IBQ goes GLOBAL -by Susan Menzel

Buzzing sounds have been sounding off for years as generations of students have taken a seat in Bible Quiz matches in churches, classrooms, and conference rooms across America. Bible Quiz took shape within the Pentecostal Church of God in 1967, introduced by Rev. Charles and Marcella Pancoast. Thus, Impact Bible Quiz (IBQ) is not new.

With the introduction of technology, strides have been taken in many arenas of ministry to stay relevant with this techno-age. Video conferencing was introduced to users several decades ago; thus, as advancement has taken place, the development by companies such as Skype, ooVoo, or SightSpeed has made it feasible for the average person to communicate with someone across the world for FREE!

 

The Michigan District Impact Team has recently utilized this technology within an age-old program to connect missionary students from Iraq to Bible quizzing in the United States.

How we began.

I approached other primary Bible Quiz coaches within my league to ask if they objected to the idea. Once I received an enthusiastic response, I proceeded to check on Internet capabilities at the church location where the meet would be held. Our first match we signed into Skype on an ipad. After dialing and connecting, I set the ipad to face the quizmaster. Ellie and Chloe Pickett were tagged as Green 2 and Green 3.

The Pickett girls were set with spoons in their hand. We instructed the girls to strike the table when they knew the answer. After the prayer to begin the meet, the quizmaster began reading the questions as normal. The Pickett girls answered four questions the first match.  

The excitement!

Senior and junior players were so excited to hear what was taking place in the primary rooms, they requested to watch a match. However, because of the time difference between Iraq and Michigan, those watching the primary match were the only ones to witness the occasion.

The downside.

Depending on the Internet service, it is possible to experience a delay in sound. This makes it difficult for the “out-of-country” players to beat the US players to questions without interrupting the question. Also, our quizmasters do not use microphones for our league quiz meets, so it was hard for the Picketts to effectively hear each question.  

Overall, it was a positive experience for all parties involved. The leaders and parents enjoyed having an opportunity for the kids to interact with other quizzers across the globe.