In 1994, Pastor David Huegel was noodling over how to get his children engaged in reading the Bible. His quest led him to develop Bible Olympics. Since that time hundreds of kids and adults have participated in the meets and pumped up their Biblical literacy.
One of the teams hard at work during a meet at Iglesia Cristiana Alfa y Omega in Phoenix
Each meet of five to seven teams covers a single book or a pair of books of the Bible with a fun set of activities including (3 minute video):
- Putting events in order as a team
- Jeopardy-style individual questions
- Team-written drama produced on the spot over a working lunch
- Lightning round based on memorable verses from the text
Huegel says, “Bible Olympics has to do with Bible content only. Interpretation is up to the participating churches.”
First and second place teams in a meet on the Gospel and Epistles of John at Primera Iglesia Cristiana in San Antonio
Up to 10 meets are scheduled every year. The meets are held on a Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. The teams are five to 10 members, usually from the same congregation, so there is study involved before the meet. The program out of First Christian in Smithville, TX, is a partner with the Bluebonnet area of the Southwest Region as well as the Southwest Hispanic Convencion and is offered free of charge to Disciples congregations.
All the participants in the meet on 1 & 2 Kings, Iglesia Cristiana La Trinidad with Primera Iglesia Cristiana, San Antonio; First Christian Church Smithville; and Iglesia Cristiana Bellavista, Brownsville, TX