REPRINT: How does a Quiz Work?

This post is re-printed here so that you can share it with any friends or family members who are curious about what Bible Quizzing is, in advance of the kickoff.

How does a Quiz Work?

The Basics

A Bible Quiz always works the same way:

• There are 20 questions in a quiz
• Quizzers "jump" to answer a question
• You have 30 seconds to answer a question (with certain exceptions)
• A correct answer is worth 20 points
• A wrong answer is deducts 10 points, plus the other team gets a bonus question to answer worth 10 points
• There are ways to earn extra points by
• Getting 5 questions right and none wrong (+10)
• Having 4 quizzers on your team get at least one question right (+10)
• Having 5 quizzers on your team get at least one question right (+10)
• At the end, the team with the higher score wins.  (If there is a tie, we go into a 5 question overtime session.)

"Jump"

Every quizzer sits on a chair during the quiz with a pad on the seat.  The pad contains two switches which are depressed when the quizzer puts pressure on it.  When a quizzer relieves the pressure - by standing up, moving their leg, etc. - they have "jumped" and an electrical current goes thru the pad to a box seen by the quizmaster.  The first quizzer to jump - and only the first - shows up as a light on the quizmaster's board.  Once that light is seen, the quizmaster will call on the appropriate quizzer

Kinds of Questions

• Regular Question:

Q:  In my first book, WHO?
A:  O Theophilus   [Acts 1:1]

• Multi-Part Question: 

Q:  2 Part:  I dealt with all that Jesus WHAT?
A:  Began to do and teach    [Acts 1:1]

• Reference Question:

Q:  According to Acts 1:20, For it is written, WHAT?
A:  in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate,
    and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’

• Situation Question:

Q:  WHO SAID IT? "Look at us,"
A:  Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John   [Acts 3:4]

• Finish-the-Verse Question:

Q:  He said to them… 
A:  … “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority..  [Acts 1:7]

REPRINT: Why Should I Quiz?

This post is re-printed here so that you can share it with any friends or family members who are curious about what Bible Quizzing is, in advance of the kickoff.

Why Should I Quiz?

The Tagline

We like to break down the appeal of Bible Quizzing into a simple tagline:  Learn God's Word, Make New Friends, Compete

Learn God's Word

Ultimately, Bible Quizzing is all about learning the Bible - God's own words to humanity.  As a quizzer, you won't learn a few quaint Bible stories, some watered-down theology, or a couple of hand-selected memory verses.  You will learn whole books of the Bible!  You'll learn to commit scripture to heart and mind, to read critically, and to understand the original meaning of the text.

We like to tell the story of a couple of past quizzers who applied to be missionaries.  They were in a group with seminarians, pastors, and Bible school graduates, and went through a rigorous test to check their knowledge of the Bible.  They got the top two scores in the entire group, outdoing men and women with MDivs and PhDs, and they realized it was all due to Bible Quizzing.

Make New Friends

There are not many ministries these days that reach out beyond the four walls of your own church or the small group of teens who make up your Youth Group.  But in Bible Quizzing, we compete against teens from other churches from our District (the northeastern USA) and some years from all over the country.  It is a chance to meet people from all over who share your love of Jesus, and form friendships that last a lifetime.

A number of past quizzers met their college roommate, their spouse-to-be, or their best friend in Bible Quizzing.

Compete

Let's be clear - Bible Quizzing is fun!  It's a sport where you test your mind and your heart as you compete with other teens to see who knows the most, who remembers the most, and who is the quickest to remember the material.  Like any sport, not every competitor is the same.  Some are amazing at memorization - it is not uncommon to find quizzers able to recite whole chapters or books of the Bible.  Some are amazing at recognizing key words or phrases - this was my specialty.  Still others are gifted at quick jumping and lightning-fast recall.  And some teens aren't great at memory, but are gifted in bringing the team together and encouraging others.  Whatever your gift, be sure we can use you.  And be sure you will have fun!

A Few Other Things

• Some Home Schoolers find Bible Quizzing a perfect fit for their curriculum.
• Some teens find the Bible Quiz Team to be a safe place to ease their way into the social side of the church.  As a smaller and supportive group with a focussed purpose, it is unintimidating.
• Some colleges offer Bible Quizzing scholarships.  If you're looking at a Christian college, be sure to inquire!

REPRINT: What is Bible Quizzing?

This post is re-printed here so that you can share it with any friends or family members who are curious about what Bible Quizzing is, in advance of the kickoff.

What is Bible Quizzing?

Summary

Bible Quizzing is a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church which brings together teens to study books of the Bible in-depth over the course of a school year.  We focus on learning the text - as well as getting information from the coaches on the context and meaning of the text - and compete with each other to demonstrate our knowledge.  Periodically - about once a month - we get together for a Quiz Meet with other churches in our District for a competition, and about twice a year we meet for a full-blown formal Quiz Meet, complete with trophies.

What is the Goal of Bible Quizzing?

Our focus and goal for the Bible Quizzing ministry is to store up the Bible in the hearts of willing teens.  The competition is a fun, but is just a means to the end of learning scripture.

How much is covered?

We go through a different section of scripture every year, covering anywhere from 1 long book of the Bible to five short books.  Over the course of a cycle, we cover gospels, history, and letters from the New Testament.

For next year, we are studying the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon - about 19 chapters.

If you go through all the possible years of quizzing, you will have learned 16 books of the Bible!

What would MY commitment be?

We have one practice a week, approximately 1 quiz meet a month, and once or twice a year we will do an overnight for one of those Quiz Meets.  We met from September to May.  There is no required cost.

How do I get more information?

1.  Read thru this website.  The sidebar especially has lots of useful information.
2.  Talk to teens currently in the Bible Quizzing ministry.
3.  Talk to the coaches.  You can e-mail us via the link in the sidebar.
4.   Keep coming back to this website.  It will be updated every day with new information.

INTRODUCTION: Why Should I Quiz?

At the Ministry Fair, some people may have been exposed to the Teen Bible Quizzing Ministry for the first time.  So, we want to give you a chance to get to know us with some basic, introductory posts.  This series will give you a taste for what Bible Quizzing is.

Why Should I Quiz?

The Tagline

We like to break down the appeal of Bible Quizzing into a simple tagline:  Learn God's Word, Make New Friends, Compete

Learn God's Word

Ultimately, Bible Quizzing is all about learning the Bible - God's own words to humanity.  As a quizzer, you won't learn a few quaint Bible stories, some watered-down theology, or a couple of hand-selected memory verses.  You will learn whole books of the Bible!  You'll learn to commit scripture to heart and mind, to read critically, and to understand the original meaning of the text.

We like to tell the story of a couple of past quizzers who applied to be missionaries.  They were in a group with seminarians, pastors, and Bible school graduates, and went through a rigorous test to check their knowledge of the Bible.  They got the top two scores in the entire group, outdoing men and women with MDivs and PhDs, and they realized it was all due to Bible Quizzing.

Make New Friends

There are not many ministries these days that reach out beyond the four walls of your own church or the small group of teens who make up your Youth Group.  But in Bible Quizzing, we compete against teens from other churches from our District (the northeastern USA) and some years from all over the country.  It is a chance to meet people from all over who share your love of Jesus, and form friendships that last a lifetime.

A number of past quizzers met their college roommate, their spouse-to-be, or their best friend in Bible Quizzing.

Compete

Let's be clear - Bible Quizzing is fun!  It's a sport where you test your mind and your heart as you compete with other teens to see who knows the most, who remembers the most, and who is the quickest to remember the material.  Like any sport, not every competitor is the same.  Some are amazing at memorization - it is not uncommon to find quizzers able to recite whole chapters or books of the Bible.  Some are amazing at recognizing key words or phrases - this was my specialty.  Still others are gifted at quick jumping and lightning-fast recall.  And some teens aren't great at memory, but are gifted in bringing the team together and encouraging others.  Whatever your gift, be sure we can use you.  And be sure you will have fun!

A Few Other Things

• Some Home Schoolers find Bible Quizzing a perfect fit for their curriculum.
• Some teens find the Bible Quiz Team to be a safe place to ease their way into the social side of the church.  As a smaller and supportive group with a focussed purpose, it is unintimidating.
• Some colleges offer Bible Quizzing scholarships.  If you're looking at a Christian college, be sure to inquire!

INTRODUCTION: How does a Quiz Work?

At the Ministry Fair, some people may have been exposed to the Teen Bible Quizzing Ministry for the first time.  So, we want to give you a chance to get to know us with some basic, introductory posts.  This series will give you a taste for what Bible Quizzing is.

How does a Quiz Work?

The Basics

A Bible Quiz always works the same way:

• There are 20 questions in a quiz
• Quizzers "jump" to answer a question
• You have 30 seconds to answer a question (with certain exceptions)
• A correct answer is worth 20 points
• A wrong answer is deducts 10 points, plus the other team gets a bonus question to answer worth 10 points
• There are ways to earn extra points by
• Getting 5 questions right and none wrong (+10)
• Having 4 quizzers on your team get at least one question right (+10)
• Having 5 quizzers on your team get at least one question right (+10)
• At the end, the team with the higher score wins.  (If there is a tie, we go into a 5 question overtime session.)

"Jump"

Every quizzer sits on a chair during the quiz with a pad on the seat.  The pad contains two switches which are depressed when the quizzer puts pressure on it.  When a quizzer relieves the pressure - by standing up, moving their leg, etc. - they have "jumped" and an electrical current goes thru the pad to a box seen by the quizmaster.  The first quizzer to jump - and only the first - shows up as a light on the quizmaster's board.  Once that light is seen, the quizmaster will call on the appropriate quizzer

Kinds of Questions

• Regular Question:

Q:  In my first book, WHO?
A:  O Theophilus   [Acts 1:1]

• Multi-Part Question: 

Q:  2 Part:  I dealt with all that Jesus WHAT?
A:  Began to do and teach    [Acts 1:1]

• Reference Question:

Q:  According to Acts 1:20, For it is written, WHAT?
A:  in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate,
    and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’

• Situation Question:

Q:  WHO SAID IT? "Look at us,"
A:  Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John   [Acts 3:4]

• Finish-the-Verse Question:

Q:  He said to them… 
A:  … “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority..  [Acts 1:7]

INTRODUCTION: What are we quizzing on next season?

At the Ministry Fair, some people may have been exposed to the Teen Bible Quizzing Ministry for the first time.  So, we want to give you a chance to get to know us with some basic, introductory posts.  This series will give you a taste for what Bible Quizzing is.

What are we quizzing on next season?

Books of the Bible

Some years, we only study a single book, but this year we are covering 5 of the epistles:

• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• Philemon

Version of the Bible

There are many different English translations of the Bible.  We use the 2011 edition of the English Standard Version.  

How and When

We'll be studying approximately one chapter per week, but paced through the course of the Bible Quizzing season (September to May).  We recommend every quizzer read thru the chapter of the week twice every day.  We'll also meet once a week for a practice where we'll have a short lesson on the chapter - talking about context and importance of the material - and then we'll quiz as a team.  Practice will be about 1 hour long.

INTRODUCTION: What is Bible Quizzing?

At the Ministry Fair, some people may have been exposed to the Teen Bible Quizzing Ministry for the first time.  So, we want to give you a chance to get to know us with some basic, introductory posts.  This series will give you a taste for what Bible Quizzing is.

What is Bible Quizzing?

Summary

Bible Quizzing is a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church which brings together teens to study books of the Bible in-depth over the course of a school year.  We focus on learning the text - as well as getting information from the coaches on the context and meaning of the text - and compete with each other to demonstrate our knowledge.  Periodically - about once a month - we get together for a Quiz Meet with other churches in our District for a competition, and about twice a year we meet for a full-blown formal Quiz Meet, complete with trophies.

What is the Goal of Bible Quizzing?

Our focus and goal for the Bible Quizzing ministry is to store up the Bible in the hearts of willing teens.  The competition is a fun, but is just a means to the end of learning scripture.

How much is covered?

We go through a different section of scripture every year, covering anywhere from 1 long book of the Bible to five short books.  Over the course of a cycle, we cover gospels, history, and letters from the New Testament.

For next year, we are studying the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon - about 19 chapters.

If you go through all the possible years of quizzing, you will have learned 16 books of the Bible!

What would MY commitment be?

We have one practice a week, approximately 1 quiz meet a month, and once or twice a year we will do an overnight for one of those Quiz Meets.  We met from September to May.  There is no required cost.

How do I get more information?

1.  Read thru this website.  The sidebar especially has lots of useful information.
2.  Talk to teens currently in the Bible Quizzing ministry.
3.  Talk to the coaches.  You can e-mail us via the link in the sidebar.
4.   Keep coming back to this website.  It will be updated every day with new information.

Slideshow 2015

If you know anyone interested in doing Bible Quiz Team for 2014-2015, please encourage them to visit our table at next week's Ministry Fair!

GETTING READY: Why do we study the Bible?

Starting next week, we'll begin a series of introductory posts about the books of Romans and James, to help you prepare for next year.  But before we start diving into new text, let's pause a moment and think about why we study the Bible and why we Quiz. 

We take part in Bible Quizzing, because it encourages us to learn the Bible, right?  (I am hoping your answer is "Yes", but it's okay if it's "Yes, but there are other reasons, too.")  We love the Bible because we believe it is God's Word - His method of communicating with human beings.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16

 But there is a real danger in studying the scriptures, too.  Jesus actually had words of warning about it for the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of his own day.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,John 5:39

It is possible when studying the Bible to start thinking that the scriptures are the most important thing.  They are very important, but they are important because they point us to Jesus and to God!

Paul also has a warning to his readers.

...we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.1 Corinthians 8:1

There is always a temptation when you gain knowledge to use it as a basis for pride.  But scripture is always warning people to be humble.  We're all nothing before God, and our best knowledge is only a tiny fraction of real understanding.

As we move into this new Bible Quizzing season, take a moment to examine and prepare your heart for your studying.  Make sure you are studying for the right reasons - to know God - and not for the wrong ones.

GETTING READY: Bible Quizzing Rules

If you're talking with friends and family about joining the Bible Quiz Team for the 2013-2014 season, they'll want to know how quizzing works.  How many questions, what's the time limits, what kinds of questions, how are quizzes run, etc.  No single video can answer all of those questions, but the rules certainly can.  We've got them all online for your printing and reading pleasure.  Click here or the image below for the full rule-set.

BIBLE NEWS: "Bible Quiz" - The Movie

We've done our share of movie-making for Bible Quizzing over the years, but we've never tried to make a full-blown documentary about the ministry.  But now, it looks like a former Bible Quizzer has taken the time to film and tell a story around our unique way of learning the Bible.  They use a slightly different system from ours, but the basics of competition are the same.


Trailer from Bible Quiz Movie on Vimeo.

BIBLE NEWS: International Bible Quiz for Youth Crowns Two Champions

Our style of Bible Quizzing is not the only one.  Recently, the "International Bible Quiz for Youth" in Israel - a competition focussed on the Old Testament for Jewish youth - crowned two champions, one of whom was the first non-Israeli to win the tournament!

Yishai Eisenberg, 15, from New Jersey and Elior Babian, 16, from Beit Shemesh were declared inseparable in the depth of their knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and crowned joint winners and recipients of the coveted prize, which includes scholarships for educational programs in Israel.
Competitors were narrowed down in earlier rounds from 58 to 16; they came from 26 countries and their ages ranged from 12 up through 18.
The International Bible Quiz for Youth for the Hebrew year 5773 was organized by the IDF chief education officer, the IDF Rabbinate, the Defense and Education ministries, the Jewish Agency and the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund.

It's exciting to see other teens learning the Word of God, no matter what their quizzing system.

FLASHBACK: Matthew Bible Knowledge Test

If you were at Districts this year, you took the Bible Knowledge Test.  And we acquitted ourselves very well!  But have you been wondering how your friends or family might do with the material?  Well, here's your chance to find out.  You can down load a blank copy of the Test to print out HERE, and the answer key HERE.

GETTING READY: Why was the Gospel of Matthew written?

Every book has an intended audience - textbooks are written for students, manuals for users, and novels for bored people looking to escape daily life. So, who was the gospel of Matthew written for? And what does it tell us about this "Good News" that Matthew is talking about?

Matthew's gospel is clearly written for a Jewish Christian audience living within the immediate proximity of the homeland itself. Matthew's is the most Jewish of all the gospels. The community for which Matthew was written was a Jewish Christian community that was encountering some new tensions in the period of reconstruction after the first revolt. It would appear that they've been there for quite some time. They actually show a consciousness of an older legacy of Jesus' tradition, going back to before the war. But now they're experiencing new tensions and new problems in the aftermath of the revolt as a political and social reconstruction is taking place.

GETTING READY: Who wrote the Gospel of Matthew?

If you want to understand any written document, it is wise to start by learning a little something about it's author. A person writing about events they were close to, is much more likely to be speaking accurately about what actually happened. Matthew - the author of the Gospel of Matthew - was an apostle who walked with Jesus throughout his early ministry. This is a man who saw most of what he was writing about, first-hand!

Since the times of the early church fathers, the apostle Matthew has always been accredited with the authorship of the first gospel (canonically). Even the title “According to Matthew” is found in the earliest manuscripts, and was the most highly regarded and quoted of the gospels by the church fathers. Matthew is also called Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27), and was the son of Alphaeus (Luke 5:27). He was a tax collector, probably stationed on a main trade route near Capernaum where he would have collected tolls for Herod Antipas from commercial traffic. Additionally, being a tax collector might better qualify Matthew for his role as an official recorder of the life and actions of Christ. After the resurrection there is no other mention of him in the New Testament.

GETTING READY: Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew

Summer is here, which means it is time to start thinking about next year's Bible Quizzing.  No, you don't need to start studying!  But it is good to start familiarizing yourself with the material we'll be covering.  Let's start out with a brief introduction to the book, and there are few better tools for a "getting to know you" session in the New Testament than the NIV Study Bible Introdutions.

Although the first Gospel is anonymous, the early church fathers were unanimous in holding that Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, was its author...

Some have argued on the basis of its Jewish characteristics that Matthew’s Gospel was written in the early church period, possibly the early part of a.d. 50, when the church was largely Jewish and the gospel was preached to Jews only (Ac 11:19). However, those who have concluded that both Matthew and Luke drew extensively from Mark’s Gospel date it later—after the Gospel of Mark had been in circulation for a period of time.

Matthew’s main purpose is to prove to his Jewish readers that Jesus is their Messiah. He does this primarily by showing how Jesus in his life and ministry fulfilled the OT Scriptures. Although all the Gospel writers quote the OT, Matthew includes nine proof texts unique to his Gospel (1:22–23; 2:15; 2:17–18; 2:23; 4:14–16; 8:17; 12:17–21; 13:35; 27:9–10) to drive home his basic theme: Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT predictions of the Messiah. Matthew even finds the history of God’s people in the OT recapitulated in some aspects of Jesus’ life (see, e.g., his quotation of Hos 11:1 in 2:15). To accomplish his purpose Matthew also emphasizes Jesus’ Davidic lineage (see Recipients, p. 1945). 

Click on through for the whole entry.  It is worth reading! 

What can I do to prepare for Bible Quizzing?

Okay, you attended the Ministry Fair.  You've been reading the blog.  You're excited and ready to check out the Bible Quiz Team!  But it doesn't start until September.  So, you ask, what can you do to prepare for the Fall?  There are a few things you can do in the meantime!

• Get familiar with the Gospel of Matthew.  Read through it on your own or with your family in your daily devotions.
• Start by memorizing a few verses from the book that are meaningful to you.  (Matthew 10:38, Matthew 5:14, and Matthew 6:34 are good options)
• Find some friends who you enjoy hanging with and competing with.  Look for Bible-based games to play together to challenge your mind.

How long has Bible Quizzing been around?

While asking questions about the Bible has been going on since the books were first written, according to several sources, teen Bible quizzing began in 1946 as a way to encourage teens to study the Word of God. The first national Bible Quiz competition was held by Youth for Christ in 1950. And from there, it spread to many different organizations and denominations, including the EFCA.

Bible Quizzing has been going for 62 years now. Consider joining this tradition next year with Beacon Hill Church's Bible Quiz team!
 

What kind of time commitment does Bible Quizzing require?

We live in a busy world, and between school, church, sports, and extracurricular activities, teens are often the most busy people around. So, that raises the question of what kind of time commitment does the Bible Quiz Team demand? While the exact times may vary by person, our general guidelines are:

• At least 2 read-thrus of the assigned chapter per day.  (About 1/2 hour)
• Our 1 hour practice each Sunday between services (About 1 hour)
• Approximately monthly quiz meets (We usually leave the church by 7 AM and return about 3 PM)
• Twice a year, we'll have major quiz meets where we'll be staying overnight at host churches.  We leave on Friday night and return Saturday evening or Sunday noonish.  (Be watching for more details here as the season gets closer)

Studying, of course, is a highly personal affair.  Some teens can get by with the minimum read-thrus.  Others choose to incorporate it into their school study schedule, or set up get-togethers during the week to study and quiz with friends.  You get out of Bible Quiz Team, as with most things in life, what you put into it!

What other churches are involved in Bible Quizzing?

We've discussed that the Bible Quiz Team will be traveling to local churches on a monthly basis for Quiz Meets. That logically raises the question, "Where will be traveling to?" There are several local churches involved in Bible Quizzing - and we quiz with the Eastern District of the EFCA.

• Trumbull, CT  (Calvary Evangelical Free Church or check out the team blog)
• Cresskill, NJ  (Northern Valley Evangelical Free Church)
• Sparta, NJ (Sparta Evangelical Free Church)
• Dallas, PA (Fellowship Evangelical Free Church)
• Lititz, PA (Lancaster Evangelical Free Church)
• Hershey, PA (Evangelical Free Church of Hershey)

Most local meets will be with Trumbull, Cresskill, and Sparta since they are much closer to us.