Have you ever sat and watched a group of smiling middle school students eagerly answer detailed questions about the Bible from memory? Does that sound to you like an oxymoron and something that could never ever happen? If so, you have clearly not encountered the wonderful world of Bible Quizzing.

A Bible Quizzing competition, such as the one that was held in February at Fox Island Alliance Church, is like Sunday school on steroids. The energy level is amazing. There is lots of color and movement and a wide assortment of facial expressions as kids ponder their answers and react to judges’ calls.

Team members wear color-coordinated pinnies and line up by team on a row of chairs in front of the audience and meet officials. On each chair is an electronic buzzer. They sit on the buzzers and lean forward so that their bodies make contact with them—but just barely. (One frequent warning given by the Quizzmaster is, “Watch your lights!” meaning that someone is resting a little too lightly on her buzzer and setting it off inadvertently.) The overall effect is one of extreme anticipation.

When they think they know the answer to a question asked by the Quizzmaster, the kids jump up as fast as they possibly can. The first person up sets off the buzzer and gets a stab at answering the question. Three teams compete in each round and the winner moves on to the next round, until they get to the semi-finals and then the final round where the meet champion is declared. Chapel Hill took that honor at Fox Island! It’s really very exciting!

Bible Quizzing is new to our church this year, though it has been in existence since shortly after the Second World War, when it was introduced by Youth for Christ. It was brought to Chapel Hill by Melodee MacKinnon at the request of her two daughters, Molly and Jesse.

Molly and Jesse spent four years in the Awana program, which incorporates Bible memorization as an important part of its curriculum. They both thrived on learning Scripture, and when they graduated from Awana they asked their mom what they could do next. Melodee looked around and learned that Fox Island Alliance had Bible Quizzing for older kids. She met with the man who headed up that program and he taught her all she needed to know to get started at Chapel Hill.

Melodee then approached DJ Rippl, Director of Middle School Ministries, with the idea of forming a Bible Quizzing Team here.

“I thought that it was a real interesting opportunity,” says DJ. “I knew that it wasn’t something that every student was going to be excited about, but that there would be those students who would really be interested in doing it.

“I also knew it would take somebody who was really devoted to walking with that group of students and I knew that person couldn’t be me. But Melodee jumped on it and has done an incredible job of being consistent in meeting with the team and encouraging some significant spiritual growth. She’s really invested in them as a leader.”

This year’s team, which is part of the Pacific Northwest Bible Quizzing Program, consists of five girls—Molly and Jesse MacKinnon, Sara Derr, Aly Robbins, and Haley Williams. That happens to be the maximum number of members a team in competition may have, though they may also compete with less than five. They’ve done really well—the team has brought home the winner’s trophy twice this year.

Competition is fast-paced and joy-filled and the kids truly love it. Their young minds absorb the Scripture passages easily. Jesse says that she spends only about 15 minutes a day working on memorization—a bit more than that right before a competition—and she is a shining star on the team. Each year covers a different book of the Bible; this year they’ve been working through the book of Luke. A new chapter is added at each competition, so each time they meet they are responsible to know more than the time before.

There are 20 questions per round. Each question is scored, and there is a fairly complex scoring system depending on who answers correctly and who makes an error, and when, and how many questions have already been asked. The team coaches all keep scorecards and there is also an official scorekeeper. Coaches can and do call frequent time outs to discuss strategy. It sounds intense, and it is, but in a fun, high five kind of way. It’s hard to explain. You really have to see it.

Melodee believes there is good reason to promote Bible Quizzing. She relates the story of a time when her family faced a crisis. She was in the car with her daughters, trying to think of a Bible verse to help her through the time. She could remember fragments of the verse she wanted but not the whole thing. So she asked her daughters if they had any idea which verse she was looking for. To her delight they whipped it right out in its entirety, Scripture and verse. It was one they’d learned in Awana.

“It’s been really neat to watch the kids bond,” says Melodee of the team. “They really support and encourage each other and it’s been great to see that. There are so many distractions for our kids—sports, video games, friends, clubs, etc.,” she says. “So if we can get kids memorizing Scripture and make it exciting and fun for them, why wouldn’t we do that?”

“This is one of the great surprises and blessings of this year,” says DJ, “how so many things came together in this group of girls, how they found something in which they can achieve and excel together.”

This year’s competitions are winding down, but Melodee is already starting to think about next year. She encourages students who have an interest in learning Scripture and getting deeper in God’s Word, and adults who want to lead and encourage middle school students, to contact her. Next year’s concentration will be on 1 and 2 Corinthians. There is a lot more to be learned there!