After a one year hiatus in St. Louis, the JBQ National Tournament will once again revisit Branson, MO. Four teams from Ohio will be making the return trip as the 2011 OhioJBQ season came to a close with the State Finals tournament in Mt. Vernon, OH. The games were highly competitive as several teams had their sights set on the two coveted qualifying spots in both divisions.  In the Junior Division, Columbus and Zanesville had proven throughout the season that they were teams worthy of consideration and battled valiantly in both the first and second rounds. Ultimately, the Finals would come down to a showdown between Toledo and Dublin. As if nothing less would be appropriate, the First Place trophy came down to the last question of the last game. In the end, Toledo would triumph and claim the biggest prize. In the Beginner Division Zanesville and Toledo/Upper Sandusky were determined to give undefeated Columbus their best shot. Each team demonstrated the skill to get to the final game, but it would be Toledo/Upper Sandusky that would finish in Second Place. Seemingly untouchable all year, Columbus stood at the top with another First Place trophy. Now these Warriors of the Word of God will begin their westward march towards Branson. The next stop in the campaign will be in Indianapolis, IN at the North Central Tournament of  Champions July 2. We would like to acknowledge all of the Jr Bible Quizzers, parents, and coaches that successfully completed the season. The true victory of this ministry has been given to you as each Bible verse memorized fulfills its purpose in your life. These accomplishments are worthy of a celebration and that is what this weekend is really all about. Make sure to check out the OhioJBQ Awards results and the Celebration Pictures on the Tournaments Page.

The North Central Tournament of Champions took place in Indianapolis over the 4th of July weekend with high expectations of every team present. State Champions from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin were poised to extend their District dominance to a regional level. While runner-up teams that had fallen just short in State competition were anxious for another opportunity to prove themselves. With this many quality teams arriving at the same location seeking the same objective there was certain to be a collision. This definitely proved to be the case in the Junior Division where Toledo competed well, but ended up just one game away from taking home a trophy and finished in Third Place. Jared Kufel was awarded First Place on the All-Tournament team with an average of 116 points per quiz. The battles in the Beginner Division were just as fierce. Toledo/Upper Sandusky gave a solid effort but had to settle for a Fifth Place finish. Sydni Gross finished the day with a 62 ppq average which was good for Second Place on the All-Tournament team. At the end of the day the only thing that was settled was that each team present was worthy of their National Tournament qualification. Competition of this magnitude only serves to make its participants stronger. Any one of the teams present could be expected to challenge for a trophy in Branson, MO on July 25-29. Stay tuned to upcquiz.com for all the action as the grand finale of the season approaches.

In the world of entertainment, aspiring artists will sacrifice and perform in relative obscurity with only one goal in mind. To make it to the “Big Stage.” To be under the bright lights. To receive recognition amongst your peers as one of the best. And so it is also true of the many young Jr Bible Quizzers that have worked so hard all season long. Children representing 103 teams in both Junior and Beginner Divisions arrived at the National Tournament in Branson, MO for the final performance of the season. Each determined to do their very best. However only a select few would be recognized on the final day of the tournament which would be held in a unique change of venues. Rather than finishing at the Radisson Hotel, the final day of quizzing and the Awards Ceremony would be held next door on the stage of the Moon River Theatre. While the Ohio teams did not make it to the trophy rounds of the tournament, several Ohio quizzers gained recognition for outstanding individual performances. In the Beginner Division, Seth Glover of Columbus finished 4th on the All-Tournament team with an average of 86 pts per quiz. Sydni Gross from Toledo lead her team to a 9th place finish in the tournament, which was just short of achieving a team trophy. However, her average of 82 pts per quiz earned her 5th place on the All-Tournament team. In the Junior Division, Jared Kufel of Toledo finished in 2nd Place on the All-Tournament team with an average of 100 pts per quiz. He was also voted as 1st Runner-up Quizzer of the Year. Go to upcquiz.com for more details. We are very proud of all of our Jr Bible Quizzers who have represented the State of Ohio so well all year long. We look forward to seeing you all for another great season with Bible Doctrine in 2012.

Judging by the overwhelming response of those in attendance, the 2011 Ohio Bible Quizzing Coaches Workshop was a resounding success. With representation from 17 District churches there is considerable excitement for the upcoming season. Especially with the material for 2012 being over Bible Doctrine, now is a great time to consider starting a new team. There was a wealth of resources and experience that was presented that will benefit new and experienced teams alike. Jay Lytle spoke on Organizing and Promoting to start your season. Ryan Jordan presented an Overview of Bible Quizzing Rules. Lindsay Patrisso taught on the use of Time-Outs, Contests, and Point of Orders. Scott and Tammy Glover gave a demonstration on How to Run a Bible Quiz Practice. Gary Kufel spoke on dealing with Uninvolved Parents and Uninspired Quizzers. Ryan Jordan then concluded the afternoon by presenting an article written by Rev. Norman Paslay on Developing Bible Quizzer’s Potential. If you were not able to attend, a DVD of the workshop is available for purchase through Calvary Apostolic Church. If you have additional questions, contact Quizmaster Morey Redmond for more information. We look forward to seeing many new faces in January!

The curtain was raised on the 2012 Jr Bible Quizzing Season at “The Sooner, The Better” Invitational in Seymour, IN. National Quizmaster Bro.Bobby Long and Bro. Terry Marshall were the maestros extraordinaire over a symphony of 17 Junior Division teams and 9 Beginner Division teams. For many teams this was an opportunity to get their instruments in tune for the start of another season. Of note was the exceptional performance put in by our very own Ohio teams in the Junior Division. Toledo rose to the heights of the competition with an undefeated First Place finish and Columbus brought home a Fourth Place trophy for their outstanding efforts. On the All-Tournament team, First Place went to Jared Kufel of Toledo with a 108.3 ppg average and Seth Glover of Columbus was Fifth Place with 73.0 ppg. The sweet sounds of Bible Quizzing will soon be heard in Ohio at the opening tournament in Mount Vernon this coming weekend. Please make sure to send in your registration forms to Bro. Morey Redmond as soon as possible. This will enable them to know how many teams to prepare for in advance. You can locate the registration forms on the Tournament Page along with specific information for the host church. We look forward to seeing you all there.

From the moment of arrival at Apostolic Christian Church in Mount Vernon it was readily apparent that the 2012 OhioJBQ season was going to exceed any other before it in recent memory. The labors of the  Bible Doctrine promotional campaign during the off-season were bountiful beyond imagination. Upon walking into the sanctuary it was a sight to behold. There were so many new faces of children and parents, so many new churches and new teams. 19 Junior Division teams and 8 Beginner teams to be exact! God is truly at work in our midst. Judging by the quality of competition, it was also apparent that these teams have been hard at work memorizing their verses and were anxious to test their skills. In the Beginner Division, Zanesville held the upper hand through the First Round, but was unable to break the momentum of Groveport who came all the way back from losing their very first game to reach the First Place prize. In the Junior Division, Toledo and Columbus battled for the First Place Trophy with Toledo prevailing with an undefeated performance. Check out the Results link on the Tournament Page to find out more of the exciting details. However, after all the games are played and the ribbons and trophies are handed out there are greater rewards ahead. The truest and deepest blessings of  this year are contained within each verse that resides within the heart of each child and the fulfillment that each verse is going to bring to their lives as they grow! God is just getting started. Watch what He will do in OhioJBQ!

The Presidential Primary elections are in full swing and the candidates are working hard on their campaigns to gain approval of voters across the country. A certain few candidates have surged ahead of the others and appear to be the front runners for the presidential nomination. Here in Ohio there are Jr Bible Quizzers that have dedicated their time to memorizing and quoting scriptures. There are teams that are already demonstrating the skill that allows them to excel at answering questions. Their consistent success has propelled them to the front of the pack and they are becoming familiar names when it comes time for trophies to be handed out at the end of the day. At the latest OhioJBQ tournament in Dublin the front runners are beginning to be identified. In the Junior Division it was Toledo once again claiming First Place honors. They are being hard pressed by the teams of Columbus, Zanesville, and Dublin 1 who have shown that they are not far behind. In the Beginner Division, Zanesville, Groveport, Mount Vernon, and Dublin are demonstrating consistent success. Zanesville returned the favor to Groveport from last month’s tournament by defeating them twice in the Championship round to take the First Place trophy. With only two months gone by in the young 2012 season there are plenty of opportunities for new contenders to arise. Those of you who are new to JBQ will want to utilize the coaching resources that are available on this website as well as at upcquiz.com. Also don’t hesitate to talk with other coaches and officials who are always willing to share from their own experiences when they were once new to this game. Keep up the great work with your teams.

In Washington DC, the center of our democracy, the voice of the people is most prominently symbolized by the Capitol building. Within that historic landmark representatives of each state are given the opportunity to develop and vote on the laws that rule our country. So it was only fitting that 35 teams from 15 different states would come to the nation’s capitol to compete in the Eastern Jr Bible Quizzing Extravaganza. Six teams from the great State of Ohio were in attendance and judging by the results at the end of the tournament they represented us very well. Coming in First Place in Junior Division was the team from Columbus who had to overcome undefeated West Palm Beach, FL twice in the Championship round to  gain their prize. Toledo was not far behind, winning six games in a row to work themselves up to Third Place. While they did not earn trophies, Zanesville and Groveport did very well finishing 5th and 7th, respectively. Toledo’s Jared Kufel was the highest scoring individual of the tournament and Columbus’ Seth Glover and Zanesville’s Austin Christian made the All-Tournament team. In the Beginner Division, Zanesville had a strong team performance finishing with a Second Place trophy. Tucker Brown and Laken Bounds both made the All-Tournament team as well. Congratulations to each one of these teams. OhioJBQ is proud of how you represent our District around the nation. As a result of the outstanding efforts by Columbus and Zanesville, Ohio will now be able to send an additional team in both divisions to the National tournament in Branson!

The Ohio Jr Bible Quizzers travelled north for a tournament in Toledo where the top teams were once again anticipating the opportunity to test their skills against each other in friendly competition. When you journey up this far north in the Buckeye state you gain a greater appreciation for the rivalry that exists with “That School Up North”. With the northern border a few miles a way it was only fitting that the top team from Michigan would come to join the fray. As the first round of the Junior Division wound down it was apparent that a border battle was going to ensue between Toledo and Troy, MI. Toledo gained the upper hand in the first game and then held them off in a rematch in the Championship round to secure the border with an undefeated First Place finish. As a matter of precaution, in case Kentucky had any thoughts, Cincinnati made the southern border secure in the Beginner Division. They surged through both rounds with an undefeated First Place triumph of their own. Mount Vernon and Dublin both had their chances to unseat Cincinnati, but in the end they settled for the Second and Third Place trophies. The excitement of the OhioJBQ season continues to build. It is awesome to see the progress of the new quizzers and their teams. Keep up the great work coaches and parents! Our next tournament will be in Zanesville, April 28th. Please make sure to get your registrations in at least a week in advance. Your delay makes it difficult to know how many teams will be attending. This in turn delays the ordering of questions and trophies and determining how much food to prepare for the meal. Thank you for supporting the Quizmasters and the host church with your early registration.

Playing certain board games requires choosing a card off the top of the pile to determine the number of spaces to be moved or the outcome of the turn. Once all the playing cards have been used, if the deck is reused in the same order it was previously, then the subsequent turns will follow the same results. Therefore it is customary to reshuffle the deck to resort the cards and keep the outcome of the game from becoming too predictable. And so it is with the game of Jr Bible Quizzing in Ohio as we pass the half-way point of the season. Just when it seemed the Junior Division outcome was becoming redundant, the deck was reshuffled. Coming out on top this time was a new but familiar face as Dublin finished the day undefeated and in First Place with two solid wins over Second Place Toledo. Zanesville took Third Place with an exciting overtime win against Columbus. In the Beginner Division, Zanesville continues to be the team holding all the Aces as they took home another undefeated First Place trophy. Cincinnati continued their upward trend with a Second Place finish, while Groveport came in Third Place. With two more tournaments remaining in the OhioJBQ season, please make sure your registrations are in on time. The delay in starting our last tournament was the direct result of teams not registering until the day of the tournament. This means that the matrix needs to be redone to have the late teams entered into the BQT database. Everyone appreciates a tournament that is run efficiently so let’s make sure we all do our part.

First, and foremost, Jr. Bible Quizzing is a game for children that involves memorizing the Word of God. However, it is more than just a game, Jr Bible Quizzing is an event. It is a special gathering of children, families, coaches, and officials in cities throughout the state of Ohio. In addition to exciting competition, there are always great times of fun and fellowship for all who attend no matter what the level of skill. A Bible Quizzing tournament is the place to be on any Saturday in the month and what makes it even better is when there are more teams participating. This months tournament was no exception and hearkened back to the days of the May Invitational where teams from around the region would gather in Ohio. It was great to have teams from Indianapolis, IN and Morgantown, WV present to add to the level of competition. With new opponents to enhance the challenge everyone was looking forward to one more opportunity to improve their game for State Finals. In the Junior Division, Toledo squared off with Columbus in the Championship game, but was not able to keep them from an undefeated First Place finish. While over in the Beginner Division Zanesville held off challenges from Cincinnati and Groveport to also finish with an undefeated First Place trophy. Next up is the biggest event of the year—State Finals Celebration! Make sure to get your Registration and Award Voting Forms sent in by June 1. Both forms can be found on the Tournaments schedule page. We are looking forward to a great conclusion to the season and an awesome time acknowledging the accomplishments of every quizzer, parent and coach who has worked so hard throughout this year. See you all in Mount Vernon!