, america’s historic triangle, new kent county, charles city county and richmond.

Call us today at 800.378.1571 or request information .

Day 1 - Williamsburg

Check-in to your williamsburg hotel (includes round-trip baggage handling). your colonial connections tour manager will meet you upon arrival..

Choose from limited to full-service properties with exterior or interior corridors, indoor or outdoor pools, with deluxe continental breakfast or full breakfast buffet, priced from budget and moderate to deluxe.

5:30pm-7:00pm

Dinner at Golden Corral

Golden Corral family-style restaurants offer the biggest buffet and grill available anywhere. Their famous buffet contains an array of food choices including hot meat options, pasta, pizza, fresh vegetables, salad bar, a selection of carved meats and fresh baked goods and tempting desserts.

Return to hotel or optional shopping at Premium Outlets. Colonial Connections Tour Manager departs.

Continuously ranked within the top 10 shopping centers in the outlet industry, Premium Outlets Williamsburg has 135 of the hottest brand name stores. You’ll find impressive savings of 24%-65% every day from leading designer and name brands includes Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Burberry, Coach, Cole Haan, Donney & Burke, Gap Outlets, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Under Armour and more.

Day 2 - Williamsburg

Deluxe continental breakfast provided at your williamsburg hotel, depart with your colonial connections tour manager for a full day of touring.

9:00am-1:00pm

Guided tour of Colonial Williamsburg, the Revolutionary City, including Bruton Parish Church

Explore the nation's largest living history museum. From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political and cultural center of Britain's largest colony in the New World. In the shops, taverns, government buildings, homes and streets,  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Mason and other Virginia Patriots debated the ideas of liberty, independence, and personal freedoms  that led to the founding of American democracy and inspired generations of Americans and others from around the world.

Among the men of the Revolution who attended Bruton Parish Church were Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, George Wythe, Patrick Henry, and George Mason. But the building's history, and that of its churchyard, goes back further in time. Dating from 1715, the present structure is the third in a series of Anglican houses of worship that began in 1660. The first, which may or may not have been at or near the 18th-century site, was built, probably of wood, in the Old Fields at Middle Plantation, Williamsburg's name until the 66-year-old community was incorporated in 1699. Formed from Middletown and Marston Parishes in 1674, Bruton Parish is named for Bruton, Somersetshire, in England, the home of then-Governor William Berkeley and Virginia secretary Thomas Ludwell.

1:00pm-2:30pm

Enjoy lunch at Merchants Square (on own)

Located adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg, Merchants Square is an 18th-century style retail village with more than 40 shops and restaurants. The shops at Merchants Square offer everything from traditional and designer clothing to handmade candies, antique quilts, folk art and a variety of exclusive Williamsburg reproductions. The restaurants on Merchants Square offer choices from a quick sandwich to the freshest seafood, steaks or contemporary American regional cooking.

Depart for First Baptist Church

3:00pm-3:45pm

Visit the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg

Originated in the 1700's with a quest by courageous slaves and free black worshipers who simply wanted to worship their God in their own way. In their search, they left the church of the slave owners, Bruton Parish, where worship was restrained and segregated, and built the first brush arbor at Green Spring Plantation to gather secretly in song and prayer. Worshipers soon moved to a more convenient spot, Raccoon Chase, where Robert F. Coles, a compassionate white landowner in Williamsburg, inspired by the worshipers' stirring songs and soulful prayers, offered the use of his Carriage House on Nassau Street as a meeting place sometime in 1776.

Return to hotel and relax before dinner

Dinner at doraldo’s italian restaurant.

A vacation in Williamsburg for a New York restaurateur and his family was the beginning. He and his family decided to stay in the area and the result is this cozy Italian eatery. Meals begin with a basket of garlic bread knots and salads are served family style.

7:15pm-8:15pm

Shop at Yankee Candle Village

With 10,000 square feet of unique, interactive shopping and fun entertainment it’s more than you can imagine. This location is one of the world's largest candle stores with 250,000 candles and more than 150 different scents. In the Holiday Park you can experience the Christmas spirit everyday and original animated musical entertainment and activities like candle dipping provide something for everyone.

Return to the hotel. Colonial Connections Tour Manager departs.

Day 3 - new kent county, charles city county, jamestown, yorktown, deluxe continental breakfast provided at hotel, depart with your colonial connections tour manager for another full day of touring.

9:15am-10:00am

Visit St. Peter’s Parish (in New Kent County)

St. Peter's Parish in New Kent, VA was established in 1679. Construction on the present church building began in 1701 and was completed by 1703. A parish with a rich and interesting history, St. Peter’s has been a church home to countless people through the years, including some as well known as George and Martha Washington, who were married in this parish (and possibly in the church building itself) in 1759. Robert E. Lee and his family worshipped here and helped rebuild the church after the War Between the States. The church was designated as "The First Church of the First First-Lady" by the Virginia General Assembly in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

10:30am-11:30am

Visit Westover Episcopal Church (in Charles City County)

Westover Episcopal Church was established in close proximity to the original settlement at Jamestown in 1613. The predecessor of the existing Westover Church was constructed between 1630 and 1637 on Westover plantation. About 1730 the construction of the present Westover Church was completed. For almost thirty years after 1803, Westover Church lay abandoned. In 1833 religious services were revived and the Church structure was repaired and restored. Badly wrecked by Federal troops, through their misuse of the building as a stable during the Civil War, old Westover Church was once more restored to service in 1867 and has been faithfully supported ever since.

The silver that belongs to Westover Parish includes a chalice and paten, both marked London 1694-95. Down through the centuries farmers, plantation owners, slaves and Presidents, including Washington, Jefferson, Harrison, Tyler and Theodore Roosevelt, have worshiped at Westover Parish.

11:30am-12:30pm

Depart for Jamestown and enjoy a gourmet boxed lunch en route (provided)

12:30pm-1:45pm

Tour Historic Jamestowne including the remains of Jamestown Church

A National Park Service site, Historic Jamestowne offers a wealth of activities for exploring the first permanent English settlement in North America. Overlooking the scenic James River, Historic Jamestowne boasts the only remaining 17th-century above ground structure – the church tower - and reconstructed 17th-century Jamestown Memorial Church. See the original site of the 1607 James Fort and more than 1,000 artifacts at the Archaearium, a museum of Archaeology.

1:45pm-2:15pm

Travel to Yorktown via the Colonial Parkway

Travel along both the James and York Rivers, the same route taken by colonists between the two settlements.

2:15pm-3:00pm

Visit Grace Church (in Yorktown)

The sturdy marl walls of Grace Church have been standing since 1697 despite the ravages of war during the two sieges of Yorktown (1781 and 1862) and despite the "great fire" of 1814. It continues, as it has for generations, to serve the York-Hampton Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. The church celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1997.

Riding tour of the Yorktown Battlefield including Surrender Field and the Yorktown Victory Monument

See where American independence was won. Earthworks and siege lines mark positions of British and American forces, cannons stand ready behind the embattlements, and Surrender Field is a silent reminder of English General Cornwallis' capitulation. Visit the Yorktown Victory Monument and see Cornwallis' Cave, where legend has it that the English General and his staff sought refuge from the bombardment by American and French forces.

Return to the hotel to relax before dinner

Dinner at the whaling company.

Long recognized as Williamsburg’s seafood specialist, the Whaling Company prides itself on the freshest fish in town and melt-in-your-mouth hand cut steaks. Since everything is made-to-order, every item is a “special!” Charming New England boathouse atmosphere.

7:30pm-8:30pm

“Cry Witch” – A Colonial Williamsburg Evening Program

Participate in a dramatized charges of witchcraft brought against Grace Sherwood in 1706. The audience is invited to question the witnesses, weigh the evidence and determine the guilt or innocence of “the Virginia Witch.”

Day 4 - Richmond

Deluxe continental breakfast at your williamsburg hotel. colonial connections tour manager rejoins group to facilitate check-out and baggage handling., depart for richmond.

10:00am-11:00am

Visit St. John’s Church

St. John's Church became famous as a living memorial to American liberty when 120 Virginia colonial leaders including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Nelson, Jr., and Patrick Henry met there in the spring of 1775 to avoid the wrath of Royal Governor Lord Dunmore in Williamsburg. The Second Virginia Convention originally called to consider the recent proceedings of America's first Continental Congress became the setting for Patrick Henry's bold call for arming the colony of Virginia.

Depart for home. Colonial Connections Tour Manager departs.

Your connection to williamsburg.

Information is Free

Attention Teachers

Tour Operators

Ghost Tours

Find a tour.

• Headliners Skip
• Destinations Skip
• EXPERIENCE TYPE Skip
• Travel Dates Skip

TRAVELER SUPPORT

Alaska Cruise

At Sea with LT Navigating Truth, Hope, Faith, and Freedom Cruise

Aug 11 - 18, 2024.

STARTING AT

PER TRAVELER

SPECIAL GUESTS

OR BOOK BY PHONE

855 557 3042

• HEADLINERS & GUESTS
• DESTINATION & ITINERARY
• ACCOMMODATIONS
• ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Join this exceptional Christian Cruise to Alaska with And We Know and LT

A note from lt.

Hello Patriots,

In January of 2023, we joined together in prayer, searching for a way to create an amazing gathering of like-minded folks in an intimate and wonderful setting. Just a few months later, that prayer was answered! I invite you to join me and the And We Know family on a cruise to majestic Alaska, August 11 – 18, 2024.

We will chart our adventure aboard the luxurious Holland America’s Westerdam, cruising us to historic Alaskan ports like Juneau and Ketchikan—destinations renowned for their scenery teeming with forests and wildlife, the freshest caught salmon and other delicious cuisine, and known for the locals’ friendly charm.

The Isaacs are coming too and we can’t wait to sing worship and patriotic songs by this renowned Southern gospel group. We’ll also enjoy powerful biblical messages and share life stories with my family and me, listen in on a LIVE podcast recording, and have Q&A time and interviews with special guests.

Join us next year as we explore God’s beautiful creation among glorious glaciers and lush forests. I look forward to bonding with you as we continue this journey together—exploring truth, hope, faith and freedom.

LT & Family

And We Know

Tim Lovelace

The bluegrass Southern gospel group, The Isaacs, consists of Lily Isaacs and her children, Becky, Sonya and Ben. With roots dating back to 1971, their unique sound blends family harmony with contemporary acoustic instrumentation. They have earned three Grammy nominations and nine Dove Awards and have collaborated with artists like Dolly Parton and Paul Simon. Their philanthropic work through The Isaacs Foundation supports Holocaust survivors and orphans in Israel. They became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 2021.

America’s Majestic Untamed Frontier

Alaska’s untamed wilderness greets you with a landscape of majestic mountains, rugged glaciers, and frontier history. The awe-inspiring scenery proclaims the Creator's glory in every direction from your stately cruise ship. You’ll glide by deep green forests, see abundant wildlife and visit quaint fishing villages as you get away with God. From Juneau to Ketchikan, a week of awe and wonder awaits along Alaska’s wild coast.

7 - DAY ITINERARY

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

Enter your email address to download this event's brochure

Glacier Bay

Snow-speckled mountains and stunning glaciers, like the 21-mile-long Margerie Glacier, provide some of the most awe-inspiring scenery.

This beautiful city boasts sport fishing, fresh seafood and rich Native Alaskan culture. See intricately carved totem poles and explore gold rush attractions.

Puget Sound

With miles of rocky shores, this is home to hundreds of fish species, birds and mammals. Tour the historic towns, breathtaking scenery and natural wonders.

Scenic Cruising Stephens Passage

The best shortcut in the world cuts through the stunning landscape of Southeast Alaska. The area is teeming with wildlife, majestic mountains and glaciers.

Explore this vibrant metropolis nestled in nature. Visit iconic sites like Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and the birthplaces of Amazon and Starbucks.

Learn about Alaska’s past and encounter wildlife in this port showcasing a blend of lush landscapes with Russian and Native American influences.

Victoria, B.C.

This charming port blends city life and nature. Have high tea in an English garden and go whale watching while absorbing the influence of First Nations culture.

REMARKABLE PLACES

There’s something special about Alaska that makes it a bucket-list destination for travelers from all over the world. Imagine all the unforgettable moments waiting for you.

READY TO BOOK THIS EXPERIENCE?

Accommodations, holland america's westerdam.

Embark on an exquisite journey aboard this remarkable ship that embodies luxury, convenience and incredible entertainment. A fascinating destination in her own right, Westerdam has won multiple Best Cruise Ship Awards with her sophisticated design, top-notch amenities and unparalleled service.

Enjoy panoramic views and take advantage of 24-hour room service. Savor an array of flavors at the Pinnacle Grill and the taste of Italy at Canaletto; there is something to satisfy every palate. Enrich your body at the Greenhouse Spa & Salon®. Witness Broadway-caliber performances, captivating magicians and live music at the World Stage, Lincoln Center Stage or B.B. King’s Blues Club.

Step aboard and discover the wonders of the Westerdam on the voyage of a lifetime!

Ship's Registry: The Netherlands

Deck 1 - Main

Deck 2 - lower promenade, deck 3 - promenade, deck 4 - upper promenade, deck 5 - verandah, deck 6 - upper verandah, deck 7 - rotterdam, deck 8 - navigator, deck 9 - lido, deck 10 - observation, deck 11 - sports.

• Less ocean movement and proximity to Lower Promenade dining and entertainment.
• Conveniently close to Deck 2 entertainment. Head to Guest Services if you have any questions or concerns.
• World Stage features innovative cruise ship shows and a two-story LED screen that creates a vivid wraparound display.
• The Atrium is a three-deck-high, open-floor-designed midship area that features a magnificent glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling. Experience smoother seas on this deck.

• Pinnacle Grill is the ultimate steakhouse at sea, with an exceptional menu of prime steaks, seafood and wine.
• Visit the Art Gallery, an expansive onboard gallery space exhibiting works by emerging artists curated from the destinations visited by the ships.
• The Dining Room is the flagship dining experience and is a welcoming and sophisticated setting for an exquisite breakfast, lunch or superb multicourse dinner.
• Sing along, test your music trivia knowledge or sit back and enjoy as chart-topping hits fill the Billboard Onboard Room each night.

• Enjoy a wide variety of duty-free shopping onboard at The Shops .
• Get lost in a good book at the Library .
• Tasman Room is a multipurpose room for meetings, events and entertainment.

• Ideal for entertainment lovers, the Tasman Room and The Dining Room await one deck down.
• Conveniently close to music venues.
• Get easy access to restaurants.

• Reach the whole ship easily from this peaceful middle deck.
• A variety of cabins are available on this deck plan; see accommodation descriptions for details.
• There are no amenities or public spaces on this deck.

• Get easy access to the Lido Market, Sea View Pool and Greenhouse Spa & Salon located two decks up.
• Exclusive to suite guests, Neptune Lounge is a private place to relax, socialize and enjoy personalized concierge service. Enjoy complimentary refreshments, a relaxing seating area and access to Wi-Fi for a small charge.
• Conveniently close to the Lido deck.

• The Bridge (command center) navigates the waters from here.
• You’re never far from R&R on this deck. Lido deck pools , the Fitness Center and Greenhouse Spa & Salon await above.

• Lido Market is a casual modern marketplace that offers the widest range of food options onboard for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late-night snack.
• Sea View Pool is an adults-only pool with the perfect spot to get some sun and watch the world sail by.
• Canaletto is a relaxed setting with authentic Italian cuisine that is best enjoyed when shared.
• Take a class in our professionally staffed Fitness Center.
• Greenhouse Spa & Salon is a heavenly retreat that nurtures every aspect of your well-being with renowned spa rituals and healing touches. In the spa, pamper your skin with facial treatments featuring premium, naturally sourced ingredients. Nurture your body, too, with massage treatments employing time-honored, hands-on massage techniques gleaned from around the world

• "Nothing but net" at our Sports Courts just one deck above.
• Club HAL's Kids Club offers an array of entertaining events for kids and teens ages 3-17, supervised by full-time, professionally trained staff.
• Sliding Dome Cover over the Lido deck pool is a fully retractable roof that can open or close to suit all climates.
• Enjoy cocktails and sunsets with panoramic views at Crow's Nest.
• Get creative at the Art Studio, with classes led by arts and crafts instructors.
• Bond over board games, Skee-Ball, air hockey and other arcade games in the Game Room.

• Take in the spectacular sites and capture the best photos from this deck.
• Enjoy complimentary lessons, tournaments and courts with amazing top-deck views at the Sports Courts.
• The Retreat is an outdoor area that is perfect for guests looking for a quieter, more luxurious place to rejuvenate during their cruise. Enjoy the wonderful views and take in the relaxing atmosphere in private cabanas, lounge chairs, sun beds and exclusive bar service.

ROOM OPTIONS

Interior Staterooms

Ocean View Staterooms

Verandah Staterooms

Signature Suites

Neptune Suites

A starter option for those wanting an interior cabin, these cozy staterooms include two luxurious twin beds (convertible to a queen-size), a sitting area, vanity area and private bathroom with approximately 151-233 square feet of space. All prices are based on double occupancy.

An optimal choice for passengers wanting to see the ocean. These comfortable cabins pack a surprising number of luxuries into 174-180 square feet of space, including twin beds (convertible to queen-size), a sitting area, vanity area and private bathroom.

**All H & HH cabins have a fully obstructed ocean view.

*All G cabins have a partially obstructed ocean view. All prices are based on double occupancy.

A wonderful selection for passengers desiring the views and extra space of a balcony, these beautiful cabins include luxurious twin beds (convertible to queen-size), bedside USB ports, a sitting area and vanity area, frameless glass shower doors in a private bathroom, and stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. Total space is 212-359 square feet, including verandah. All prices are based on double occupancy.

An upscale option for cruisers desiring the views and extra space of a balcony, these beautiful cabins include luxurious twin beds (convertible to queen-size), bedside USB ports, a sitting area and vanity area, frameless glass shower doors in a private bathroom, a private balcony, and stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. Total space is 372-384 square feet, including verandah. All prices are based on double occupancy.

A luxurious choice for passengers wanting extra space and spectacular views, these are among the largest staterooms on the ship, offering two lower beds that convert to a king-size bed, dual-sink bathroom vanities, and a full-size whirlpool bath and shower plus additional shower stall. These also feature a large sitting area, a refrigerator, a private balcony, and floor-to-ceiling windows in 500-712 square feet, including verandah. Also included is access to the exclusive Neptune Lounge, a private haven offering personal concierge service. All prices are based on double occupancy.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR CRUISE

Enjoy these exclusive amenities on this amazing Christian Cruise

• Powerful teachings about our Christian connection to the U.S. from LT.
• Experience dynamic music performances from Tim Lovelace and the Isaacs.
• Visiting Alaska’s legendary capital, Juneau, accessible only by sea and air.
• Enjoying the delicious cuisine served to you aboard our luxurious vessel.
• Laughing together, making new friends and growing in God.
• Share an inspiring and restoring time of patriotic fellowship and friendship.

Signature Service Option

Travel in an exclusive class of luxury. Enjoy an exceptional experience with our Signature Service option of unique privileges and amenities. Curate your perfect Christian cruise by adding services that suit your travel style. A simple click ensures your comfort so you can completely relax while enjoying these first-class benefits.

• Personal Transfer to and from Airport or Hotel to Pier – Your driver meets you curbside at the airport, or at your hotel, for your personal luxury sedan transfer to the pier.
• Cruise Embarkation Assistance - An Inspiration travel coordinator greets you at the pier, arranges for stevedore (porter) assistance and guides you through the entire embarkation process.
• Expedited Luggage Service - Your luggage is marked for special delivery and is among the first bags on the ship.

Inspiration Branded Travel Gifts

• Exclusive Luggage Tag

Business Class Air - We can assist you in researching flight options and purchasing a business class air ticket from your home city to the port of embarkation.

Additional Excursion Option

Whale-Watching with LT

Step aboard a custom-designed boat and enjoy light refreshments in a warm enclosed cabin as you meet Auke Bay’s humpback whales. Pack your favorite binoculars to spot bald eagles, sea lions, grizzly bears and other wildlife along the way.

Please call our office 855 557 3042 to be placed on the waitlist. 

Book with Confidence

As christians we care that your travels are spiritually significant., top-ranked service with leading industry awards and accolades., over 1,500+ ministries have trusted us to manage their group events., every detail is triple-checked so you can enjoy each moment., alaska cruise faqs.

Please carefully review the details of the Cancellation Policy below, as well as the full Terms & Conditions prior to booking your travel event.

All prices, penalties and change fees are quoted per passenger based on selected occupancy.

If you’re already thinking about what to bring, summer in Alaska is beautiful with sunshine and possible showers. Below is a checklist to help you pack for your exceptional travel experience. Remember that your luggage will be delivered to your cabin at an unspecified time on the day of departure, so it’s a good idea to pack a change of clothes, toiletries and any medications you need in a carry-on bag to bring with you.

Packing Checklist

• Casual clothes including pants, jeans, shorts, T-shirts, collared shirts or blouses
• Light sweater or jacket
• Semi-formal clothes or dress clothes for 1-2 evenings, depending on the length of your cruise
• Bathing suit and a cover-up or wrap
• Light raincoat or compact umbrella
• Comfortable walking shoes or sandals with rubber soles
• Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
• Toiletries, in a sealed, clear bag inside your luggage
• Minor First Aid care items such as Band-Aids, aspirin, hand sanitizer, etc.
• Medications in their original containers
• Hair care appliances (see information on Using Electronics)
• Small bag or backpack for port days; large enough to carry your camera and other personal items
• Passport with separate photocopy

Dining Dress Code

On a typical seven-day cruise, you’ll have two nights of dressing up for dinner or other special events. We suggest a semi-formal dress or skirt and blouse for women and a dark suit for men. The remaining dinners on the cruise are informal—blouse and pants for women; collared shirt with trousers for men. Remember that T-shirts, shorts or tank tops are not permitted in the dining room.

Packing Tips

Make certain your suitcase closes and fastens securely. Mark your luggage and carry-on bag with your name and address so you can distinguish them easily. We also recommend you put identification information—name, address and phone number—INSIDE your luggage in case the luggage tags are lost in transit. We also suggest keeping your essential toiletries and a one-day change of clothes in your carry-on. Do not pack your passport or travel documents in your luggage. It is suggested that you keep a color copy of the information page of your passport inside your luggage if your passport is lost.

For more information, please call one of our Reservation Coordinators at 800 247 1899 , Monday through Friday between 8:30am – 5:30pm, Pacific Time.

We know how nice it is to have the convenience of home when traveling on a cruise. Bringing your electronics and hair appliances can enhance your overall travel experience. Every cruise ship has plugs that accept U.S. and Continental European devices, and you do not need to bring plug adaptors. Here are some things to know about your electronics before you pack them:

Phones, MP3 Players, Laptops, Cameras & Video Cameras

Most small digital devices have chargers that will fit in the plugs on a cruise ship. One thing to be mindful of is the limited plugs in each cabin; you may want to bring a multi-plug extension cord.

Blow Dryers, Curling Irons & Straighteners

Each stateroom has a hair dryer for your personal convenience. If you prefer your hair appliances, you may want to consider purchasing or borrowing compact and travel-friendly appliances.

For more information, please call one of our Reservation Coordinators at 800 247 1899 , Monday through Friday between 8:30am-5:00pm, Pacific Time.

The scenic beauty of Alaska can be enjoyed from onboard the ship and to make the most of your cruise vacation, you can also get out into the local ports. Shore excursions offer something for everyone. Choose from city tours, culinary explorations, shopping outings, cultural activities and more.

Because shore excursions have limited capacity and fill up quickly, we recommend you book early for the best selection on your cruise. Once you’ve booked your Inspiration cruise, check out the customized cruise line excursion list based on your itinerary. Using your cruise booking number, you can easily book shore excursions online as early as 60 days before your trip and up to 3 days before departure, depending on the cruise line.

Visit the cruise line’s website to find information on specific excursions:

• Celebrity Cruises
• Holland America Line
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean International

You may also register for your Shore Excursions once onboard the ship. All shore excursion requests are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Waitlisted requests for sold-out shore excursions will be processed before requests made onboard.

For more information please call one of our Reservation Coordinators at 800 247 1899 , Monday through Friday between 8:30am-5:00pm, Pacific Time.

We want to help make your trip as smooth and as enjoyable as possible. We can book motorcoach transfers for you from the airport to your cruise departure port and on your return trip.

Hotel Stays

Remember that you always have the option of arriving earlier or staying later. For example, hotel reservations may be available if you want to arrive a few days early before boarding your cruise or stay a few days after the cruise returns.

As you plan for your upcoming Christian cruise with Inspiration, you may wonder about using money and credit cards during your travels. We’ve made the following recommendations to help you save money, avoid unnecessary fees and focus on an exceptional travel experience.

• Consider leaving all unnecessary credit cards at home.
• Once you determine which cards you’ll bring, remember to notify each credit card company of your intended travel dates and locations to ensure fraud alerts and holds are not placed on your accounts.
• For each card, you’ll want to store the bank’s contact information in a separate, secure location in the unlikely event your wallet or purse is lost or stolen.

Almost all businesses in Victoria or Vancouver, Canada accept U.S. credit or debit cards. If you plan to use your credit cards, you’ll want to check with each credit card company to determine the international exchange fee for each card. Because the difference of a few percentage points could cost you more (depending on your purchases), we recommend using cards with lower international exchange fees. Using your credit card for large purchases gives you more protection for the items you buy on your trip. You can review your credit card statement to verify all of your purchases.

The Canadian Dollar (C$) is the official currency when your cruise stops in Canada, however U.S. dollars are widely accepted. When paying in U.S. dollars expect change in Canadian Dollars so bring small bills. If traveling with currency other than the U.S. dollar you may exchange money onboard the ship, although we always recommend checking the exchange rate before traveling to a foreign country.

Today’s technology allows you to stay connected while traveling—ensuring you get that memorable photo or message from your loved ones. On most ships, you should be able to use your cell phone or smartphone to do everything you’re used to doing at home. In addition, mobile phones provide convenient access for emergencies and confirming travel plans. Some basic guidelines and tips will help you save money, keep your phone working effectively and stay in touch.

Before you leave

Spending some time contacting your cell phone carrier before your trip will help ensure you can call friends and family back home and eliminate any surprises on your phone bill when you return. Let your phone carrier know your travel plans, including how you plan to use your phone on your cruise. You’ll want to make sure you understand all of the potential charges. Contact your carrier for specific information.

Check with your carrier for international dialing access

You will want to make sure international and cruise package dialing is active on your mobile phone plan so that you can use it in the Canadian ports and remember that international and maritime roaming rates will apply to calls placed onboard the ship (charges will appear on your phone bill). Because roaming rates can be high on cruises, checking with your carrier for specific cost details before you leave is a good idea.

Aboard your flight and cruise

Your cell phone’s battery life is the key to keeping you connected. Below are some tips for staying powered up on your trip:

• Remember to set your phone to Airplane Mode when you board your flight. You can also do this aboard the cruise when sailing to avoid roaming charges unless you have the cruise ship package with your carrier. This suspends all calling and texting functions but still allows you to play games, use your camera and listen to music, etc.
• On the cruise, you’ll want to charge your phone every night to ensure enough battery life for the next day.
• Try to turn off your phone when you’re not using it. Leaving your phone on all day drains the battery, so it’s a good idea to turn it off while you’re on a shore excursion, eating or reading.

Smartphone tips

As one of the most popular communication devices today, smartphones have revolutionized how we connect and the world. We know leaving your smartphone behind for an hour, much less multiple days is difficult. The following tips will help you save your phone’s battery life and get the most out of your smartphone while on the cruise:

• Before your cruise, you’ll want to disable any applications that give you regular updates, such as sports reports and weather updates.
• Disable the Data Enabled or Data Roaming option on your phone and keep it off until you reach your destination. Turn off the function for “Automatic” checking of emails and change the email settings to “Manual” to reduce data roaming charges. During your trip, you can check for email messages when connected to a free, wireless Internet connection, such as in a hotel lobby or Internet cafe while in port.

In-room phones and phone cards

If you choose to not bring your mobile phone, you can stay in touch with others while on your cruise using the in-room phones. Please make sure you understand all of the charges associated with this before you place your call, as the rates can be expensive.

An Alaskan cruise vacation allows you to explore multiple locations without the hassle of checking in and out of hotels, packing and unpacking, and spending valuable time trying to find quality restaurants–all with excellent service dedicated to enhancing your exceptional travel experience.

Each cruise line makes rewarding the excellent service you’ll receive onboard easy. A gratuity of $16-$19 per day (depending on the cruise line and cabin category), per guest for dining and stateroom services will be automatically added daily to your shipboard account. The cruise line also will automatically add an 18% service charge to beverages purchased through your onboard account. Before the end of the cruise, the Cruise Director will address more specific questions regarding tipping procedures.

If you take a taxi to the pier, it’s common to simply round up to the next dollar when paying your tab. The cab drivers appreciate this, and it is considered part of their income. When you arrive at the ship on embarkation day, we suggest tipping the porters at the pier $1.25 per bag when they take your luggage to place it on the ship. When visiting restaurants off the ship and during shore excursions, a 15-20% tip for restaurant service workers is appreciated.

With its richly dense rainforests and towering glaciers, Alaska is a place unlike any other— anywhere you look is a stunning site. We recommend whale watching; Juneau is home to the majestic humpback whales. Alaska also offers some of the most incredible ports to visit: eat the freshest seafood, get your chocolate fix and stroll under a canopy of sweet-smelling spruce trees. Here are a few articles with the top experiences we recommend:

• Alaska's Glaciers: Your Questions Answered
• Top Alaska Hikes: Experience God in the Frontier
• Alaska's Glacier-Gazing Guide: The Best Glaciers
• Inspiration's Top 5 Things to Do in Juneau, Alaska
• Whale Watching: Juneau's Favorite Pastime
• Get to Know the Whales of Alaska...By Name
• The Best Chocolate Fix in Alaska
• Ketchikan: Green Gem of Alaska

Articles on how to pack and prepare for your Alaska Cruise

• 5 Travel-Friendly Fashion Finds
• Why an Alaska Cruise Is So Unique—and How to Plan for It
• 9 Tips for First-Time Cruisers
• The Key to a Good Night’s Sleep…Anywhere
• How Not to Lose Things While Traveling—Including Your Passport

Articles with cruising advice

• Magnets on the Cabin Walls (and 10 Other Insider Cruise Tips)
• Pro Tips for Better Travel Photography
• Stay Flexible, Make Friends and Other Pro Tips
• Room Service Isn’t Extra (and Other Cruise Dining Tips)

We hope these suggestions and tips help answer your questions! If you have any other inquiries, please don’t hesitate to call our Reservation Coordinators at 800 247 1899 Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm Pacific Time.

WE CREATE EXCEPTIONAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

Call us to book your trip of a lifetime, 800 247 1899, traveler experiences, guest reviews.

“Alaska shows you God’s majesty. You can’t look at anything there and not see God’s hand in it.”

Scottsdale, AZ

“We had always dreamed of seeing Alaska on a cruise. Inspiration made this the experience of a lifetime. I can't imagine another cruise in the future to Alaska without them!”

Portland, ME

“The cruise was fabulous. It’s just amazing the closeness you feel toward people you’ve never met before. It’s like finding a family member you didn’t know you had and having an instant connection.”

Margaret H.

Memphis, tn, important information for your journey.

Packing Tips for Alaska

Using your Cell Phone in Alaska

Using Money & Credit Cards in Alaska

Help with Electronics in Alaska

General Information

Faith and freedom expedition, june 24-27, 2024, for members and friends of cherry hills community church, what's included.

• Round trip airfare from Denver to Washington Dulles
• Private deluxe motor coach with local tour guide
• Three night’s hotel accommodations\ 4 days touring
• Daily breakfast, 2 dinners, 2 lunches
• All entrance fees, porterage fees, taxes, gratuities

What's Not Included

• Checked luggage fee
• Meals as not specified in itinerary
• Travel insurance

Terms and Conditions

• Cost of Tour – $2,350 per person (based on double occupancy)
• Single Supplement (Private Room) additional $625
• Land only (no airfare) – $1,845
• Cost of the tour is guaranteed until May 15, 2024. After this date, the price may increase due to increased airfare.

Payment Terms

• $350 non-refundable non-transferable deposit due upon registration
• $1,000 due April 15, 2024
• $1,000 due May 15, 2024

Payment Methods

• Check Payable to Prelude Tours and mailed to: PO Box 118696, Carrollton, TX 75011
• Credit card –a 3% convenience fee will be added for card payments. Visit www.preludetours.com to make credit card payments.

Cancellation Policy

• Prior to April 14, 2024 – $350 deposit
• After April 15 and prior to May 15, 2024 – $1,350
• After May 16, 2024 – no refunds
• Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is highly recommended to safeguard your trip investment from unforeseen circumstances. Insurance must be purchased within 14 days of registration to cover any pre-existing medical conditions. Visit www.preludetours.com for more information on travel insurance or call our office, 281.667.1057 .

Additional Information

• Activity level of tour –Level 2: This tour requires average physical activity and will include guided tours with some walking (less than a mile), shopping, optional walking\hiking activities and other similar activities.
• The itinerary as listed is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of Prelude Tours.
• There will be no refund for unconsumed hotel meals or unused entrance fees.
• This tour is non-transferable upon cancellation (if one cancels their tour, they cannot transfer the payments to another person)
• When purchasing airfare with the group, seats are assigned by the airline and Prelude Tours has no control of seat assignments. If you prefer specific seats or upgrades, it is recommended that you purchase the land only option through Prelude Tours and purchase your own airfare to align with the group schedule.
• If Prelude Tours cancels the tour for any reason, all monies paid will be refunded.

P.O. Box 118696 Carrollton, TX 75011 [email protected]

Prelude Tours

• Testimonials
• Upcoming Tours
• Custom Group Tours

America Needs A Strong Church

TPUSA Faith exists to serve the American church by resourcing Christians across the nation to boldly stand for truth, liberty, and The Kingdom.

get resourced!

Sign up to receive exclusive content from TPUSA Faith, designed to empower and equip you to stand strong for the biblical truth.

Don’t miss out!

At this crucial time in America, the Believers Summit is not just an event; it’s a call for believers to rise in unity and biblical truth with an unshakeable faith. We are committed to empowering attendees with practical knowledge and strategies to live out their faith boldly and counteract the prevailing ‘woke’ narratives with grace, truth, and conviction, rooted in the Gospel.

”More than anything I am able to share what we are learning in Biblical Citizenship with 100% accuracy of why History has evolved the way it has with a God Breathed Constitution. Everyone that sees it or is told about it… gets it right away. Thank You Lord for telling the World! Through us.” James Dodson Faith Group Leader at Evident Life Church

”More than anything I am able to share what we are learning in Biblical Citizenship with 100% accuracy of why History has evolved the way it has with a God Breathed Constitution. Everyone that sees it or is told about it… gets it right away. Thank You Lord for telling the World! Through us.”

”TPUSA Faith is reaching an audience that is commonly forgotten. Learning about how God plays a huge part in how people think and act. If we can reach kids young and teach them about how great our God is and what he can do in people’s lives, then we can change the culture of evil that is happening in this country! I know TPUSA Faith is doing just that by getting with churches!” Pedro Ramos TPUSA Faith Activist

”TPUSA Faith is reaching an audience that is commonly forgotten. Learning about how God plays a huge part in how people think and act. If we can reach kids young and teach them about how great our God is and what he can do in people’s lives, then we can change the culture of evil that is happening in this country! I know TPUSA Faith is doing just that by getting with churches!”

”I have been the TPUSA Faith small group leader at our church for around 9 months. I am truly honoured to be in the fight to restore our democracy and religious freedoms. I do not take this role lightly as this movement can and will bring back a striving and ethical America. I have political aspirations and TPUSA Faith has allowed me to access the world of local and state politics. I am blessed to have the opportunity to participate in the activation of the faith community at Family of Faith Church!” Candice Richardson Family of Faith Church Spokane, WA

”I have been the TPUSA Faith small group leader at our church for around 9 months. I am truly honoured to be in the fight to restore our democracy and religious freedoms. I do not take this role lightly as this movement can and will bring back a striving and ethical America. I have political aspirations and TPUSA Faith has allowed me to access the world of local and state politics. I am blessed to have the opportunity to participate in the activation of the faith community at Family of Faith Church!”

Our Mission

TPUSA Faith is dedicated to empowering Christians to put their faith into action.

We engage, equip, and empower millions of grateful Americans who are prepared to defend our God-given rights, by giving them the tools to expose lies and articulate the connection between Faith and Freedom.

Engaging with Christian leaders and members of the faith community across the nation to join in civic, social, and cultural discussions.

Equipping millions with the knowledge of constitutional rights ordained by God through the monthly Freedom Night in America initiative and Biblical Citizenship classes.

Empowering congregations through our faith groups/chapters, Biblical Citizenship classes, national faith tours, and faith leadership summits to help bring foundational biblical principles to their communities.

STAND FIRM WITH TPUSA FAITH COURSES

Get equipped to stand firm for the biblical principles on which America was founded.

Take a Stand for Faith and Freedom

Your support enables TPUSA Faith to engage, equip, and empower more Christians to become civically and culturally engaged like never before.

• Latest Latest
• The West The West
• Sports Sports
• Opinion Opinion
• Magazine Magazine

How — and why — to celebrate the faith behind the Fourth of July

America has a long history of religious values and freedom. how can you add faith to your holiday this year.

By Sydney Jezik

If you dig past the Fourth of July’s hot dog- and firework-filled exterior, the holiday can take on religious significance.

The Fourth of July’s roots extend all the way down to the ideas upon which the Declaration of Independence are based. Those ideas include religious freedom, which protects religious diversity.

Here are some ways to celebrate religious freedom on Independence Day.

Independence Day and religion

The Declaration of Independence, which was issued July 4, 1776, and asserted the right of the 13 original colonies to govern themselves, references God four distinct times, per Time magazine .

It mentions that the listed rights are “endowed by their Creator”; that humans are governed by “the laws of nature’s God”; that they are subject to “the Supreme Judge of the World”; and that they rely on “the protection of divine Providence.”

“The informing spirit of the American character has always been a deep religious sense,” former President John F. Kennedy once told audiences during a Fourth of July speech.

While the predominant religion among the Founding Fathers was Christianity, they did not want to create a nation for Christians only, per The Master’s University . Instead, they wanted to celebrate and preserve religious freedom.

“I never attempted to make a convert, nor wished to change another’s creed,” said Thomas Jefferson, per Brookings . He penned the text of the Declaration of Independence and contributed to the Constitution.

“I have judged others’ religions by their lives, for it is from our lives and not our words that our religions must be read,” Jefferson said.

The First Amendment of the Constitution says that citizens must be allowed to practice their religion without government interference. As a result, the United States began as a religious melting pot, per Brookings . Many colonists moved here out of a desire to practice their religion how they see fit.

How to celebrate the faith behind the Fourth of July

You can recognize the country’s commitment to religious freedom in a variety of ways.

Here are some ideas for this Fourth of July that work for the whole family:

• Gratitude : Express thankfulness for the religious freedom enjoyed in America. Take time to discuss with your family how religious freedom in America has impacted all of you, then take time for everyone to reflect separately and journal about it.
• Read from holy books : Spend time as a family reading from holy texts on freedom, justice and gratitude. The Bible shares verses on God providing His followers with liberty and peace if they follow Him, while the Quran asserts that only God, not man, can set limits on human freedom, according to Maydan . The Bhagavad Gita, a holy Hindu book, emphasizes that freedom is both a gift and a responsibility, per the Parliament of the World’s Religions .
• Perform acts of service : Get the family involved with community service like homeless shelters, food drives or environmental conservation projects. Local churches and charity organizations offer plenty of ways to reflect the compassion and love that are central to many faiths.
• Pray for your country : If you believe in prayer, you can take the time to pray for the U.S., its leaders and its citizens. You can try asking for wisdom and unity, especially as political divides grow.

If you enjoy the activity you try, you can continue to do it all year long.

Former President Trump at Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference

Former President and 2024 presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C.

• Campaign 2024 C-SPAN

• Available online
• C-SPAN Radio
• All Airings
• Next airing only
• Minutes before airing starts

People in this video

• Donald J. Trump U.S. President (Former) United States

Hosting Organization

• Faith and Freedom Coalition Faith and Freedom Coalition
• Campaign 2024

Airing Details

Related video.

Former President Trump Speaks to Reporters After Meeting with Republicans Lawmakers

“This was a great meeting; there is tremendous unity in the Republican Party,” said 2024 GOP presumptive presidential no…

Former President Trump Speaks at Libertarian Party Convention

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump delivered remarks at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention i…

Donald Trump Speaks at Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference

Former President Donald Trump, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, delivered the keynote address at the Faith and …

Larry Elder Speaks at Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference

Republican 2024 presidential candidate and radio show host Larry Elder campaigned at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s 2…

« All Events

• This event has passed.

FLASHPOINT LIVE TRUTH AND FREEDOM TOUR IN OHIO

June 8, 2023 - june 9, 2023.

The FlashPoint LIVE Truth and Freedom Tour’s going to New Albany, Ohio for two power-packed days on June 8-9, 2023! 

The Truth and Freedom Tour continues across the nation, this time coming to Faith Life Church in New Albany, Ohio! This year’s events, in addition to being full of hard-hitting news and commentary—always in the spirit of faith—will include practical equipping and inspiration…the tools you need to create change right where you live. Now more than ever, it is time to get equipped and activated to create change in this great nation!

Speakers: Gene Bailey, Kenneth Copeland, Lance Wallnau, Hank Kunneman, Rick Green, and Mike Lindell and More!

For more information and to register for this FREE event, go to  govictory.com/fplive  TODAY!

• Google Calendar
• Outlook 365
• Outlook Live

Mythic Mississippi Project

Cultural heritage promoting community development.

Faith and Freedom Tour

FAITH AND FREEDOM This tour joins two themes: faith and freedom. On this tour you can consider the Mormon quest for religious liberty and a place to call their own home; you can study the extraordinary act of charity extended by the citizens of Quincy to Mormons who were fleeing Missouri under threat of an order of extermination; and you can visit locations of the Underground Railroad that enabled African American slaves to seek their freedom through their own bravery and the help of white Americans whose Christian moral compass impelled them to assist these abused people. – Quincy – Nauvoo and Carthage – Jacksonville – New Philadelphia – Alton and Rocky Fork Church

• Skip to global NPS navigation
• Skip to this park navigation
• Skip to the main content
• Skip to this park information section
• Skip to the footer section

Exiting nps.gov

Alerts in effect, freedom concert lyrics.

Last updated: May 2, 2024

Park footer

Contact info, mailing address:.

George Washington Memorial Parkway Headquarters 700 George Washington Memorial Parkway McLean, VA 22101

703 289-2500

Stay Connected

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Slovenščina
• Science & Tech
• Russian Kitchen

Where to watch movies for free in Moscow this summer

People watching a movie in a Pioner 24-hour open-air cinema in Gorky Park.

Temporary cinemas will be popping up across Moscow very soon, starting from July 16. All of the spots are brilliant examples of either constructivist or avant-garde architecture, so expect striking settings. A selection of classic Soviet films will be aired using cinematic equipment from the last century. All the screenings are free although online registration is required beforehand, while there will also be guided tours of the spaces, organized by the “Moscow through the Engineer's Eyes” company.

Registration will be open soon at mos-kino.ru

Bread factory

Following the success of former factories transformed into art spaces (VinZavod, Arma, Trekhgornaya manufacture), Khlebzavod (“bread factory”) No 9 is one newly opened joint that is attracting creative types from all over the city. The movie Time! Forward! will be screened in the building’s boiler room on July 16. It follows workers from the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, one of the largest steel companies in Russia, and is based on a novel by Soviet writer Valentin Kataev.

What’s more, Khlebzavod is a monument to constructivist architecture. Where better to watch such a film?

Novodmitrovskaya St. 1

Roof of the Narkomfin Building

The Narkomfin Building was originally designed to house high ranking employees at the Commissariat of Finance. It was built by architects Moisei Ginsburg and Ignaty Milinis. Also a fine example of constructivism, it’s currently in a state of disrepair, locked down, and fairly difficult to get into - which is like a red flag to a bull for more adventurous types.

However, on July 30 the place will be opened up and people will be welcomed onto the roof to watch the film Faith and Truth.

Novinsky Blvrd . 25b1

Khrushchyovka courtyard

A courtyard located in the 9th experimental block of the Novye Cheremushki district will turn into an outdoor cinema this summer. Cheremushki is the first district where Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchyov decided to build the iconic Khrushchyovka apartment blocks in the 1950s. As a result, thousands of Russians were given their own pads after decades living huddled together in communal apartments known as kommunalka .

Cheremushki is the adapted film-version of Dmitry Shostakovich’s operetta and will be shown here on Aug. 6. The organizers of the multiple screenings - the Moskino cinema chain - say they will revive the Soviet tradition of neighbors meeting in courtyards for a good old tongue wag. There will also be a guided tour of the block.

Address to be confirmed at mos-kino.ru

Pioneers Palace

If you want a slice of the postwar Soviet avant-garde style, head to the Pioneers Palace at Vorobyevy Gory. Pioneers Palaces were youth centers for sport, creativity, and hobbies for Young Pioneers (a communist organization for children) during the Soviet Union. There were dance classes, martial arts, drawing, and many other activities.

To Love a Man , a movie about two young architects building a new town in Siberia, will be shown here on Aug. 22. There will also be a lecture about building experiments in the 20th century.

Kosygina St. 17b2

A secret place

The last cinema venue remains a secret. On Aug. 27 there will be a screening, but at the moment no one knows where. Information will appear on mos-kino.ru but those who attend all four screenings above will be able to guess the last location.

A talk about architecture and Soviet history also will be hosted here.

Read more: Relics of Constructivist Architecture in post-Soviet countries

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

to our newsletter!

Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox

This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.

Expedia Rewards is now One Key™

Elektrostal, visit elektrostal, check elektrostal hotel availability, popular places to visit.

• Electrostal History and Art Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Electrostal History and Art Museum in Elektrostal. Take in the museums while you're in the area.

• Cities near Elektrostal

• Places of interest
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• Bykovo Manor
• Balashikha Arena
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Balashikha Museum of History and Local Lore
• Pekhorka Park
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center
• Saturn Stadium