To the casual observer, Bible quizzing is a sport where three teams match knowledge, recall ability and quickness of response against one another on a designated portion of Scripture. This is part of quizzing, and in most cases, it is the only part that many people see. This is the public side of a ministry which has its greatest effectiveness behind the scenes.

A look into the inner world of the Bible quizzing ministry will shed light on some lives that have been changed as the Holy Spirit worked through the Word of God.

Holden was an exceptionally intelligent, competitive, but socially uninvolved youth when the church quiz coach asked him to join the team. If the other quizzers had been polled, they probably would not have asked Holden. But then they did not know him yet. He did not run in their group, or any group for that matter. All he really needed was some help in beginning to relate to the other teens in the church.

Quizzing was the most important involvement I had during my teen years. I must admit that at times I enjoyed it more as a game and a release for my competitive spirit. But in retrospect, I realize just how subtly the Word of God was implanted in my heart, and how in later years I could draw upon that knowledge in times of need. The spiritual impact has certainly been the most important and lasting. However, even the social impact was important. The molding of your personality as you learn the proper way to win and the gracious way to lose. The friendships that were made, and still last today. The down-to-earth honesty of sharing yourself with other teens as you work on true unity as a team.

Holden soon became the captain of his quiz team, as well as becoming active in his church youth group, serving as its president during his senior year. Holden was never introverted, just uninvolved in the caring-sharing experience of a growing Christian. He is now a member of the Bawker Brothers Piano Duo which travels internationally in concert ministries.

Bob loved activity and just could not seem to get enough. At fourteen he was about to decide whether the church had anything to offer him. His church was struggling in the area of youth ministries, providing only Sunday school and Christian Service Brigade for teens. This was not enough for Bob. The formation of a Bible quiz team came at a very critical time in his life. At first he questioned getting too involved in a program that only studied the Bible, but the competition aspect, the enthusiasm of another quizzer and the perseverance of the coach easily convinced him. His coach said that he spent a great deal of time encouraging Bob and sharing his own life in a way that Bob would want a deeper relationship with Christ.

Bob's increased interest and involvement were evident at school and church, making an excellent contribution in both places. Here is an excerpt from a letter to his coach:

You know how involved I was in different activities in high school Brigade, youth group, choir, quizzing, etc. Of all the things I was involved in, quizzing without a doubt has affected my life the most. The whole quiz program has done a lot to increase my Bible knowledge, my mental alertness, as well as giving me the chance to travel. We had a lot of good times 6n our trips and they always led us to other Christian young people with a zeal for the Lord:

Quizzing has greatly aided my spiritual growth through the verses, the Christian fellowship and the times of prayer. Those times of prayer where we were really honest with each other and prayed for each other were highlights in my life.

I began to learn how important prayer was in order to unify Christians and to draw them closer to each other. It was here that we really began to feel for each other, to love other kids and to be genuinely concerned with their welfare.

Furthermore, I just loved the competition, the striving to be the best at something. I had a lot of fun in the quizzing program and wouldn't trade those five years for anything.

There are those who believe that quizzing should not be fun only hard work. But when you hear of a life changed, such as Bob's, you are glad that his coach made sure that quizzing was also fun. Bob is an Alliance pastor who is continuing to pursue his goal of memorizing one or more books of the Bible each year.

Brenda is an attractive girl who was an average high school student. She had seen the changed lives of quizzers, and she wanted some of their experience with the Lord, but she did not become a member of the team until her junior year. Brenda did well in practice from the beginning, but seemed to have a fear she would not overcome in competition. But the coach was delighted with her spiritual progress and would have had her on the team if only to foster this growth.

Quizzing was the most dynamic influence on my life. First of all, I found Christ through it, and the growth I experienced by memorizing the Word was fantastic. I experienced Christian unity in working with others as a team and also a total reliance upon God to help me overcome my fear and nervousness in competitions. This trust transferred itself to other areas as well. Quiz zing gave me a real love and respect for the Bible and it taught me how to get the most from it when applying it to my life. I learned what meditating on the Scripture was as my life became saturated with Scripture.

What a mistake her coach could have made, had he believed quizzing was only for competition. Brenda might not have found Christ. But that coach believed that he and Bible quizzing were only tools that were to be used to transform lives. The gardener is the Holy Spirit who will cultivate the life and implant the Word in those young hearts. The coach will water and care for that tender seed and watch it grow under his loving supervision.

Errol needed a lot of encouragement. His coach approached near exhaustion motivating him to stay with the Word. Errol had the typical quizzer's days where he simply did not study enough or retain much of what he did study. He is a sharp guy with a great deal on the ball, but he was not reaching his potential as a quizzer. The coach spent extra hours just talking, being his friend and caring about him as a person. Was his time worth it? Ask Errol!

The quizzing program is one of the best ways I know to develop spiritually and become a more active, knowledgeable disciple of Christ. I actually believe it helped me to think faster, to comprehend more quickly and to associate people, places, ideas, etc. with other relevant pieces of information. This is invaluable in the art of conversation. Quizzing started me to study and search the Scripture systematically and I learned the necessity of disciplining yourself to study, to learn and to apply spiritual principles; a must for any Christian who wishes to grow and mature.

Did Errol reach his potential as a quizzer? That depends a great deal on what you believe to be the ultimate end of quizzing. Errol did not become captain of his team, nor was he ever admired for his great quizzing ability. He was dependable in competition, generally getting one or two questions, and was well liked by others. But if you believe that quizzing should produce youth who are growing Christians because of a consistent involvement in the Word of God, Errol reached his potential as a quizzer.

Quizzing can have a positive affect on the intellectual processes, as it did with Errol's improved conversational ability.

Carol is a former quizzer who went on to be a coach and has helped in the quizzing ministry in her district. She talks about a side benefit to quizzing that many quizzers can testify to:

When I began Bible quizzing my grades in school were average and below, but as I began seriously studying the Bible and applying methods to help me retain and recall what I had learned, they naturally carried over into my school subjects so that when I graduated from high school I graduated with honors, for which I give all the glory to the Lord.

Bonnie had several problems when she entered the quizzing program, but the greatest seemed to be her inability to open herself to other people.

There was a need for me to open up to my fellow team members. The fact that I held back from them slightly caused them to hold back still more so that we were segmented instead of cemented. The night before the championships we had devotions together and were about to pray when I burst out with, "I can't pray I don't feel like I belong." I really admire the way our coach dealt with me and the others. He presented no solutions, but rather questioned me and my teammates about our feelings, bringing it all into the open. Then we prayed. I remember asking God to take away my fear of being open to others.

Bonnie beat her problem with the help of an understanding coach who accepted her for what she was and wanted to see her reach her own potential in Christ.

Jan has a remarkable memory. She is an interesting and thought-provoking person. As a sophomore she was asking her coach harder and deeper questions than most of the seniors She wanted to understand what she was reading, and her coach wanted to help her. This meant much research and digging on his part to find the answers that would satisfy. He was not always successful, but he placed his confidence in the Word, knowing the Holy Spirit would minister through it to Jan. She expresses her feelings about those years as a quizzer this way:

I believe that quizzing grounded me in the Word. Studying the Bible in such depth gave me a Biblical perspective on life and it helped me to develop certain Scriptural attitudes that under tone everything I do or think a sort of subconscious thing. And those subconscious attitudes can't be destroyed because they are just you they become a part of you. Maybe that's what is meant by "My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end." Anyway, I feel that I now have, due largely to quizzing, an attitude that has colored my whole system of values and my outlook on life. It was just a natural outgrowth of Bible study. Let me try to explain more specifically what this "Biblical perspective" has done to me.

1. Made me a more critical person for the sake of involvement and not just to be critical.

2. Given me a strong desire to have an honest, practical, workable, unwishywashy kind of faith, an effective kind of Christianity, not something irrelevant. I want my faith to make a difference, I want it to matter. It must be an integral part of life and not just a small part of it.

3. The important thing is that life is spiritual.

What have all these ex-quizzers said about Bible quizzing? Just what is Bible quizzing?

If we listen to Holden:

*it is a game

*it is a release for a competitive spirit

*it is a method for a subtle implantation of the Word into the heart of a teen

*it produces a lasting spiritual impact

*it can help the socially uninvolved become involved

*it will teach sportsmanship

*it can produce friendships

*it can provide for sharing

Stated more correctly, Bible quizzing is a youth oriented Bible study method which has as the end result individual spiritual growth. This does not negate the competition phase of quizzing, but allows it to be more the dessert of a delicious meal.

Did you notice the common thread that ran through most of the stories of the quizzers. They had coaches who were concerned, caring people, with a philosophy of quizzing that made it a ministry.

If quizzing in your church is to result in transformed lives, it will begin with an adequate personal philosophy of the coach.

A quizzing coach, discussing his team, said, "Our quiz practice is designed to study and learn. I have no time for those who wish good times. My quizzers are taught to answer the questions perfectly, exactly as written in the Bible. I can't stand quizzers who beat around the bush with an answer." This statement is an expression of a philosophy. It is a strict, no-nonsense, almost professional approach. It would have the tendency to make winning the highest priority and application a lesser priority.

The following coach expresses another philosophy:

The coach needs to have a quizzers heart one that studies hard and never quits. Winning and losing are not the only part of quizzing. A quizzer's heart is one that cheers the other team, is happy when someone else gets five, loves the kids they lose to, loves the kids they beat, is sensitive to other people and wants to see other kids do well. I suppose that's when the Word of God really gets hold of a kid and he finds his greater joy is knowing the Word rather than just winning or losing.

This philosophy would tend to stress identification with the quizzers. Helping, understanding and giving of yourself and your time would be included. Competition would be a secondary priority, with the major emphasis being application of the Word to life today.

Another coach says: "I try to convey to each of my quizzers that I have confidence in them. To stress how valuable the study of the Scripture will be to them all their lives, even if they do not answer quickly. I have a great love and enthusiasm for quizzing, and I feel quizzers reflect the attitude of their coach." This philosophy is very similar to the second one. Here emphasis seems to be placed on trust, confidence, enthusiasm and attitude. Again, competition is de-emphasized.

Each of these coaches has expressed a part of his Bible quizzing philosophy. Whether these are casual ideas or well thought out conclusions, reached after much soul searching, they still represent an approach that will be taken to Bible quizzing. They reflect a philosophy. All coaches have a philosophy that they follow for many this will consist of a few fleeting thoughts, some of which will change from time to time. The necessity of a firmly established philosophy of quizzing must be considered by each coach.

Thus, in this section you will have the opportunity to solidify your own philosophy of Bible quizzing. A basic philosophy will be presented which you may adapt, reject, modify or completely revamp. But the important thing will be that you establish a practical philosophy of quizzing that will allow you the privilege of making it a ministry.
To begin, write down your thoughts under each of the following statements. Don't rush; rather take your time and think carefully. It is important that you think through these questions. It will help you to interact more meaningfully with the rest of this book.

THINKING THROUGH YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF BIBLE QUIZZING

1. What is the role of the coach in Bible quizzing?

• What qualities would the coach possess?
  
• What are the privileges of the Coach?
  
• What should be the relationship of the coach to quizzer?
  

Since an entire chapter is given to the importance of the coach, please read that chapter for a complete discussion of the first question. You really need to understand the importance of the coach. There have been teams that have done well in competitions who have not had an adult coach. As a high school student, the writer quizzed on one of those teams. But the team lacked spiritual direction it needed a coach who could lead youth into self-discovery from the Word. It needed someone to make it come alive, a counselor who would talk with them about their attitudes, their discouragement. They really needed someone who cared for them and was an example.

Comments will be made on each of the philosophy questions you just thought through. They will be numbered to correspond with their question number in THINKING THROUGH YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF BIBLE QUIZZING. So if it looks like the numbering is wrong, it is just because the discussion starts with question two. Question one is covered in chapter two.

A recurring question about quizzing is, "Is it for everyone?" A simple answer is "No." Although Bible quizzing is a Bible study method, it is a specific type. People do not all like the same things and they will not all like Bible quizzing. The teen who is a member of a quiz team will be one who likes competition, is fairly quick intellectually and has a "pinch" of personal discipline. More can be developed in these areas if they are willing. Quizzing is a ministry to those who have some basic desire to study. Well, at least a willingness. Often quizzing is the motivation for some teens to get into the Word for the first time. They are drawn into the program because of the competition and they establish regular devotional habits as a result.

Each quizzer is a unique individual, divinely created by God to serve Him and love Him. Since quizzers do not come from molds, it would be impossible to view them collectively. Each has his own little twists, bends, knots and curves to make him HIM. That's great, isn't it? But It means a coach cannot attempt to mold a team of identical quizzers, or expect the same response from all the quizzers.

God built each of us with a tripod of emotions: (1) A sense of belonging/being loved and wanted; (2) A sense of accomplishment; not just finishing a job, but doing it well (3) A sense of self-confidence. Quizzing can help to stabilize all three emotions. It can create a sense of belonging that can be exceptionally strong as the coach develops the concept of oneness in Christ If personal Bible study and growth are emphasized, it can produce a sense of accomplishment For some, doing well in the competition satisfies the need for accomplishment. Self-confidence wipes away fear as quizzers learn to trust the Lord in the competitions. This trust can be transferred to other areas.

Intellectually, youth are developing the ability to think abstractly and to learn highly difficult material. There is a tremendous gap between the elementary school student and the college student in their ability to think abstractly. The twelve through seventeen age range is where this development takes place. When a youth completes elementary school he strives to be a teenager. He will soon be one in years, but his thinking is still concrete rather than abstract. He can learn facts, but he has a hard time reasoning. He is not able to digest facts and apply them independently to his life. The younger the quizzer, the more help he will need with application. The older he gets, the more creative he will be in his application of truth.

Teens are also developing the ability to think independently, to question the status-quo. They are moving toward independent adult maturity and are striving for separation from parents and authority. Many rules are no longer acceptable and they want to learn for themselves. Youth need to make the principles of Scripture their own. The independent study and group discussion of Bible quiz zing can get them well on their way to internalizing Scripture.

They are developing the ability to give long and intense attention to matters in which they are interested, and they become increasingly ready to work hard for a sense of achievement, and to reach their chosen goals, both immediate and distant.

Wayne was number five in his district one year and he would have made the team if the first four had not all been boys. There was a little rule in his league which required the team to have at least one girl or guy. So he was bumped but not the next year. His study goal was two hours per day and he generally made it. No one could keep him off the team the next year because he was shooting for number one.

Teens are developing the ability to grapple with moral and ethical concepts and to explore many subjects. The theological issues quizzers confront in their reading can be challenging if brought into focus by the coach. These teens are able to make independent decisions and to internalize biblical truth. The older they are, the easier they are able to do this. Allow them the privilege of independent conclusions. Praise the "new" discoveries they have made, even though you discovered the same thing ten or twenty years ago. It was new to you once remember your excitement.

The quizzer is able to accept responsibility for his study, his performance as a quizzer and his personal growth. But he needs direction. That is why he needs a coach.

The quiz practice has five essential elements: (1) To clarify the current chapter; (2) To apply the truths of the current chapter; (3) To commit the applications made to the Lord through sharing with one another and in prayer; (4) To improve the basic quizzing skills; (5) To introduce the chapter for the next week. A two-hour practice would break down something like this:

ELEMENTS TIME

1. Clarifying current chapter 15 minutes
2. Applying current chapter 15 minutes
3. Sharing, committing, praying 20 minutes
4. Improving quizzing skills 60 minutes
5. Introducing the next chapter 10 minutes

Beginning and closing with prayer would surround these elements. These are flexible times there will be days when you spend a great deal of time clarifying or applying a particular chapter. There will be times when no one has much to share and the group prayer time takes only a few minutes. There will also be times when one of the elements becomes so exciting that that is all you do. One team mentioned the time that they went two hours over their limit as the Lord dealt with them about their interpersonal relationships.

The quiz practice covers two areas. First, it must include a time of looking into the Scriptures together. This should cover about thirty to fifty percent of the time. To neglect this is to neglect the areas of personal and team growth. This is very helpful in the development of team unity and love for one another.

The second area is the drill on jumping, asking questions, answering questions, learning rules, etc. This time should help them solidify the important facts of the current material plus some review. It should help them prepare for competition. They should be helped to set more realistic study goals.

Quizzers should not leave a chapter until they understand what it means and have been given the opportunity of making a personal application of some truth from the passage. As their ability increases, many will be making these personal application s in their independent study and sharing them at the quiz practice. That's great! That is the objective of getting them into the Word. However, there will always be some who are getting nothing on their own. You must help these.

The appeal of Bible quizzing to teens is mostly competitive. As one coach and her husband said, "You wouldn't be able to get most of these kids to study the Word in this depth without the competition. How true! Therefore, it must be concluded that the competition is very important.

How do you reconcile the strong Bible study emphasis of the adult leaders with the decided competitive approach of the quizzers? They must be kept in creative tension. They are both important. Even with the primary emphasis upon Bible study the competitive aspect cannot be ignored. They need each other. There would not be Bible quizzing without the competition just Bible study. Probably Chuck explains the relationship of competition and study when he says, "I never had so much fun learning!"

The competition is a motivator. It is also a by-product, and a healthy one. All through life people face competition. You fill out a job application and you are in competition for that lob To move up the authority line at work you face competition. Competition causes us to strive to do our best and to be our best. It is an important part of life, and Bible quizzing can teach a teen to cope with the wins and losses of life. It can teach the proper way to win and the gracious way to lose.

Because competition is important, quizzers should be given enough of it that it is a motivator. They should have the opportunity to quiz at least once a month. This should be a tournament type of competition where they will quiz more than once. If monthly quizzing is not possible, the competitions that are possible should be great events. A coach with a team in a fairly isolated region reported having tournaments about every two months, but they were weekend events They would arrive at their destination on Friday night, have a great social time planned by the host team, quiz Saturday, Saturday evening attend a party with the entire youth group of the host church, stay for church Sunday morning and come home that afternoon. The quizzers loved staying in the homes of other team members. They got to know each other and became good friends. The trips were real highlights for some of the quizzers as they traveled up to five hundred miles.

Inner-team competition will also help, but it is not a substitute for the real thing. Suggestions will be given to help you in this area in the chapter on the quiz practice.

Christ measured success by ?he quality of the life and its effect on others. He did this by observation and questioning. You can measure success with your quiz team in the same way. Or you can measure success by a winning team. When a district or church refuses to financially assist their team so they can get to major competitions because the "team doesn't have much of a chance of winning," they are evaluating the success of a team on their competitive ability. If the end product is to be a life transformed by the Spirit of God working through the Word of God, the measurement for quizzing must be the same as the measurement Christ uses.

The criteria for measuring personal success in the Bible quizzing ministry would be:

A. "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" John 15:5

B. "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples" John 8:31

C. "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things" Matthew 25:21

D. "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20

E. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will" Romans 12:2

F. "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" John 13:34

G. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" Galatians 5:22,23

Success may also be measured by your effect on others:

A. "That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" John 17:21

B. "Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" Philippians 2:2

C. "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" I Corinthians 11:1

D. "All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." John 13:35

It would appear that a life transformed by Jesus Christ would be the criteria for judging the success of a Bible quizzing ministry.

The major purpose is the transformation of teen lives by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God to apply the truths being read. "The ultimate aim of the Christian ministry, after all, is to produce the love which springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a genuine faith" I Timothy 1:5 (Phillips).

That verse beautifully expresses the goal of the Bible quizzing ministry. To establish youth in regular Bible study, to provide competition, to have fellowship, to have fun, to get discussion, to provide rewards, to improve self-discipline, to create enthusiasm, to "ground" in the Word, to improve conversation, to increase grades, to help in witnessing, to improve Bible knowledge, and more, may all be valid goals; but they are secondary ones.

Youth will get the pure heart, good conscience and genuine faith through a personal application of the Word of God to their lives by the Holy Spirit. Your job as a coach is to provide the opportunity for that application.