Congratulations, Darth Nader!

Congratulations to Darth Nader for his Third Place Award in the school science project! Click on the image below to see videos of the scientist in action.

Tomorrow's Quiz Meet

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a Quiz Meet at Essex Fells, NJ. We will be quizzing on Acts 1 - 26 with an emphasis on 19-26.
WHEN DO WE LEAVE? 7 AM from the church parking lot. Please arrive in plenty of time to load the vans.
WHAT IS THE COST? If you are having pizza, $3. If you are not having pizza, no cost.
WHEN DO WE GET BACK? Between 3 PM and 4 PM
This is our last Quiz Meet before Districts.

Updated at 1 PM EST: Changed cost to $3

Review Schedule for April!

We are done studying new material, and now it is time to start our review on the lead-up to Districts (formerly known as High Gear or Round-Up). Districts will be on the whole book of Acts, so we need to review it all. (This weekend's Quiz Meet will only be on Acts 1 through 26 with a focus on 19 - 26).

• April 4 (Next Wednesday): Study Acts 1 - 7
• April 11: Acts 8 - 14
• April 18: Acts 15 - 21
• April 25: Acts 22 - 28
• Acts 28: DISTRICTS IN LANCASTER!

Study Break: Bloons

Normally here at The Quizzers Pad we have news about the bible, quizzing, and the Trumbull Quiz Team in particular. But every once in a while, we just have some fun. Over the next few weeks, we will be doing a lot of reviewing material you already (hopefully) are familiar with. This means plenty of chance to catch up where you may be behind. But it can also mean a little bit of burnout. If you need a study break during these times, THIS GAME might be a fun way to de-stress. It is clean, it is not too hard, and it involves popping balloons. Click on over and check it out!

Are *YOU* going to Districts? (Formerly known as High Gear)

Are you coming to Districts? The last quiz meet of the year in Lancaster, PA is coming up on the weekend of April 28. Districts is the championship for the year, and our last chance to show our skill and study preparation. And, of course, it is our last chance to visit th pretzel factory or the tabernacle recreation.

Schedule
- Friday, April 27: Leave church for Lancaster (Dinner at Potts Doggie Shop)
- Saturday, April 28: Quizzing and Sightseeing
- Sunday, April 29: Return home

We need to tell Lancaster now who will be needing housing, so please e-mail the coaches to let us know your plans.

Holy Week Events

Next week is "Hoy Week" (the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, and Calvary has quite a lot going on. Be considering which of these events you might want to attend.

PALM SUNDAY ~ April 1st
MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE ~ April 5th
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES ~ April 6th
RESURRECTION DAY CELEBRATION ~ April 8th

The History of Paul at Malta

There are many who want to claim that the Bible has nothing to do with the historical. But most of the major events of Acts are supported by archeology. Consider today's link from the island of Malta where Paul sheltered after the shipwreck

The nearest habitation to the place of shipwreck was the villa of Publius, the Chief Man of the Island. All those who had been shipwrecked spent three days there and after they had regained their strength they moved on to Melita the chief town of rile island. In the city Paul cured Publius' father of a fever after which the Chief Man of the Island was converted to Christianity and later ordained Bishop by St. Paul. St. Publius was the first bishop of Malta.

But the Bereans...

Do you remember this line from Acts 17:11?

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Have you ever wondered what exactly it was about the Bereans that made them so notable? Click on over here to see TeamPyro's take on them.

Another side of the Roof Rippers

The final Acts Study Guide is online!

It has been a long and fun road through all the chapters of Acts, but now we are at the end of the road! Head Coach Jim has written our last Study Guide of the year for Acts 28. Click on through to see his thoughts on Acts 28, and his wrap-up thoughts on the entire book of Acts.

But don't be sad! We still have a month until Districts! We'll be reviewing past chapters from next Wednesday on.

Where did it all begin?

Last week, several quizzers were asking where our quizzing equipment came from. The quizbox, pads, and lights are certainly not something you see in every corner store! Well, if you are interested in see the source, click on over to Quiz Time, Inc. And if you are really interested to see where Bible Quizzing started - or at least where our style of bible quizzing started, click on this link to read about the man who started it all.

WHERE AM I: Paul's sea voyage to Rome

ALERT: Are you missing any questions for past chapters?

If you hadn't noticed yet, we are almost at the end of the Book of Acts. As such, we are coming up on a time when we will start reviewing questions in preparation for Districts where we will be quizzing on all chapters. Now is the time to check back through your quizzing notebook and see which chapters you may have missed, and therefore need to spend extra time on. If you are missing any chapters, please e-mail Coach Michelina or bring your list to practice on Wednesday.

Questions will not be available every Wednesday, so act fast!

How is your religious literacy?

One would expect that a Bible Quizzer's relgiious literacy is likely much higher than the average person on the street. But a new book argues that religious literacy is at a low ebb in America today, and that in a world where religion is driving much of what is happening around the world, this is dangerous.

Scholars and theologians who agree with him say Americans' woeful level of religious illiteracy damages more than democracy.

"You're going to make assumptions about people out of ignorance, and they're going to make assumptions about you," says Philip Goff of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University in Indianapolis...

We're impoverished by ignorance," says the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, former general secretary of the National Council of Churches. "You can't draw on the resources of faith if you only have an emotional understanding, not a sense of the texts and teachings."

The author of the book argues that classes on religion in general should be a mandatory part of the high school curriculum, and Bible courses should be offered to all. What do you think? Is this a good idea or a dangerous violation of the separation of church and state?

Missions Weekend Coming Soon!

If our Missionaries are the Indiana Jones of Christianity, then next weekend will be a time to have some adventures at church! The Missions Conference Weekend starts next Friday.

Friday, March 23
-Dinner with the Missionaries for Missions Committee & Ministry Staff (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

Saturday, March 24
- Mens’s Breakfast (7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.)
- Women’s Tea (3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
- Dinner with Calvary Families (6:30)

Sunday, March 25
- Missionary Greetings & Message from Dante Upshaw, Director of African-American Ministries, EFCA (:30 a.m & 11:00 a.m.)
- Missionaries share their Ministries to ABF’s & Sunday School Classes (9:45)
- Missions Prayer & Communion Service (6:00 p.m.)

Come on out and check it out!

Computing Spirituality

Acts 27 Study Guide is afloat!

The Acts 27 Study Guide is online and is ready for you to read. In it, Coach Michelina considers Paul's boat trip to Rome and the amazing things that happen along the way. And how it may reflect on how we choose our own identities.

"Safe At Home" with the New Britain Rock Cats

This is another of those "not an official Quiz Team activity" things, but I was over at JunCTionradio.org (an online Christian radio station for Connecticut) and noticed them advertising "Safe At Home" on April 22 (the weekend before Districts). It appears that for one price you can come out and see the New Britain Rock Cats vs. Connecticut Defenders PLUS afterwards a concert by Tree63 and a presentation by evangelist Scott Dawson.

Mmmm.... Baseball and Christian Rock... Perfect together!

Pure Nard Online

No, this is not a QuizPad advertisement for any restaurant. However, I thought quizzers might want to click over here and listen carefully to the voiceover Sound familiar? It is former quizzer and current Quiz Team Brother, Will "Pure Nard" Sarris!

Congratulations to Will for landing a spot in a national campaign!

Hey, who was that behind the white screen?

DID YOU KNOW: King Agrippa and Paul

Some skeptics try to say that Paul and the apostles made up the stories about Jesus and the early church. But Acts 26, and Paul's defense before Agrippa shows the problem with that line of thinking.

Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
Acts 26:25-16

As you see, Paul is unashamed before Festus and Agrippa, and notes that Agippa knows everything he is talking about. And what is Agrippa's response?

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
Acts 26:28

In other words, Agrippa recognizes the truth of his words, but is not yet ready to convert. If the apostles were saying things not generally know to be true, you would expect these witnesses to complain angrily.

Theological Chat Room studies the Resurrection in Acts

As you click around the blogsphere, have you noticed the Theological Chat Room? It is written by someone famliar who has been studying Acts, and who is chronicling the various references to the Resurrection in the book of Acts. Had you noticed how central Christ's return from the dead was to nearly every chapter of this book? Click on over and check it out.

Simple logic

Acts 26 Study Guide Is Ready for You To Experience!

Coach Matt put together this week's study guide which focusses on Paul's speech before Agrippa and his style of bringing home his points to a man with common experiences. Click on over to consider how sometimes we may tend to talk over the heads of our listeners, rather than meeting them where they are.

Switchfoot will be in Hartford this Friday!

It won't be a Quiz Team activity, but I thought our teens might be interested to know that Switchfoot will be in Hartford this coming Friday for a Rock the Sound Concert!

You can clickl here for a video of the band (click thru, then click on SWITCHFOOT on the right).

"Go Anywhere" Bibles

In an attempt to make Bible easier to carry along on a busy modern schedule the Nation Council of Churches is endorsing a new portable for of the NSRV Bible.

The "Go-Anywhere Bible" is taller and thinner than usual to make it more portable.

The translations, used mostly by mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics, are owned by the National Council, which represents Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox and other churches.

The National Council chose HarperSanFrancisco, an imprint of HarperCollins, to be the sole manager of commercial licenses for print and electronic editions of the NRSV and the Revised Standard Version (RSV).

It is an interesting idea to play with the shape and size of the Bible to make it easier to carry along with you. Of course, between electronic versions and the scripture portions we use, it can be argued the NIV already meets this goal.

Did you notice...

...that the Youth Group photo site (separate from the Quiz Team photo site) is now up and running again? You can click on over to see photos from Trunk or Treat or photos from the Superbowl Party at church. No muss, no fuss, and print all the copies of the photos that you want!

Acts 25 Study Guide is waiting for you

The Acts 25 Study Guid is up and this week Coach Mark considers just how passive Christians are supposed to be in light of Christ's command to "turn the other cheek." Paul turns some of the conventional wisdom on its head, and raises questions for all of us as to how to live our lives. Click on over and leave you comments there or here on how passive you think Christians are supposed to be.

Dagney goes to Wycliffe

It has been a while since we have checked in with Quiz Team friend and Calvary Church missionary Dagney Pitts, and there is some BIG NEWS. She has finished her time with EFCA-IM and is now part of Wycliffe Bible Translators! Wycliffe is a missions organization dedicated to one thing: translating the Bible into every language in the world so that every people can read God's Word in their own tongue. The scholarly approach to "speaking in tongues", you might say. Her duties would not be focussed on translation, but instead on youth ministry and recruiting teens who might have an interest in being bible translators for a living.

Keep an eye out

What happens when you study too much?

BRAIN BLOWOUT!