T-Minus-1 Day to Kickoff

One day until the kickoff! We're warming up the pads, polishing the videos, and readying the projector. Can you feel the anticipation building?

T-minus-2 days to Quiz Team Kickoff!

Are you ready for the kickoff? It may all seem a bit unreal at the moment, but the reality is only 2 days away. Quizzing, friends, fun, and snacks afterward.

Are you a "Fake" Christian?

Have you ever stopped to think about how real your faith is? It is almost a cliche for youth speakers to challenge teens to "get real", but a new study suggests that for most teenagers Christianity is more about feeling good than knowing God.

Many teenagers thought that God simply wanted them to feel good and do good -- what the study's researchers called "moralistic therapeutic deism."
Some critics told Dean that most teenagers can't talk coherently about any deep subject, but Dean says abundant research shows that's not true.
"They have a lot to say," Dean says. "They can talk about money, sex and their family relationships with nuance. Most people who work with teenagers know that they are not naturally inarticulate."

As we study the book of John this year, don't be afraid to come to practice with any questions you may have. It is a great primer for the Faith, and a good chance to realize that Jesus is who he said he was.

Inviting Newbies

Do you have a friend whom you would like to invite to join Quiz Team, but you're not sure how to make the first move? Consider giving them this handy-dandy Kickoff Invitation.

Alternatives

Are you ready for new shirts?

The last few years, we have been holding off on buying new Quiz Team shirts, because of the rough economy. But it is time to invest in some new ones! We will be placing orders for new shirts in the first few weeks of Quiz Team Practices. What we'd like you to think about this week is, "Will YOU be buying one?" No one is required to have a Quiz Team uniform, and it will be acceptable to use the ones from last year if you prefer. But the more shirts we buy, the better deal we get. As of now, it looks like it'll be around $15 per shirt.

Please discuss with your parents this week, so you can walk into the Kickoff next Wednesday, ready to tell us your plans. No money will be collected then, and anyone who is new will have another week or two to make their decision.

Study Schedule for John

The study schedule is up and ready for you to view. The best time to start planning for the next school year is BEFORE school starts (and you run out of time). So, consider looking it over today and planning out your study strategy for this upcoming year. Remember, we recommend reading the chapter over at least twice every day.

Emoticons in real life

From Finding Elim.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Bible Quiz Team Kickoff will be September 1

It's that time again! Time to start the 2010-2011 Bible Quizzing season. Come on out for an introduction to this upcoming year. Quizzers and parents are both invited, and there is no commitment to coming out, so if you have a friend who is interested but not sure, tell them this is their chance!

WHEN: Wednesday, September 1 at 7:00 PM
WHERE: Calvary Church, the Round Room/Missions Room
WHO: Quizzers, Prospective Quizzers, and Parents
WHAT: An introduction to Bible Quizzing in general, and the 2010-2011 season in general. Snacks afterward.

VIDEO WEEK: Riley Playing Tetherball

And last, but not least, some fun from the year-end picnic.

VIDEO WEEK: Holy Lamb of God

Okay, enough dry videos. Here is one of two fun videos. A number of ex-quizzers sang in this ladies ensemble from Christmastime.

Faith can move mountains...

VIDEO WEEK: Finish-the-Verse Question Sample

Next up we have an example of a Finish-the-Verse question for new quizzers. This one, questions are taken from a pre-defined list of memory verses. The answer must be word-perfect, with reference.

VIDEO WEEK: Situation Question Sample

Here are two examples of situation question, where a quote is taken from the text and details are asked of the quizzer.

VIDEO WEEK: Reference Question Sample

Today's video is of a reference question for anyone new to quizzing. Reference questions are asked with the exact biblical reference for the question (taken from a predefined list) and if the quizmaster does not finish the question, the quizzer must do so.

VIDEO WEEK: Quiz Team Questions

This week will be a week of videos demonstrating different kinds of questions (for anyone new to quizzing) or just for fun. Feel free to drop me an e-mail if there is something specific you'd like to see here.

We start with a normal Quiz Team Bonus question to give people an idea of what they're like.

HUMOR: Who is Pilate?

Terri asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Kyle's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent. "The flight to Egypt," said Kyle.

"I see ... And that must be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus," Ms. Terri said.

"But who's the fourth person?"

"Oh, that's Pontius -- the Pilot!"

The Bible as Tweets?

If you paid attention at last year's kickoff, you may remember that among the innovations we brought into the program was a new Twitter feed for updates to the Quizzer's Pad. This is the same feed that posts to Facebook, as well. Such bite-size (160 character) updates are useful for keeping up with what is happening with Bible Quizzing in general, our team specifically.



But could you condense the Bible into a series of tweets? One man is trying and think that he can summarize the Bible in 1,190 tweets over the next few years. If you're on Twitter, or just interested, considering checking it out. It may be useful.

Mistaken identity

Signs of the Past

Reminder: Bible Quizzing Promo is still there!

Do you have a friend who is considering quizzing, but is just not sure about it? Don't forget that the promo we put together last year is still up and available. Have them take a look and let us know what they think!

Computer Program Decodes Ancient Language

While we know a lot about Biblical Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, there remain many languages of the time of the Patriarchs that are beyond our ability to decipher. It is not necessarily that these languages are excessively complex, but rather that we have no frame of reference to match shapes to sounds or ideas. It's like trying to read your little brother's chicken-scratch without knowing if he was leaving a note about lunch, school, or that strange smell in the basement.

But now, a simple program has done in a few hours what linguists took years to do - it has decoded Ugaritic, a language used during the Biblical times.

The MIT team was able to decode the "lost language" of Ugaritic, an ancient Semitic language used in Old Testament times, using no more computing power than that of a laptop. The program took no longer than a few hours to link most Ugaritic symbols to their Hebrew equivalents.

Ugaritic text was nothing more than a series of dots and wedge-shaped marks to linguists and scholars when it was first discovered on clay tablets in 1928, excavated from the rubble of the ancient city of Ugarit by French archaeologists. Even though the language is closely related to Hebrew, experts did not decipher it until 1932.

This raises the possibility that other Bible-era languages could also be unlocked with enhanced versions of this program. One day, we may have confirmation of the miracles of Israel from the mouths of other nations and peoples.

HUMOR: How is a Sermon like the Love of God?

After a very long and boring sermon the parishoners filed out of the church saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons."Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!" The pastor was thrilled. "No-one has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why." "Well - it reminded me of the Peace of God because it passed all understanding and the Love of God because it endured forever!"

OUR FAVORITE SITES: Finding Elim

While "Reverend Fun" is our favorite church-based comic on the web, Finding Elim has to be a close second. Starring a somewhat clueless pastor, it chronicles the foibles and fun of a small town church. If you need a laugh, click on over

OUR FAVORITE SITES: RZIM.Org

If you are a Christian and an intellectual, it is likely that you have heard of Ravi Zecharias. He is a pillar in both the area of apologetics (i.e. intellectually defending the Christian faith) and in the area of worldwide evangelism. If you are interested in how the Bible and Christianity intersect with philosophy and science, you owe it to yourself to head over to RZIM.Org to check out his collection of writings, and the many free resources including a weekly podcast of his radio address. (If you are a Norma Jean fan, try to get thru the classical music in the opening. Trust me, it's worth the wait.)

OUR FAVORITE SITES: ReverendFun.Com

And who can forget our favorite Biblical comic site? ReverendFun.Com is a reliable source of clean fun every week!

OUR FAVORITE SITES: World's Greatest Stories

Did you know we have a minor celebrity right here at Calvary Church? Our very own Mr. George Sarris is an actor renowned for his acting which brings the truths of God's Word to life through oral interpretation and dramatic presentations! He has presented at Bible Quizzing events before, and puts on a show at Calvary every year or so. (And he is a father of 4 former Trumbull quizzers!) Consider clicking thru to his "World's Greatest Stories" site and taking a look - and giving a listen - to his work.

OUR FAVORITE SITES: Bible.Org

There are a lot of sites out there offering Bible resources, but one of the best is good old Bible.Org. This site has been around since QuizPad was first introduced, and is still an invaluable source for book overviews, commentaries, blog posts, and general discussion. You can spend a minute or days at this site soaking up the knowledge. Click on over to check it out.

OUR FAVORITE SITES: Online Parallel Bible

The NIV is a great translation - which is why we use it for Bible Quizzing - but it is important when studying the Bible to realize that we are NOT reading it in its original writing. Thus, sometimes the translators have to use an English word that perhaps doesn't perfectly capture the original. (For example, imagine trying to explain to a French speaker the meaning of the word "cool" - do you communicate the literal meaning of being cold, the slang meaning of being trendy, or the informal meaning of being unemotional?) So, it is useful sometimes to be able to compare different translations as you study scripture, to see how different translators handled the same verse. But how do you gain access to lots of translations without going broke?

Consider the online parallel bible which gives you access to over 40 translations plus dictionaries and commentaries. It is a great FREE resource for any student.

OUR FAVORITE SITES: Art & the Bible

This week, I'll be highlighting some of our favorite Bible-themed websites for your summer enjoyment.

The Bible has acted as a muse for artists for thousands of years now, inspiring them with stories of great men and women, great acts of God, and amazing scenes from all over history. ArtBible.Info is a great site which collects together many of the greatest pieces of art that relate to the Bible in one place. It then lists them by book and chapter, so you can easily locate a painting or piece of stained glass that pertains to what you are studying. Click on thru to see what the masters have produced in service of The Master.

2010-2011 Season: Bible Quizzing Intro

Do you have a friend or relative that you want to invite to join the team, but are not sure where to start? Why not print out this hand-dandy Bible Quizzing intro for 2010-2011 which answers the most common questions that a newbie (and their parents) might have. This is the same document that is normally handed out at the Kickoff Meeting, updated for this upcoming season.