This season in the Junior Bible Quiz, one of my daughters was near quitting. “It is starting to get harder..,” she says. I convinced her to keep quizzing by telling her “not because it is becoming harder, means we have to give up. It just means we have to work harder. I used the pronoun “we” to let her know that both of us are into this together. She is not on her own and got my full support. It was also a good time to minister to her and reminded her what does Zechariah 4:6 says.
“Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit says the Lord Almighty,” she answered.
I knew at that point, I was able to instill an attitude that she can use growing up when faced with a lot of hard work. Not to quit, and not to rely on herself alone. There is Holy Spirit available for her.
You see quizzing didn’t come easy for her. Yes, she can memorize. So that knowing and understanding the question wasn’t hard for her. She’s very curious, too and asks about questions she does not understand. However, Junior Bible Quiz, also requires 100% focus because the questions can be interrupted at anytime. Whoever, buzz in first and gives the correct answer gets the point. She struggles a lot on the buzzing part, because she can easily lost her focus. But for the past two seasons of JBQ, I am able to witness that she can learn to get out of her comfort zones and just keep pushing forward. It is not easy for her but I know that she has been trying really hard. I’m proud of her and I know that this is another character she is learning, and can bring with her.
Teaching the Value of Hard work
Having two kids in the junior bible quiz makes me feel like I’m also quizzing every time. It takes a lot of commitment and a good amount of stress but we stick it through no matter what. One way of teaching the kids about hard work.
Off course there are other programs available in the church to learn about the scriptures. Some has achievement and recognition, too. I think though that most of these doesn’t really teach hard work like how the real world means it. One just need to show up, finish her projects, memorize a verse and we reward them. It doesn’t teach a lot about hard work.
The quizzing, on the other hand, goes beyond attendance and memorization. It is an everyday routine. It expects your very best and put your hard work to test during quizzing meets. It doesn’t sugar coat achievement. It gives you a taste of sweet victory and a bitter reality.
It even gives the kid a taste of a harsh coach lurking in the world of Bible quizzing. Like a coach who doesn’t let go of a tiny mistake and asks reversing judges ruling. Again, it doesn’t sugar coat. It reveals the reality of a bigger world confined in a smaller world – even in the realm of Christianity. You can’t blame them. It is what it is. After all that is what makes quizzing something worthy to pursue. Simply put, it builds character.
Having to survive these means hard work. Having to get into the top means hard work. As if that is not enough, work harder. It is not that we are chasing the wind. We are teaching hard work while learning the Scripture.
Teaching Leadership
Being part of a team and having a coach to help them strategize teaches them to be in a team. They can use that experience to lead other team in the future.
There was this match and they were down to the last question. One of her team mate is about to quiz out (answering 6 questions correctly). Coach calls a time out and tells the team that next question is for her team mate about to quiz out. At first she did not understand why she is not allowed to answer for another team mate to quiz out. But I explained to her that coach does not only want the team to succeed. She also want individual quizzers to succeed.
She understood.
Another match came and it is her chance to quiz out on the last question. The coach did the same to other team mates. She thought she feels more confident that her coach cares that she quizzes out.
I told her that is a good leadership skill from her coach. She should remember that and use it when it is her turn to lead a team.
Teaching Sportsmanship
Off course, when there’s competition, there is a winner and a loser. Winning means being grateful and at the same time being humble. They don’t brag.
Then losing means acceptance and doing better. No blaming.
As they compete, they win or lose. As they both get used to winning or losing, it teaches them that every question is an opportunity to win.
The Learning Story 