Official Launch of THE QUIZZERS PAD!

Okay, team, today is the day of the Quiz Team Kickoff, so I thought it was time to give you a post with a quick tour of this website! We will be referring to this site as either "The Quizzer's Pad" or just plain old "QuizPad." You can access it either by going to www.quizpad.com or by going directly to the site at quizpad.blogspot.com. QuizPad is run by a free service called "Blogger" which allows users to create newsy websites of any kind, and uses a number of other free services to provide functionality.

This main area of QuizPad will always contain the "News" for the team. This may be news about the team, announcements about up-coming events, funny stuff that we find, or general bible news from the Internet. There will be something new almost every day, so I recommend you bookmark this page and visit it regularly. (Bookmarks are the same thing as "Favorites" under Internet Explorer.) You may even want to make it your Home Page (i.e. the page that automatically loads when you first start up your browser).

To the left of the main area, there are four sections to which you will want to pay special attention:

At the top, is the Quiz Team Calendar. This is a miniature calendar for all of the major events for the Team. If you run your mouse over the days of the month, it will pop up the events. If you click on the MONTH NAME then it will open a new window with a large view of the month, suitable for printing and posting on the fridge, with all of the practices, events, and quiz meets for the month.

Next down on the left is the Important Links. This is a short list of links to places and resources on the web that you may find especially useful in study or getting critical info about Quiz Team. Clicking "E-mail the Coaches" will open your mail program with an address that will automatically e-mail all four coaches. Clicking on the "Read Romans Online" link will open the Bible Gateway site to Romans, allowing you to read the whole NIV portion online without spending a penny (beyond the cost of getting onto the Net). You will also notice several key documents in PDF format. PDF is a universal document format invented to allow any system to download and print a document from the web. It requires the free Adobe Acrobat to read these files, but most computers ship with that program pre-installed. If you have any problems accessing these files, or want them in another format, please e-mail me. Most of the handouts from Quiz Team should appear in the Important Links area.

Next down on the left is the Launch Chat button. This opens a new window (JavaScript required) that provides a place for quizzers to discuss issues and leave messages for each other. This site will be monitored by the Quiz Coaches on a daily basis, and will remove any inappropriate comments. We request that quizzers (and parents, if you post) do not use full names in this area, in order to protect kids and preserve anonymity on the net. Nicknames are best, first names second best, first names with last initial acceptable.

Finally, down on the left is the Quiz Team Photos badge. This is a little link that shows a picture from Mark's library of photos, most of which are from the Quiz Team. If you want to view the pictures in full size, click on the badge and you will be brought to Flickr, the photo site that I use to store all of my pictures online. Again, I do not post any real names with the pictures, but this is a way that everyone can share the fun. The pictures can also be downloaded from there to your local computer. If you want a print of any picture, let me know and I can direct you to another place that hosts my photos which will provide "old fashioned" prints for a small fee.

That is about it. The site has been up and running since about July, and has already attracted a small but faithful following. Feel free to pass along the link to friends, family, and other quizzers on other teams. And please e-mail the coaches if you have an idea for the site that can make it better.

Remember, Tomorrow is the Quiz Team Kickoff Event

Tomorrow is the Quiz Team Kickoff for the 2005-2006 season. We will be meeting at 7 PM in the Round Room at church. We won't be doing much quizzing the first night. Instead, it will be a time for some introductions, some handouts, and some snacks. Parents are welcome, especially if you have any friends considering quizzing, who want to check things out in a nonthreatening environment.

Don't miss this fun event. We are all looking forward to seeing you there! (And remember, if you have not already, start studying Romans 1 for Wednesday, September 7.)

Bible.Org Outline for Romans

While Jim's Introduction to Romans is the ultimate guide for quizzing this year, it can be useful to get other perspectives. Bible.Org has up a good outline and mini-commentary on Romans that quizzers (and parents) may wish to bookmark for their own study. It gives some good historical background, provides a good outline of the book, and helps deepen one's understanding of what is being said.

The WWW can be a dangerous place, but it can also be a goldmine for expanding your understanding of God and His Word.

Reverend Fun on the Need for More Hands

Not sure we will be having any problems like this in Quiz Team this year. But you never know.

Psst! Official Reference Questions List!

Did you notice that the official reference questions list for this year has magically appeared in the "Important Links" section to the left? For those new to quizzing, Reference Questions are two or more questions that start off exactly the same way, so you have to provide a verse reference to go along with them. But since you get the reference, the requirements get a lot more stringent when you answer the question.

Enjoy! Oh, and this file is a PDF - a standard way of transferring printable data on the web. You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader if you don't already have it.

Coaches Have A Meeting of the Minds

Next Wednesday is the kickoff for the team, but this past Wednesday was a kickoff for the coaches. We got together and discussed both the big (Fallout 2005) and the small (e-mail addresses) and generally had a blast.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting quite excited about this year. It will be a great pair of books to study, a great group of kids to have fun with, and a great chance to make our mark on the world.

Happy Birthday Michelina and Fishy!

We just wanted to take a moment to wish Fishy and Michelina a very happy birthday! May this be a wonderful day for you, and an even better year!

Post your birthday wishes below in the COMMENTS section of this post (click on the "Comments" word at the bottom of the post). Please remember to use nicknames only, or at most first names when posting. No need to tell the whole web more than they need to know.
(Let the coaches know when your birthday is, and we will add it to the Quiz Team calendar.)

Romans 4:18-25 Comic

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

Missing Bible Returns After 62 Years

It is not quite Lazarus returning from the dead, but it is a minor miracle... or at least a major coincidence.

Stichman was 21 years old when he was drafted into the Army and left his hometown of Clintonville, Wis.
He carried with him only what he needed, including a pocket-size New Testament he received from a church group. Someone from the group wrote his name inside the book's cover and the date: Sept. 2, 1942.
World War II was gaining momentum, but Stichman never served overseas. After basic training at Camp Robinson, Ark., he shipped out to Fort Lawton, Wash., near Seattle.
In April 1943, Stichman took advantage of the spring weather and caught a motorcycle ride with an Army pal to nearby Bremerton Navy Yard for some sightseeing. They never made it.
On the way there, the motorcycle collided head-on with a 1 1/2-ton truck. His friend suffered a broken leg but was otherwise OK. Stichman lost his left foot...Meanwhile, Stichman's belongings were trailing behind him. The military shipped them around the country, like an airline moves luggage from connection to connection.
When Stichman finally returned to Wisconsin on Oct. 5, 1943, some of the items were missing, including the Bible...About a year ago, Stichman was doing paperwork in his office when a middle-age man he'd never seen before walked through the door.
The man said he had something that belonged to Stichman, and he handed over the long-lost Bible. It was in mint condition.
The man — Stichman didn't think to get his name — explained that he'd found the book at a Billings thrift store. He knew Stichman's name through the farm and ranch store, and he figured Stichman might want his Bible back.
"I opened the cover, and here was my name on the inside," Stichman said.

More proof that God remembers the small stuff. Maybe a reminder that we should, too.

God Doesn't Make Mistakes

Calvary vs Calvary, Part 2

It was a beautiful day for softball on Thursday, and especially the clash of the titans that was the rematch of Calvary's two softball teams. Tashua field was rocked by the crack of the bat, the roar of an amazingly large crowd, and the smell of hot dogs cooking. We even had some quizzers at the event to cheer on Matt and the other intrepid players of Calvary 2.

This was going to be the last game of the regular season, but if you missed out you have been handed a reprieve. This coming Friday will be the final make-up game of the regular season, played at Indian Ledge Park at 6 PM. Be there, or be... uh... not there.

Toby Mac event tickets

Hey it's me again. Now that the cat is out of the bag (Meow), we need to know who is in for the FallOut 2005 concert. We are going to purchase tickets soon to get the group rate of $24 each. Please let Toby know if you want to purchase tickets. If you want to go send an email to TobyMac@brakefire.com. Please do so soon so you won't be left out of the event of the fall! PS for you doubting Thomas' out there I included another high quality picture of Toby and Nathan. Coach Jim

Biker Dude Outreach

The Christian Motorcycle Organization is an interesting outreach to the biker community.

They wear leather vests and sport tattoos, earrings and long hair. They ride hogs, cruisers and sport bikes, but the Unchained Riders are not the typical motorcycle group...The group's unassuming president, Larry Overcash, wears a denim vest, models a goatee and keeps his long hair tucked underneath a black baseball cap.
He said their target audience is a tough sector, but one that makes for interesting times and fantastic rewards.
"A lot of the 'hard core' people are not going to go to church on Sunday morning, but they see us on bikes and we can talk to them about what they're interested in. We're just like them, but we've got something to talk to them about," he said.

Yet another example of God's infinite creativity in sending out His word to the world.

Slovakia Debriefing

Dagney has up on her Blog a long report on the recently-returned Slovakia missions trip. Definitely worth a read to those interested in Missions, and those who want to know how some quiz teamer girls spent their summer.

They made us feel so welcome and at home.
We lived in their church and worked on the future Christian camp site during the morning and part of the afternoon, and then held a kids English class at 4:30 until dinner time. We liked the hard sweaty work in the site (I blew my shoulder!, dummy) and the girls fell in love with the kids. It was hard to leave.

It was great to see the scripture being lived out. The Great Commission is alive and well.

Um, That's NOT the "Good News" They Meant...

I take comfort in the fact that Abbey T, and Sarah came up with this joke first for their skit at Round-Up.

QT Kick Off Event - Toby Mac & Josh McDowell

Fallout 2005 will be this years official Bible Quiz Team kick off event! If you don't believe me ask my homeboy Toby Mac. Me and Toby were down last month at The Hit Music Challenge. For those of you who don't know Fallout 2005 is an all day game and music happening in Allentown, PA. It starts at noon and ends at 9:30pm on Saturday September 17'th. The cost for the event will be $24 which includes everything except food and gas. The outdoor events include such things as basketball, volleyball, dodge ball, rock climbing, and an extreme challenge course. The indoor concert includes Skillet, Day of Fire, The Elms, and of course my personal friend Toby Mac! Josh McDowell is the featured speaker at the evening rally. For those of you who don't know Josh McDowell, he is the Billy Graham of youth. In addition to being a great speaker he is also an accomplished author of many books the most famous is probably Evidence that Demands a Verdict. For more information about the Fallout 2005 event you can point your browser to www.falloutytlv.com. For more info about Josh McDowell and his ministry you can click on www.beyondbelief.com. For more info on the bands at the event click on the following: www.tobymac.com www.dayoffire.com www.skillet.com www.theelms.com.
Word, Coach Jim

IT'S OFFICIAL: Quiz Team Kickoff 2005-2006

Well, August is halfway over and it is time to start putting a schedule out there. (Please also check the calendar to the left side of the page for more details.)

AUGUST 31: QUIZ TEAM KICKOFF MEETING This will be a short meeting at 7 PM in the Round Room at church. It will be a chance for quizzers to get their new materials for the year (Finish the Verse list, books, etc.), for new quizzers to get a better idea of what bible quizzing is all about, and for parents to stop by and ask questions and meet the coaches.

SEPTEMBER 7: FIRST QUIZZING PRACTICE - ROMANS 1 This year we are looking to start off the first practice with all of the quizzers knowing Romans 1 and being ready to practice quiz. As always, we will look to begin at 7 PM in the Round Room. Please be prompt.

After that, we will look to quiz every Wednesday at 7 PM until 8:30 PM. Plan for 1 chapter per week through all of Romans and James.

Official FTV and Keyword Lists

The time has come and this time it is official. The Quizzer's pad now has up PDFs of the official Finish-the-Verse list and the official Keywords list for Romans and James.

For those new to Bible Quizzing, Finish-the-Verse questions are the most strict and demanding questions at each meet. But they make up at least 3 questions of every quiz, so they can make the difference between winning and losing. A Finish the Verse question is a memory verse which must be give word-perfect, with reference, after the quiz master has given the first few words. The list linked to here includes a simple listing of verses, and then a listing of the phrases that the quizmaster will include in his questions.

Keywords - also known as "Once Userd Words" - are words which are used only once in the book (or books) that are being studied. In this case, it is a list of words used only once in both James and Romans. Learning these words can be valuable in quizzing - most especially if a quizzer should jump early, before they have heard enough of the question to know the context. If they hear one of these words, they know exactly what the question is referring to.

These will also be added to the list of links in the sidebar for easy access in the future. Remember practices begin again September 7.

The Bible Bowl?

Here is yet another form of Bible Quizzing to add to our growing lexicon!

The annual Bible quiz extravaganza for 3rd through 12th graders is modeled on the GE College Bowl. Two teams of three or four players square off in two 10-minute halves. The quiz-master asks a 10-point tossup question, and whichever team buzzes in first with the correct answer gets several bonus questions.
But instead of having to know the locations of the Lincoln-Douglas debates or the identity of Columbia University's first anthropology professor (Franz Boas, of course), the students were quizzed on a section of the Bible. The text - it can be Old or New Testament - is from the New International Version of the Bible.
Each June 1, the following year's text is announced. For this year's event, it was the Book of Luke. To say that the kids learned their stuff would be an understatement.
The First Christian Church of Kissimmee, Fla., sent two teams to Chicago. Of the seven team members, six totally memorized the text, "and the seventh can quote pieces," said coach Gary Bordelon, whose No. 1 team finished eighth.

Hmmm... Any of our quizzers in the mood to memorize the entire book of Romans? I know at least one person who did so on his own, and it has served him very well in life! (And seminary.)

The Bible on your iPod

It is not often that I get to write something on this site that combines the bible and the ipod. But every once in a while, you get lucky! (Or is that blessed?) Laridian, makers of the Palm Bible software that Matt and Jim use, have come out with a new product that puts both the audio and the text of the New Living Translation of the Bible onto your iPod. This new product not only gives you an audio bible to carry around with you (something anyone can have if they buy the bible on CD and use iTunes to encode the CDs to MP3 format) but also the written text, for when you want to puzzle over a precise word or phrase... or perhaps more important when you want to memorize an important verse, because hearing and seeing a verse is the best way to commit it to memory.

Of course, do not use this product for Quizzing, because we use the New International Version (NIV). But here is hoping we will see an NIV version very, very soon!

Calvary PK Website

If you are one of the Quiz Team guys, or the father of one of our Quiz Teamers, you may want to check out Calvary's new website for Promisekeepers 2K5. This September 16 and 17 Calvary will be bringing a group of mwn to the Nassau Colleseum in New York for this year's event entitled, "The Awakening." All the info you need for housing, trasportation, or schedule are on the website.

New Zealand Dialect Bible

There have been many attempts over the years to put the Bible into the common speech of the local people. The Cotton Patch Version was used in my Greek class in college to remind us that sometimes it is important to make the word pictures of the Bible fit the word pictures of its readers (and as a warning that sometimes it just doesn't work and you have to stick with the original in its purest form). Now, a new version is coming out that attempts to give Jesus's words a more Kiwi flavor.

"I'm hacked off with your attitude," [Jesus] told his mates. "Let the wee tykes come to me - believe it or not, kids like these are going to be right at the heart of God's great outfit." ...The Kiwi Bible is sometimes amusing but isn't meant to be a parody. Grantham's real inspiration is evangelical: he wants people who don't know the Bible to get a taste of it so that they can be introduced to Jesus and be encouraged to read more of the Bible.
He offers the most basic version of the gospel story, Mark, and the first third of Acts through to the conversion of Saul. It's a good story with a candy covering: the candy is the slang and some reimagining that goes along with it.
The reimagining can be very effective. The parable of the sower now has some seed landing on the patio; some on the edge of the path; some getting "confused with the weed department, and of course the weeds were better growers - which is why they're called weeds"; and some landing in rich soil.
The pay-off comes with the interpretation: "the guy flinging the seeds around" is like someone with good news to tell at a party. "The ones on the patio -- well, they've scarcely heard the news when someone comes out and offers them another drink, and wham, the news is gone."

Don't get me wrong. Such versions of scripture need to be taken with a healthy dose of salt. But they are useful for outreach and sometimes to get a new perspective on a well-known piece of scripture. Still, I think we'll stick with the NIV for BIble Quizzing!

New Service Brings Scripture to your Cell Phone

MFaith is a new service which will send you a bible of verse of the day to your cell phone via SMS. The same service also provides wallpaper for your cell phone with a religious theme.

It doesn't matter who you are; everyone can relate to the Scriptures we send," says Brooks. "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character 1Cor 15:33;" and "It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel - Prov 20:3" are the types of messages subscribers receive.

MFaith itself is free. But before subscribing, please check out what your SMS plan is for your cell phone company. Some provide unlimited free text messaging, but many (including Verizon) charge per message.

Calvary 2 Wins! Caaaaaaaalvary 2 Wins!

Calvary 2 has had their first win! The intrepid sofballers overwhelmed the defense of a local surgical supply house's team and went on to win 14-12. Great plays were had by all, and certain former quiz teamers did especially well. Unfortunately, I was held up at work, so I have no pictures of the game to share.

And no one is allowed to say, "Nomad should stay home more often if that is what it takes to make Calvary 2 win!" Next game is this Thursday!

Narnia Featurette

Apple has up a new short featurette (well, really a commercial) about the new Narnia film. A few more revelations and a lot more cool shots of the big battle scenes. This is looking better and better. But then again, you never know until you see the final results. Still, I have high hopes of seeing the Great Lion in action.

Memories of Studying Matthew

More Info on the Narnia CD

Thanks to Will for pointing this out on his website. NarniaFans.Com has found out the track list for the "songs inspired by Narnia" CD that is due out in October, featuring some of the biggest names in Christian music.

Chris Tomlin - You're the One
David Crowder Band - Turkish Delight
Delirious? - Stronger
Jars of Clay - Waiting for the World to Fall
Jeremy Camp - Open Your Eyes

And more. These are just a few. This is looking to be a very interesting album!

Slovakia Trip

Here is an update and picture from the three of our own quiz team girls currently on a summer mission trip to Slovakia. They have been spend long hours outside digging up roots and picking up rocks for the campground, followed by kids meetings. Amidst the hard work they have had some time off to visit a local town nearby and to see the local castle ruins as well as having lunch in the town. Their flights were definitely adventurous. Their luggage didn't make it to Prague as fast as they did! So, they missed the day train and had to take taxi's to the station to drop off some of the luggage, toured the town, and returned to the airport for their lost bags, then back to the station for the ride to Slovakia 10 hrs long. In the middle of the night they were awakened by a "scary man"- the Passport Police! After proving they were not immigrants he let them go back to sleep. The train was like Harry Potters train, but not as nice. They will be teaching English and scripture to children which is not exactly what they planned for but they have learned on the mission field you have to be flexible. They have been eating dinner with various local families and it has been a challenge. They have had soup every lunchtime, and the best meal was donuts for dinner!

Keyword List for 2005-2006 is Online!

One of the recommended resources for quizzers is YouthQuiz.Com, a ministry dedicated to providing free tools to help students with their Bible Quizzing. I am pleased to announce that this excellent site now has up their Key Word list for Romans and James, 100% free and useful for studying.

For those new to quizzing, Key Words are words used only once in the book set that we are studying in a given year (Romans and James for this coming season). Thus, if a student hears that word in a question, they don't need to wait for the whole question to get context - they immediately know which verse is being talked about.

Finish your dessert and you can play some games

Looking for some free fun? Well, why not check out Nabisco's Online Game World.? Here you will find games that can be played on your computer without having to download any software. There are many types includeing sports and arcade games. Enjoy!

Mix-and-Match Bible Stories

I really love this one. Charleton Heston must be somewhere wishing there was a sequel to "The Ten Commandments."

Calvary Softball Keeps on Keeping On

Calvary chalked up another great game on Thursday aginst Tech Depot II. Unfortunately, due to work stuff, I only arrived to see the very last inning. But then they had a really good batting practice session, where the developing talents of these up-and-coming softball greats were really shown!

The next game is Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 PM at Long Hill Field in Trumbull. Drop me a note if you need directions to the field.