Greece January 2025
COR 375 with Gwen Hersha
$2,200 student cost*
*Cost with the CCS Subsidy. The $200 nonrefundable application fee is not included in this amount. The CCS Subsidy applies to 1st CCS program only.
There is a saying that when God made the earth, He saved the best for Greece. There are few places on the planet that have more beauty, more spectacular scenery, from mountains to islands to rivers and canyons, than the land of Greece.
Learning-intensive activities may include
Athens
Experience ancient Greece, where the headquarters will be at Cosmovision Center. Visit Parliament, Syntagma Square, The Plaka, the Acropolis, the 2004 Olympic Stadium, The Agora, Monastiraki Square, and Mars Hill. Experience the antiquities of Mycenae and Corinth.
Thessaloniki
Experience contemporary Greece. Thessaloniki is a busy, vibrant city and is Greece’s second major economic, industrial, commercial, and cultural center, as well as a major transportation hub in southeastern Europe. Its commercial port is of great importance. The city has two state universities that host the largest student population in Greece. Home base in the north may be the beautiful sea-side village of Leptokarya. Additional locations and excursions in the north will include viewing Mount Olympus, Dion, ancient Philippi, the monasteries of Meteora, and more.
Economics
Talk with local merchants in Thessaloniki and service employees in both urban and rural communities. Shop at the local food market. Meet with community professionals who provide service to the community (i.e., doctor, teachers and school administrators, lawyer, judge). Discuss the difficult economic issues facing Greece with the locals in many locations.
Education and Family
Talk with families in rural and suburban communities to become acquainted with traditional family customs. Visit primary and secondary schools to understand the Greek education system. Examine current social issues through the media and conversation with local citizens of all ages. Eat meals in family owned restaurants with local citizens to engage in conversations with the locals and understand more about contemporary Greek life.
Government
Speak with local citizens about their perception of current government and membership in the EU, and understand the role Greece has played in democracy past, present and future, as well as the current role Greece plays in global issues and perspectives. Meet with a person from the American Embassy. Visit the Greek parliament and hear a presentation made by an official representative. Understand the challenges an island nation faces with immigration and migration of many people from Africa and the Middle East to Europe through Greece.
Religion
Visit the local Greek Orthodox Church. Speak with the local priest and parishioners. Examine the integration of church and state in Greek culture and society. Visit at least one non-Orthodox church and discuss the role of that religious perspective in Greek society. Visit and study historical sites identified in New Testament writings (i.e., Paul’s journeys). Visit with local missionaries and evangelists and examine the role of evangelism in Greek culture. Engage in helping ministries in Athens to learn up close and personal about the immigration issues facing Greece and evangelical ministries to the illegal immigrants and people migrating from areas of conflict. Talk with people involved in NGOs helping women entrapped in prostitution through poverty or trafficking.
“The Greece CCS program changed my life and how I look at the world. I learned so much about Greek culture, history, and myself. The people we met will forever be on my mind. Greece is an absolutely breathtaking country and an amazing culture. Our guide and our hosts were very kind and gracious when it came to teaching us even simple Greek words. Visiting with Greek students was such an eye opener to culture. Being able to hang out with some of the students in Katerini was a lot of fun. Visiting places that are mentioned in the Bible made the Bible incredibly real to me. The food was delicious! I’m so happy I decided to go to Greece, it really changed how I view the world, and deepened my faith.” – Jennifer St. Charles
“I do not know if I will ever feel as beautiful as I felt in Greece. It wasn’t that I felt physically beautiful, but instead, I was a part of something so beautiful that it allowed God to reach to new corners of my soul each day we spent there. The historical setting alone can bring tears to any traveler’s eyes. Standing exactly where Paul stood when he preached the Gospel makes the words jump off the Biblical page and into your heart. I saw the beauty of each Greek person inviting us to share an experience in their country, revealing Greek culture to us — the good and the bad, with hospitable spirits and incredible wit and charm. Dining next to the Aegean Sea with delicious food is very special! The most beautiful thing about Greece is that the people there have so much to teach us, and you will carry their lessons with you forever. You can only fully understand the pure beauty of Greece if you sojourn it yourself!” – Sara Burge
Travel Information
Departure Dates
January 2025 experiences may leave as early as December 28, 2024 and return before the start of the Spring Semester. Students should not make irreversible plans until their departure date is confirmed by the CCS office in early Fall 2024.
Health and Safety
This experience, like all CCS experiences, is subject to political and safety realities at the time of departure. CCS options can be physically and emotionally intense and stretching. Before enrolling, all participants should consult the disclosures on Physical Hardships of CCS.
For more details on recommended immunizations consult the immunizations chart. Passports required at additional cost.
Trip Costs
Students are responsible for tuition for COR374 and COR375, as well as a $200 nonrefundable application fee. In addition, there is the $2,200 travel cost for the 2025 CCS Greece trip.
CCS trips are not guaranteed and are subject to change.