Reminder: Quiz Team Kickoff Wednesday!

Enjoy your Labor day, but keep in mind that Bible Quiz Team resumes on this Wednesday (September 3) at 7:00 PM in the Round Room/Missions Room. All quizzers and potential quizzers as well as their parents are invited. No commitment is required to attend this Wednesday. Come and bring any questions you may have. Were looking forward to seeing you all there.

We're home!

Sorry for the lack of later updates and photos. There was a bug with the cellular system that prevented e-mail uploads after 3 PM. Full set of photos to come in the next few days.

Kutless

Kutless
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Robbie Sae Band

Robbie Sae Band
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

August Burns Red

August Burns Red
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

We're inside

We're inside
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

RevGen Arrival

RevGen Arrival
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

And we're off!

And we're off!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

On the way out...

Revelation Generation Schedule

Remember, we are leaving the church parking lot at 7:00 AM, and planning to return to the church around midnight. The rest of the days schedule is below. You may wish to print this and bring a copy with you.

Remember: Items to bring to Revelation Generation

If you are one of those coming this Saturday to Revelation Generation, a few things to remember to bring:
- Something to sit on: A blanket, towel, or folding chair
- Sunblock (Much of the event is outdoors, shade may be hard to come by)
- Insect repellant
- Sunglasses or a hat for the sun
- Bible
- Money (enough for 2 meals, plus whatever you want for souvenirs)
- Jacket or sweater (it may get cool in the evening)
- Ear Plugs (The Music can get very loud)

Revelation Generation Schedule

If you are one of those coming to Revelation Generation on Saturday (or a parent of one who is), this schedule will be important to you!

7:00 AM: Depart church for Revelation Generation
11:30 PM: On the road, kids call parents with actual expected arrival time by cell phone
12:00 Midnight: Return to church (approximate time, depending on traffic)

Please arrive before 7 AM. We are planning to leave at 7 AM sharp and may not wait for you if you are late. Pastor Scott is not coming along on this trip, so please contact Coach Jim Brake if you have any questions about the timing.

Also, please be sure to review the policies for the festival when packing for the event:
- No outside food is allowed.
- No "professional" cameras are allowed (though personal cameras are okay).
- No recording of the acts is allowed.

Be sure to bring enough money for lunch and dinner at the concert - we will NOT be stopping on the way there or the way home. And bring extra if you want to buy CDs, t-shirts, or other souvenirs.

Distinctives of Luke: the "Family Circle" of Jesus

Another distinctive feature of Luke that separates it from the other gospels is the author's special attention to the "family circle" that surrounded Jesus. While Matthew and Mark talk a lot about the Twelve, Luke is careful to mention all kinds of people that Jesus included. We see at both men and women at meals. We see Jesus greetings adults and children. We see him with "sinners" and "righteous people.". And take a moment as you read thru this book to notice how often events in Luke take place in someone's home.

More than any other Gospel, Jesus is a homebody and a "family man" in this book.

Another online Christian radio station

Since there are so few good Christian music stations up here on the radio, I like to bring some new ones to your attention now and again. You may want to check out The Faith 104.7 which is a station out of Tampa Florida. It plays a number of Christian hits in the rock and praise genres, and has - in my opinion - a really good and balanced playlist.

It is also available thru AOL Radio, if you have an AOL account or an iPhone/iPod Touch.

Last Call: Revelation Generation

This is your last reminder that Revelation Generation is happening this coming Saturday (August 30). If you want to come, at this point tickets much be purchased from Pastor Scott. It is first-come, first-served, so DO NOT show up expecting to come unless you have already secured a ticket and a seat on the van. Hope to see many of you there!

Finish the Verse Questions for Luke

LUKE
1: 3-4, 32-33, 34-35
2: 6-7, 11-12, 20, 21, 30-32, 52
3: 8, 16, 21-22, 23
4: 1-2, 18-19, 40
5: 16, 24, 31-32
6: 12-13, 27-28, 31, 37, 38, 42, 43-44, 45, 46
7: 22
8: 10, 16, 21, 25
9: 20, 23-25, 26, 35, 51
10: 2, 22, 26-27, 36-37
11: 2-4, 9-10, 13, 27-28
12: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 15, 22-23, 25-26, 27-28, 31, 33-34, 40
13: 24, 34
14: 11, 27, 33
15: 7
16: 10-11, 13, 18
17: 1-2, 3-4, 6, 20-21, 24-25, 33
18: 1, 15-16, 17, 27, 31-33
19: 10, 37-38, 39-40, 46, 47-48
20: 37-38
21: 8, 9-11, 14-15, 25-27, 33
22: 19, 20, 26, 37, 41-43, 69
23: 33, 34, 44-45, 46
24: 1-3, 5-7, 38-39, 44, 46-48, 49, 50-51

Blind leading the blind

Distinctives of Luke: Gospel is for Jews & Gentiles alike

Once we realize that the Luke who wrote the "Gospel of Luke" is the same one who travelled with Paul, it should be no surprise that one of his distinctive emphases is that the Good News is for both Jews and Gentiles. Over and over in this telling of Jesus's story, we hear that the gospel shall be "for all the people," even as early as the angels who addressed the Shepherds.

Luke, the Gentile who writes a Gospel, is eager to remind us that it is for everyone!

LightSource.Com

Coach Matt discovered a new resource on the web, LightSource.Com which provides a number of resources for Bible Study.

Our aim is to offer the freshest and most compelling biblically-based content to Christians who take seriously their relationship with Christ. Bible Study Tools gives Christians of any age and at any stage the opportunity to read, study, understand, and apply the Bible to their lives. With free devotionals, study guides, helpful articles, and rich personalization functions, visitors to Bible Study Tools will be able to make the most of their Bible study time, and unlock its meaning for their lives in new and important ways.

Click on thru and check it out.

A Chonological Bible

For those who have never read much of the Bible, it can come as a surprise that the order of the books in the Bible do not have much to do with when they were chronologically written. True, Genesis comes first and Revelations comes last, but many of Paul's epistles were written in the midst of the action chronicles in Acts. Well, one scholar is looking to give us a different view of scripture by publishing a Bible that is arranged chronologically. Of course, not all Bible scholars agree, but I can see it being a useful tool for study.

So, for example, whole sections of Isaiah and Nehemiah are reordered to better reflect an accurate historical timeline; the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are merged into one based on Mark's chronology; and some of St. Paul's letters (which traditionally appear later in the New Testament) are woven into the Book of Acts.

Some biblical scholars, however, aren't buying the idea.

"I would say, generally speaking, that scholars would have no interest at all," said Pat Graham, a professor at Emory University in Atlanta. "What it ends up being is something that laypersons find helpful — or would think it would be helpful. Any biblical studies expert worth their salt would not have much interest in this at all, except as kind of a curiosity."

Distinctives of Luke: Focus on Women

This is the start of a new series leading up to the Quiz Team kickoff on September 3 where we discuss some of the distinctive themes of the Gospel of Luke. One that certainly stands out is his focus on the role of women in Jesus ministry and the early church.

Did you know that the biblical story of Gabriel's announcement to Mary that God had chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah is recorded only in the Gospel of Luke?

Without the inspired writings of Luke, we would also not know about the miraculous conception of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist; the story of the prophetess Anna; the virgin Mary's song of praise: the story of the woman anointing Jesus' feet with her tears and costly oil; and of the women disciples, along with men, who accompanied Jesus in his travels and helped support his ministry.

What a legacy the third evangelist has left Christians. Luke has a special interest in women. Only he tells us of the prominence of women in Christ's ministry. As Ben Witherington III writes: "It is Elizabeth and Mary, not Zechariah and Joseph, who are first to receive the message of Christ's coming, who are praised and blessed by God's angels, and who are first to sing and prophesy about the Christ child. Luke presents these women not only as Witnesses to the events surrounding the births of John and Jesus, but also as active participants in God's Messianic purposes"

As you read thru the gospel this year, take a moment to notice how different Jesus's attitude is toward women, when compared to the other men around him. And notice how important their role was in the formative days of Christianity.

Keywords for Luke are Now Available

Here is a link to add to your bookmarks. Barefoot Ministries now has up the authoritative list of Keywords for the Gospel of Luke for the upcoming year. Keywords - for those who may be unfamiliar - are also known as "once used words." They are words used only once in the book or books we are studying in a given year. If you hear one of these words in a question, you know exactly where you are. It is worth noting these words in order to make yourself a better quizzer.

Calvary 2 Softball Pics

There has not been a lot of chances this year to show you the progress of Calvary 2 Softball (which both Coach Matt and a few Quiz Team parents play on) but this week I had a chance to stop by the game and capture the guys in action. Click on the image below to see the whole set.

"Pushy" is not always a bad thing

Want a Masters Degree in addition to any quizzing trophies?

One of the great things about the age of the Internet is that all kinds of information is available for free. If you are interested in learning more about the Gospel of Luke before we begin quizzing this year, you may wish to check out this course from Reformed Theological Seminary on iTunes. This is the recording of an actual Masters Course on the Gospels and Acts with a long, in-depth section on Luke. I found it to be very accessible (I am listening thru the whole course now) and it will be useful if you want a good sense for the unique strengths and emphases of the Gospel of Luke.

This requires the free download of Apple iTunes for MacOS X or Windows.

Flood in Togo

Please be in prayer for the people in the country of Togo. There has been major flooding that has destroyed the main road through the country making it difficult to get supplies through. These are some pictures sent to us from a Missionary who works in Togo.

Time is running out for REVELATION GENERATION tickets

Please remember that the limited time insider offer of Revelation Generation tickets to Quiz Teamers is quickly running out. As soon as Pastor Scott is back from the missions trip, sales will be opened up to the whole Youth Group and it will be first-come, first-served. If you want a chance to take part in this great opportunity, please contact Coach Jim ASAP.

Introduction to Luke

Now that the month of August is upon us, and the kickoff event has been announced, some quizzers may be ready to start looking into the Gospel of Luke. If you were here two years ago, you already know this Gospel was written by the same author and written to the same publisher (Theophilus). If you are interested in learning some more details about this book, you may wish to check out the NIV Study Bible introduction to the book. It lays out the authorship, probably date of publication, and themes that run throughout the book.

Free Methodist Bible Quizzing

The Evangelical Free Church is not the only denomination which has a Bible Quizzing program. The Free Methodists also have do Bible Quizzing, and has up a nice article on some of their quizzers. I was amused to see that many of their best and worst moments in quizzing mirror my own experience as a quizzer.

Stephen, 18, son of the team coach, the Rev. Mike Hopper, works in the video game department at Toys 'R Us in Rochester. If things are slow and he might be tempted to slack off, he can recall: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man."

Katie, 15, said they often have Scripture passages pop into their heads as they go through daily routines. "It shows you what you should be doing in that situation," she said.

That knowledge, however, can hurt in competition. Kristin, 17, said they were in a tight match this year and she was the first to indicate she knew the answer. She started to say it but recalled something from past years and used that scriptural quote. She was wrong.

Turning sorrow into hope

You may recall a few months back when the popular Christian singer Stephen Curtis Chapman revealed that his youngest daughter had been killed in a car accident. Since that time, the Chapman family has mourned and there has not been much news. But now they are speaking again and they have chosen to use this tragedy to give hope for other children.

Shaohannah's Hope, the adoption and orphan care ministry founded by Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, has named their new special needs children's home in China after their five-year old daughter, Maria Sue Chapman, who died in an accident earlier this year.

Located in Luoyang city, eastern China, Maria's Big House of Hope will care for orphans with medical impairments such as cleft palate, clubbed feet, blindness, and urological and neurological disorders.

Maria's Big House of Hope is currently in the building stages ahead of its October opening. Funded by Shaohannah's Hope and managed by New Hope Foundation, the six-floor, 60,000 sq ft facility will be equipped with everything required to care for orphans with special needs. This will be the biggest of its kind in China, able to provide for over 100 children at a time.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Revelation Generation

As a sort of kickoff music event, the Quiz Team and Youth Group are going to Revelation Generation in Frenchtown, NJ on the Saturday Labor Day weekend (August 30). You can click on http://revelationgeneration.org/ to get all the information about the day's event.

We have the two vans reserved for the day but only 24 tickets. These tickets are $40 each and will be offered on a first come first serve basis. Jim arranged with Pastor Scott that after QT had an opportunity to buy them we would offer them to the entire youth group. We need to hear from you ASAP. After Pastor Scott returns from the missions trip we will turn any unsold tickets to him and he will offer then to the youth group. If you want to go contact Coach Jim ASAP and as usual we will need to collect the $40 to hold the tickets.

Wii Pray?

Gospel of Luke Quizzing Resources

We are coming up on the start of a new season, and you may be one of the quizzers who wants to get a head start. If so, there are a number of Bible Quizzing resources on the web. If you are looking for a paid resource, Acme Quizzing offers sample questions, small and large scripture portions, and a bible quizzing program that could be of use.

Of course, no one has to spend any money on this stuff to quiz. This is purely offered as an alternative to those who may be interested.

Make a joyful noise

2008-2009 Season: The Gospel of Luke

This upcoming Bible Quizzing season will begin Wednesday, September 3 with a kickoff meeting for both Quizzers and parents. Anyone interested in learning more about Bible Quizzing is welcome to attend. This year we will be quizzing on the Gospel of Luke.

ChristianityRadio.Com

Coach Matt pointed a new site out to me today: ChristianityRadio.Com. It is an online way to listen to good Christian music from top 40 to praise & worship to hard rock and more. In an area like ours, where the number of Christian radio stations is small, this can be a good way to hear the new music out there without shelling out dollars for CDs or MP3s.

The site is free, but does require registration. Always be careful about who you give your e-mail address.

Memorize one verse a month

Our friend Coach Phil from Clinton Corners has an announcement for people interested in memorizing scripture. If you are a parent or sibling or friend of a quizzer, this is open to you as well.

[We] are starting a support encouragement group for brothers and sisters around the world who would like to memorize one key verse out of the Bible each month. You are invited to join us. We all have busy lives. I pray that you will find this small spiritual investment to be worthwhile as you watch God use the 12 verses each year in your life.

The group will be on facebook at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27828602222 and off facebook the verses will be listed in your favorite translation in a website we are newly forming at www.scripture-memory-support.org (not yet live on the net)

Opinions are valuable things