Free Methodist Bible Quizzing

New Season Info 2022-2023 | 2022-08-29

FMBQ - New Season Bits

It’s time for the official welcome to the 2022-2023 season of Free Methodist Bible Quizzing!

Don’t panic if you haven’t started yet. Some of our teams are already two weeks into the new school year. Some are soaking in as many rays of sunshine as they can before hitting the books again after Labor Day. The earliest date for first-month quizzes is October 1, 2022 … so there’s still plenty of time to decide to quiz this year, to rally your churches and teams, to gather materials, set up a practice schedule, and dive in to 1 Timothy before that first quiz meet!

But now is a great time to get the ball rolling.

What’s new this year?

This year’s material is a first: 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Matthew 1-13. This selection comes in response to feedback over the years, particularly following our “long” seasons (Acts and Luke, primarily). A few seasons back we divided Luke into two parts, and added a smaller OT book to go along with each half (Ruth + Luke … Jonah + Luke). A few years before that we broke new ground doing the “Ts and Js” (1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, 1&2&3 John, Jude), and we heard mixed reviews from that season—lots of books and chapters and references to keep straight! But there’s still nuggets of truth and value in studying all Scripture, right? Rather than jettison valuable texts or drop chapters from a longer book, we’re trying a redistribution approach. We already tacked Jude onto Hebrews and 1&2 Peter (a great parallel text to 2 Peter 2). Now the “Ts” and Matthew will be combined, but over two seasons.

1&2 Timothy and Titus come first, then the first half of Matthew. Next season we’ll pick up with Matthew 14 and finish that gospel, and follow it with 1&2 Thessalonians.

For those who prefer doctrine over narrative—there’s a piece for you. For whoever enjoys the narrative over the density of doctrine—you get some of that, too. A little bit for everybody.

This way we don’t have to pick and choose which chapters to study (or not) in order to balance the length of each season. Each season is shorter by verse count, but still packed with valuable truths and a little bit of challenge (for those eager to tackle the genealogy).

It’s a first—so join with us in making FMBQ history!

In Person Quizzing. If you took a hiatus from FM Bible Quizzing due to COVID, we want to invite you to come back out and play with us again! We are scheduling in-person meets each month and in most locations, you can expect some ongoing attention to sanitation and caution—folks who need distancing and feel more comfortable wearing masks are welcome to do so. Others who welcome smiles and hugs—those, too, can be expected. We have met in person for Quiz Finals the past two summers and that’s what we’re planning for summer 2023 also—on the campus of Seattle Pacific University! (More about that later.) Here’s a link to the EZ Card pages to answer your scheduling questions. Download this to your handy device and check for updates here throughout the season. Another “new” bit … two colleges are hosting a monthly quiz on their campus—thank you, Greenville University and Roberts Wesleyan College!

Newbies. As I journeyed across the county in May and June this year, it was a delight to stop at many churches along the way, to have conversations with pastors and leaders, to introduce FM Bible Quizzing to some, to relive old memories with others … I’m hoping to see many new faces this season. Likewise, at FMYC, I met dozens of teens who came to learn about FM Bible Quizzing from places new and old … and while some may seem like they’re living "out in the middle of nowhere,” we have a way for you to connect!

Online Quizzing. Those who find themselves far from another team or church or quizzer, you may register to quiz online each month. We’ll use the “buzzers” platform at www.biblequizshop.net and also do a few rounds of Accuracy using kahoot.it. Timing and scheduling will depend on how many time zones are involved, but this will typically be a 4-5 hour block. You can register now for the first online quiz on October 15, 2022! This link is live. But you don’t have to wait to quiz just once a month. I’ll be hosting an online practice each week that is open to anyone. Watch for information about how to receive that invitation starting the second week of September (or email me now if you’re interested).

Scholarships. We had eleven schools on our scholarship list last season and I hope to add more this year. The participation requirements for most awards is accessible to everyone—(1) attend 5 out of 8 regular season quizzes; (2) memorize and recite 80% of the season’s posted Quotes; and (3) attend Quiz Finals. Parents, take note--you don't want $2,000 to $76,000 in scholarship money to go unclaimed!

Quiz Finals. That leads me back to the special event of the season—Quiz Finals 2023 at Seattle Pacific University. Mark your calendars now for June 26-30, 2023. If you were disappointed in 2020 when Finals at SPU was cancelled … start making plans now! If you were a quizzer then but you’re not now—chances are we can use you as a quizmaster, or you can now find a team to coach in order to come and participate.

Everyone remembers the food at SPU. Their cafeteria is second to none … a smorgasbord of choices along with all the back-ups. There’s no such thing as a (fabulous) free lunch, right? If you add an extra $25/day for that cornucopia of options … alleviate the sticker shock now and expect that registration costs will be in the $350/person range, primarily due to the higher food service charges. And then come and eat to your heart’s (and stomach’s) content!

But while you’re out here in the beautiful state of Washington, you’ll want to give yourselves an extra day or two to touch the Pacific Ocean, get up-close-and-personal with our mountains, streams, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, ferries, islands, scenic drives, berries, apples and all the other things. I might have to make that a regular feature this season: Washington Wonders. You won't be disappointed.

Logistics. Back to what you need to know. We are collecting a $20-per-quizzer registration fee this season. This covers the cost of 8 months of tournament questions during the regular season. That’s due the first month a Quizzer attends. The registration form for each church to complete and send in with their team’s fees is here (download, edit, then email to me). Each monthly quiz host will provide lunch for an additional cost (usually $3-5) and may also cover the cost of any awards (trophies, ribbons, certificates, goodies) they hand out that month. If these costs are ever a barrier to a quizzer, please let your leaders know. We do not want finances to stand in the way of participating; we have folks eager to help cover those costs if needed.

Other helpful bits. If you’d like an Excel file with our standard scoresheet, you can find that here. If you’re needing quiz portions, practice questions and other materials, order from Paul Stackhouse here, and use my order form here. If you need quiz seats, let me know. I am collecting information on unused sets and I have a few new sets (the dual-ly kind) for purchase ($65). Seat pads can be ordered from ACME here (about $20/ea). Or you can contact Lyle McCoon, Sr., for a cloth-made option ($10/ea). Here’s the most recent set of Rules.

Reminder and invitation. The work of FMBQ falls largely on the shoulders of volunteer leaders—your Conference Directors, Regional Directors, Coaches, Quizmasters and parents. Thank them profusely. Love on them. Help them wherever you can. We also need drivers, meal-preparers, set-up and clean-up crews, Quote-checkers. There is a place for everyone to support students in this discipleship ministry bringing God’s Word into the hearts and minds and lives of our young people. Find your place.

I need some of you, however, to help me help this ministry grow and thrive—not just survive. This is my work—where I spend (most of) my waking and working hours—and in order to do what I do, I need financial partners to provide the salary I am not receiving in the traditional marketplace. Can you sign on to send a monthly gift? Can your church include me in your monthly or annual Missions budget? Can you make a one-time gift? FMBQ is fertile ground where seeds planted in young lives grow into fruit-bearing ministry-minded adults, equipped to serve the generation that follows them, adding to God's kingdom here on earth—this is a valuable return on your investment. Please make it possible for me to continue to give my time and skillset to growing and improving upon the 70-year legacy that is FM Bible Quizzing.

Words from Paul to Timothy … ripe for each of us today:

… pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called … [1 Timothy 6:11-12]

Turning the page with joy and anticipation about what this season holds for each of us.

Thank you for coming along.

Laura

Quotes for JOHN 2020-2021 | 2020-03-17

John Quotes 2020

The Better Student Fund | 2019-01-16

The attached file is the approved process for submitting requests to use funds from the Better Student Fund in order to support FMBQ internationally.

Bsf Policy Approved

Bible Quizzing Stories | 2018-03-15

Bible Quizzing is a life transforming ministry. Go watch our "Quizzing Stories" videos on the about page. Hear how God has used and continues to use Free Methodist Bible Quizzing to transform lives.