BECOME PART OF THE WITNESS
Build a Visible Response to Jesus' Prayer
At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for all who would believe in him:
"That the may all be one... so that the world may believe."
— John 17:20-20
At Magdala, Christians from different traditions are choosing to respond — not by setting aside the differences that remain between us, but by taking the steps we can take together: welcoming, serving, listening, praying and building friendships in Christ.
One Step Closer – Hospitality Together begins here, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, but its hope reaches far beyond Magdala.
Your participation helps give this prayer a visible and practical expression.
Recognition at Magdala
The John 17 Landmark will bear witness not simply through what is written upon it, but through the people who chose to build it together.
Visitors may one day pause and ask:
Did Christians from all these traditions really build this together?
Yes, and that simple fact will point them back to the prayer of Jesus:
“That they may all be one.”
Christians Traditions & Confessions
A visible sign of shared purpose
In response to Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:20–23), Christians from many traditions are choosing to build together.
We do not minimize our real and sometimes significant differences. Yet in Christ, we can still take concrete steps toward one another — serving, blessing, listening and working together.
Enquire About Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
The John 17 Landmark will stand as a public witness that Orthodox, Eastern Christians, Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Christians from many other traditions can participate together in a visible act of collaboration.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
— John 13:35
Enquire About Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
A leadership gift gives visible expression to your Christian tradition’s participation in this shared response to John 17.
Visitors may one day ask: Did Christians from all these traditions really build this together?
They did. And that witness will point them back to Jesus’ prayer for his disciples.
Enquire About Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
Churches & Communities
A Galilee witness carried home
Your local church can become part of this visible response to Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:20–23).
By helping build the John 17 Landmark at Magdala, your community places a concrete sign of its faith and hope on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Enquire About Church Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
But participation does not end at Magdala.
Your church is invited to carry the One Step Closer spirit home — building friendships with neighboring churches, serving your community together, praying for one another and discovering new possibilities for collaboration in Christ.
Enquire About Church Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
What begins in Galilee can become a seed of renewal at home.
What begins in Galilee is meant to go worldwide. Your church’s participation at Magdala can become a seed of John 17 renewal in your own community.
Make this witness personal
Some churches may wish to connect their participation with a founding story, pastoral anniversary, pilgrimage, mission emphasis or local service initiative.
We would be glad to explore a path that honors your church’s story while keeping Jesus’ prayer for oneness at the center.
Enquire About Church Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
Families & Households
A legacy of faith carried forward
A family legacy is handed on not only through words, but through deeds of faith and love.
By helping build the John 17 Landmark at Magdala, your family becomes part of a lasting response to Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one.”
Enquire About Family Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
Years from now, your children, grandchildren or future generations may stand on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and discover the witness your family helped make possible.
What you offer today can become an invitation to those who follow:
Remember what the Lord has done.
Cherish the oneness for which Jesus prayed.
Continue the journey.
Enquire About Family Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
“Tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord.”
— Psalm 78:4
Honor Your Family at Magdala
Families may wish to recognize parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren through their participation in One Step Closer.
We would be glad to explore what this could mean for your family.
Enquire About Family Participation
Contat: ddelgado@magdala.org
ANOTHER WAY TO BE A PART
The Magdala Mosaic
The great mosaic at Magdala maps the land where Jesus walked, created from more than 1.5 million individual stones.
No two pieces are exactly alike.
Yet when placed together, they form something beautiful.
At the heart of the mosaic, the Sea of Galilee has been reserved as a special space connected to One Step Closer — a fitting image of what this initiative hopes to foster among Christians around the world.
Many traditions.
Many stories.
One shared desire to walk closer in Christ.
Ways to Give
Every gift helps turn the vision of One Step Closer – Hospitality Together into something pilgrims, volunteers, churches and future generations can encounter and carry forward.
Your support helps advance the John 17 Landmark and the wider work of fostering hospitality, friendship and collaboration among Christians from different traditions.
Give Online
Make a secure online gift to support One Step Closer.
Your donation is processed securely and you’ll receive an immediate confirmation.
One-time and recurring gifts are both available.
Additional Giving Methods
Mail a Check
Make checks payable to New Gate to Peace Foundation (EIN: 55-0907295)
Mail to:
- New Gate to Peace Foundation
- P.O. Box 743210
- Atlanta, GA 30384-3210
Or courier (FedEx/UPS) to:
- Bank of America Lockbox Services
- Lockbox 743210
- 6000 Feldwood Road
- College Park, GA 30349
Important: Please add a valid email address on your check to allow us to confirm receipt and indicate “One Step Closer” with your gift if you would like your contribution designated to this initiative.
Wire Transfer
For wire transfer instructions, please contact our Development team.
ddelgado@magdala.org
Stock & Securities
Donating appreciated securities can be a tax-efficient way to support One Step Closer.
Depending on your individual circumstances and applicable tax rules, gifts of appreciated securities may offer charitable tax benefits.Please consult your tax or financial advisor regarding your individual situation.
Contact Development for transfer instructions.
Donor Advised Fund
You may recommend a grant to New Gate to Peace Foundation (EIN: 55-0907295) through your Donor-Advised Fund.
If you would like your grant directed specifically to One Step Closer, please indicate the initiative in your recommendation.
Legal Name: New Gate to Peace Foundation
EIN: 55-0907295
Contact Development
Qualified Charitable Distribution
If you are eligible, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) may allow you to make a gift directly from an IRA to New Gate to Peace Foundation.
Eligibility, annual limits and tax treatment are subject to current U.S. tax rules and your individual circumstances.
Please consult your financial or tax advisor and contact our Development team for current giving instructions.
Leave a Legacy of Faith in the Holy Land
Thanks to the generosity of donors, Magdala continues to welcome pilgrims and stand as a beacon of hope for generations to come.
Include Us in Your Will or Trust
- Name New Gate to Peace Foundation (EIN: 55-0907295) as a beneficiary
- Choose a percentage, specific amount, or residual gift
- Direct your gift to a particular initiative or general support
Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) or QCD
- Recommend a one-time or recurring grant
- Name New Gate to Peace Foundation (EIN: 55-0907295) as successor beneficiary
- Invite your family to participate in your legacy
Gift of Stock or Appreciated Assets
May offer tax advantages depending on the asset, applicable law and your individual circumstances.
Retirement or Insurance Plan
- Name us as beneficiary of IRA, 401(k), or pension
- Designate life insurance policy proceeds
- Consider charitable trust or annuity options
Let the Journey Continue
What begins as one act of generosity can continue far beyond us.
A future pilgrim may be welcomed here.
A pastor may meet another Christian leader.
A volunteer may discover friendship where there was once distance.
A family may encounter Jesus’ prayer with new eyes.
A church may return home inspired to take its own next step.
Your legacy can help that journey continue.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or tax advice. We encourage you to consult with your attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional to discuss how a legacy gift to Magdala, through the New Gate to Peace Foundation (EIN: 55-0907295), may align with your individual goals and circumstances. All legacy gifts are subject to applicable laws in your country of residence.
BECOME PART OF THE WITNESS
Take a Step With Us
One Step Closer is not a single event or a short campaign.
Centuries of separation are not overcome in one gesture.
But a friendship can begin.
A church can reach out to another church.
Christians can serve together.
A pilgrim can return home seeing another Christian tradition differently.
And a place built together on the shores of the Sea of Galilee can quietly proclaim for generations:
Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one.
We are learning how to respond —
one step at a time,
one friendship at a time,
one act of hospitality at a time.