NATIONALS REPORT: Monday Afternoon

Michelina called to report on the first day of quizzing! There are apparently 6 upper division teams (including ours) and 3 lower division teams. Trumbull had two quizzes today.

Vs. Oxlip, MN - LOSS (70 to 180)

Chit-Chat had 60 points
Hopper/Thomas had 10 points
Super K had zero net points with 1 bonus and 1 wrong

Vs. Prairie du Chien, OK - WIN (200 to 90)

Bronx Boy had 70 points
Hopper/Thomas had 40 points
Super K had 40 points
Chit-Chat had 30 points
Lisa had zero net points with 1 jump question and 2 wrong questions
We had both a 4 and 5 chair bonus for 20 more points.

Tomorrow, the team will be quizzing Cresskill and Fridley, MN.

One prayer request: Chit-Chat is not feeling well with stomach issues. Please be praying she recovers quickly, and is able to get the rest she needs.

21 Days to Spiritual Renewal

Coach Phil from Clinton Corners dropped us a note the other day about the 21 Days to Spiritual Renewal even being run by Wordkeeping.Com. The idea is that, starting July 1, those taking part will study scripture every day and give up something in their lives which pulls them away from God. For some, this may be television, for others food, for others something intensely private. Absolutely no pressure - this is not a "Quiz Team Event" - but it is something to consider.

Designed for those who are longing for a deeper spiritual experience, the 21 day Spiritual Intensive will provide you with skills to revitalize your relationship with God. It has been discovered that 21 days, or 3 weeks, is the time needed to develop a new habit. As Daniel fasted for 3 weeks before he received enlightenment from on high, your commitment will be to FAST from the WORLD, and FEAST on the WORD for 21 days...Here's how it works.

+ You sign up for the session by sending your name and email address.
+ With prayerful consideration, make your individual fasting/feasting commitment that you are willing to follow.
+ You will receive daily emails for 21 days, which will contain inspiration, and encouragement, along with effective techniques for getting God's Word to stick in your mind.
You will receive valuable tools for an ongoing Wordkeeping program, so that you can keep this renewal, and not let it slip away from you.
+ The Kings James Version of the Bible is utilized. However if you would like to use the NIV, we now have the starter verses in New International Version as well as the Kings James Version.

There is NO CHARGE for participating in the 21 days to Spiritual Renewal.

NATIONALS REPORT: Sunday Afternoon

Michelina called again to report that things are going well in Salt Lake City. Our team met up with the Essex Fells team in McDonalds and they exchanged pleasantries. You may recall that Colin is instead going out to the Coast Guard academy, but the rest are there and looking forward to a fun time.

Something NOT to try at Nationals

NATIONALS REPORT: Quizzers are safe in Salt Lake City

Michelina called to report they are safely at Salt Lake City (presumably got there around 1 AM last night). They had a good flight and checked into the hotels, and are now exploring the shopping in the general area. It is hot, but they are all having a great time.

All too timely a message

Bon Voyage!

All of us staying here in Connecticut are praying for the quizzers (and youth groupers and sponsors) heading to Nationals. God bless and good luck. And don't forget to sleep the night before you quiz!

FINAL Scoreboard!

This is the starting five for Nationals!

Britons think Christianity will be gone within 100 years

I am amazed how many people over the centuries have proclaimed "the end of the Christian church." But God has been faithful and kept His church and His gospel around for over 2,000 years now, thru persecution, plague, reform, and even the excesses of its own adherents. But still, many people are ready to predict the end and to assume that the Christian religion won't be there at the end of all things.

Research by the Orthodox Jewish organisation Aish found that just over a third of people thought religions like Christianity and Judaism would still be practiced in Britain in 100 years' time...

Research published earlier this year suggested that church attendance is declining so fast that the number of regular churchgoers will be fewer than those attending mosques within a generation.

According to Religious Trends, an analysis of religious practice in Britain, the huge drop off in attendance means that the Church of England, Catholicism and other denominations will become financially unviable.

I especially like the claim that the Church could be bankrupted and thus fade away. The early church was populated by poor men and women, who met in public spaces (Solomon's Colonade) and homes. Today, many Christians around the world meet and worship God under crushing poverty and places like under the Rikiriki tree. Christianity is not about the money. It is about the Good News that God loves us and sent His Son for us. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Bibles are big business in China

Who would have thought a country once known for massive persecution and murders of Christians could these days be considered one of the largest Bible-producers in the world. But China is experiencing revival today and even state-run companies are opening their doors to Bibles.

This pragmatic mind-set has contributed to the company's staggering growth. Since its first Bible rolled off the presses two decades ago, Amity has printed more than 50 million copies in 75 languages and exported to more than 60 countries. With the help of a new hangar-sized facility, the company could well be the biggest Bible factory in the world, cranking out 12 million copies a year.

"The Bible is probably the bestselling book in the world," Li said. "People need spiritual fulfillment. There is a huge demand for what we do. We have certainly benefited from that phenomenon and will not let the market slip from our hands."

This kind of talk was almost unimaginable just a generation or two ago. During the radical years of the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, just about the only reading material the Chinese people had was the Little Red Book of Mao Tse-tung's quotations -- certainly not a big black book of Jesus' parables. Demonized as spiritual pollution, copies of the holy text were confiscated and burned.

But keep in mind that China still persecutes all but the state-sponsored church. Still, it is progress!

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Salt Lake City Quiz

Are you ready for Nationals? Think know you know all you need about your destination: Salt Lake City? Well, if you do, consider taking this quiz which can challenge your knowledge of Utah in general and Salt Lake City in particular. Be sure you know where you are going, so you can know what to watch out for when you get there.

When in doubt...

Congratulations, Graduates!

A warm and happy congratulations from the Trumbull Quiz Team to "Super K" and "Thomas/Hopper" for graduating from High School. It is a major milestone in life, a major achievement, and we're all very proud of you. May your learning from school and from quizzing stay with you all your life, and enrich it in more ways than you can count.

WEEK 42: Study Philemon and all chapters

This week (June 19 thru June 26), please study Philemon & All Chapters.

If you want to read the chapters online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

If you want to listen to the chapters online, click here. (Uses the free RealPlayer.)

If you would like to review the reference questions, click here. (Thanks to the EFCA.)

If you would like to review the keywords, click here (Uses free barefootministries.com)

Study Tip: We are coming down to the last two weeks of study before Nationals. If you have been doing well, the goal is to let the knowledge simmer in your mind without burning out. If you have NOT been doing well, this is your last chance to treasure up these books before Nationals in a way that can make a difference. Either way, this is a good time - as a refresher and a way to build the time - to make use the study sheets that Jim has been sending out to quiz each other. Perhaps before Revolution or Sunday School you may want to get together and practice quizzing. It is a way to keep your minds sharp and prepare them to hear the scripture in the form you'll be hearing them in Utah.

Intrepid Nationals Photographer Needed!

Are you a restless shutterbug? Do you find yourself in class, looking out the window, and thinking what a beautiful picture you are seeing? Have you always dreamed of seeing your work in print? Or the web? Well, you may have noticed that the two usual paparazzi who travel with the Quiz Team will not be able to be at Nationals this year. But parents and teens who are NOT going are eager to see how things are going. We need a volunteer (or volunteers) to take some pictures while you are on the trip for us to publish. If you have a picture phone with a plan that allows FREE e-mailing of cell phone pictures (PLEASE do not go into debt for this!) it would be even better, as we could post photos while you are still en route.

If you are interested, talk to Coach Matt or Coach Mark at practice or via e-mail or phone.

One Million Meals

While thumbing thru the Challenge Blog for Nationals, I came across this interesting ministry that they are planning to champion.

All students (attending Challenge or not) are being asked to give up discretionary funds to buy a million meals - the money they spend on pizza, McDonalds, etc that they and their friends could sacrifice and forgo for a week or a month. 30 cents for one meal, it doesn't take a lot of change to make a difference.

We will partner with EFCA TouchGlobal to distribute the meals through the Evangelical Free Church of Congo - in order to feed starving people both physically and spiritually in Jesus name.

During the afternoons of Challenge, one of the ministry options for groups to do together will be to package meals for an hour or two. With all the students and groups attending Challenge, we have the potential of packaging a million meals.

It is certainly an interesting idea and a laudable goal if it can be achieved. Consider if you may want to take part in this effort while you are out there at Nationals.

Scoreboard

Happy Fathers Day!

A very happy Father's Day from all of us here at the Quizzers Pad to all of the Quiz Team dads out there. Thank you for reminding us to study when we "forget", for supporting us thru the hard times, and for teaching us about healthy competition and good sportsmanship. Without you, we'd not be the men and women of God we are becoming!

Babies, Babies!

A warm Quizpad congratulations to Hugh and Kerry Hughes on the birth of Edward McNamara, and to Mark and Kathy Kavanah on the birth of Jeremiah Paul. We trust both parents will take care to raise the children such that they will be EXCELLENT quizzers when they come of age.

Pick your friends wisely

WEEK 41: Study Colossians 3-4

This week (June 12 thru June 18), please study Colossians 3-4.

If you want to read the chapters online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

If you want to listen to the chapters online, click here. (Uses the free RealPlayer.)

If you would like to review the reference questions, click here. (Thanks to the EFCA.)

If you would like to review the keywords, click here (Uses free barefootministries.com)

Study Tip: This time of year is INCREDIBLY busy as we end out one school year (for some one school career) and prepare for a busy summer. It is easy to let the Bible get squeezed out by the busyness of life. But the fact is that if you let it go now, you are setting a pattern for your whole life. Be sure to set aside some time every day. If you can't study all the material for next week each day, set aside time to ready thru one chapter a day and go back and forth. If you don't have time for that, consider reviewing 1/2 a chapter each morning or evening. If even that is impossible, put the CDs that Mr. Sarris made for us in the car, or your room CD player or MP3 player, and let it play while you work. We don't study the Bible because we like to win - we study because it the most important book we will ever read.

"World's oldest church" discovered?

Just in time for the new Indiana Jones movie, archeologists are claiming they have unearthed the world's "oldest church" in the country of Jordan. This find has not yet been analyzed by other archeologists or church history experts, but it may offer an intriguing look into the Early Church after they were scattered from Jerusalem.

"We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said.

He said it was uncovered under Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border.

"We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians -- the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ," Husan said.

These Christians, who are described in a mosaic as "the 70 beloved by God and Divine," are said to have fled persecution in Jerusalem and founded churches in northern Jordan, Husan added.

He cited historical sources which suggest they both lived and practised religious rituals in the underground church and only left it after Christianity was embraced by Roman rulers.

But, as always, take this news with a grain of salt. Our faith is based on the Bible and Jesus Christ, not on any particular archeological discovery.

News from Essex Fells

I got a newbyte from Essex Fells that I thought everyone would like to read.

God has opened the door for Colin to attend the United States Naval Academy! On Tuesday, our Congressman phoned with the great news that Colin has been given an Appointment to the Naval Academy.

We are so happy for Colin as you can imagine. [The Congressman] called our home on Tuesday morning and spoke to me. ...At the time he called, Colin was on a bus of 51 students and professors from Grove City College [in Germany] who all knew that Colin was waiting and hoping for a call if he was to get an appointment to the Academy. The whole crowd was so happy and excited for Colin to get that phone call. When Colin phoned me a few minutes later to tell us about it, we could hear his friends on the bus in the background singing Anchors Away!

Congratulations from everyone on the Trumbull Quiz Team to our friend! If you want to leave your best wishes, please leave them in the Comments section.

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Incentives

120 year old Mexican BIble

I found this up on Flickr and thought it was an interesting example of how the Bible can become Art and History in and of itself.

From the Flickr post (click the image for the full posting)...

Back of a 120 year old bible, returned to the Catholic church in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico May 2005 with taped up ripped sections, hand stitched together, and rusted metal clasps.

This bible was originally used in a Protestant church in Oklahoma, and is from a private family there. The page style is gothic.

We donated this Bible back to the church in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A 92 year old Seattle woman gave it to a friend who gave it immediately to me in West Seattle. She has family but no one is Christian.

Brothers

WEEK 40: Study Colossians 1-2

This week (June 5 thru June 11), please study Colossians 1-2.

If you want to read the chapters online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

If you want to listen to the chapters online, click here. (Uses the free RealPlayer.)

If you would like to review the reference questions from Philippians, click here. (Thanks to the EFCA.)

If you would like to review the keywords, click here (Uses free barefootministries.com)

Study Tip: In review, we have seen Colossians is our weakest book. Be sure to spend extra time this week studying the book and putting it into your memory. Anyone who feels they have been weak thus far have a chance to be a valuable player by being an expert on this short book.

Nationals T-Shirts Now Available Online

Personally, I think the only shirt you need is your Quiz Team uniform, but Pastor Scott tells me that laundry facilities are not guaranteed on the trip. So, you may want to click over the Nationals Store and think about buying an official Challenge 2008 t-shirt. These are DEFINITELY not required, but they do look pretty cool and are a good way to secure a souvenir.

Professor Dr. Lyle Dorsett tonight at CHS

Tonight at 7:30 pm in the CHS gym, rofessor Dr. Lyle Dorsett will be speaking on his new book, "A Passion of God – The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer."

Currently, Dr. Dorsett serves as the Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism at Beeson Divinity School and previously he taught at Wheaton College. He is a noted scholar and has written numerous articles and books, several on C.S. Lewis.

This is a FREE lecture.

Scoreboard

When is it NOT okay to evangelize?

As Christians, we are always looking for chances to bring the gospel to those around us. We want everyone to know who Jesus is and what he did (and continues to do). But we also know that there are times when preaching may be inappropriate or counter-productive. One marine in Iraq is learning this truth the hard way.

The US military said on Friday it was probing complaints that marines handed out coins inscribed with a verse from the Bible to a group of Sunni Muslims in Iraq, sparking outrage among local residents.
It said a marine involved in the incident in the former flashpoint city of Fallujah west of Baghdad was removed from his duties on Thursday...
"A coalition force service member was removed from his duties Thursday amid concerns from Fallujah's citizens regarding reports of inappropriate conduct.
"We can confirm that it is a marine who has been removed from his duties," the US military statement said.
It stressed that handing out Christian coins was the action of a single soldier and that there was no collective drive to influence the local Muslim population.
The military quoted its own own bible for troops deployed in Iraq, saying that in the general order, sub-paragraph two of prohibitions "proselytizing of any religion, faith or practice" was included.

It can sometimes be hard to differentiate between speaking out bravely (i.e. defending your faith to a classmate) and being brazen (i.e. showing disrespect to a teacher, while speaking about your beliefs). But it is important to keep in mind that if we are not careful how we present the gospel, we may wind up making it offensive to those who need it.