International Bible Championship Jerusalem 2012

Vision

Our primary objective and vision is to awaken renewed awareness to the Book of books. Together, we can contribute to returning the Bible to the center of attention in the nations. A bible championship per se is not the goal; it is the means and tool for fulfilling the vision.

The International Bible Championship Jerusalem (IBCJ) will comprise questions from both the Old and New testaments.

The Championship venue will be the International Congress Center in Jerusalem, site of the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles 2012, and/or other premises.

Each competition team will have four members. Participating countries may put forward from one to three teams.

National Preparatory Contests are to be held, from which winning team/s will represent their countries at the IBCJ 2012 in Jerusalem.

Championship participants will be those who have reached the age of 16, and have not exceeded the age of 31, in the year of the Championship.

Contestants will pay no fees related to their participation in the Championship.

The Championship organizers will not cover any of the participants expenses.

Written questions and quotations will be in the national language of each participating team.

Each participating nation must establish the important position of a National Coordinator. This position should be established as soon as possible.

The Championship Steering Committee will need to know as soon as possible the name of the National Coordinator for any given country. His/her important task will be to secure the translation of questions from the English-language New International Version of the Bible into the local language. He/she will be using the local Bible translation that will be used by the participants of the IBCJ 2012 from that nation.

The National Coordinator will also facilitate the exchange of information with the Steering Committee concerning the implementation of National Preparatory Contests and registration of national teams. The Steering Committee will be at the disposal of the National Coordinators, and can be reached via e-mail: IBCJ2012@email.cz.

This e-mail address can also serve as an information source before the National Coordinator is established, and can be used by any potential Championship applicant for asking general questions or questions how to register.

The Steering Committee will send the first set of questions and quotations (including their exact location in the NIV Bible) for translation to the National Coordinators immediately after their function is established. These questions will be used for the National Preparatory Contests and all will have to be kept secret. National Coordinators will translate the questions, or have them translated, and will organize or help to organize National Preparatory Contests, which will need to have been held by the end of April 2012.

The National Coordinators will submit the final list of winning team/s members to the Steering Committee.

Immediately upon receiving the final list of winning team/s, the Steering Committee will forward a second set of questions and quotations to the National Coordinator.

This set will be used during the finals of the IBCJ 2012. Again, all questions have to be kept in secret. Translations of the second set of questions and quotations into local languages done by the National Coordinators will have to be returned electronically to the Steering Committee, preferably as soon as possible, but at the latest by the end of August 2012.

The rules for the National Preparatory Contests are identical to the IBCJ 2012

rules (see chapter below) wherever applicable.

Each team nominated at IBCJ 2012 should have one substitute member if possible someone English speaking. The substitute member will accompany the team to the IBCJ 2012 and should be able to function in two roles: firstly as a substitute should one of the original members be for some reason unable to participate in the championship; secondly to facilitate communications between the team and the IBCJ organizers.Teams may be accompanied by their National Coordinators. Each nation can field one to three teams.

The course & social setting of the International Bible Championship Jerusalem 2012

The first round of the IBCJ 2012 will take place in the International Congress Center (or any other suitable selected premises), and will be in writing. Attendants will receive envelopes containing 70 questions in their language. Each question will have five possible answers, with only one answer being correct (multiple choice method). The contestants task will be to mark off the right answer.

Each team member will compete alone, without aids. Each correct answer will score one point. The teams ranking will be determined by the sum of the scores of all of their members.

The three top teams will progress to the Finals - the second round of the IBCJ 2012.

The finalists questions will be asked, and answered, orally; the whole team may cooperate in answering. This part of the Championship is spectacular and attractive for the media: competitors listen to (and also can immediately see projected on the screens) scriptures quoted from the Bible - read by some well known public person in his or her language. The finalist teams task is to locate as quickly as possible the reference of the mentioned verse. They will use a brand new Bible (in their language) provided by the organizers. Immediately upon locating the verse they will sound a tambourine, bell or other musical instrument, then proceed to the platform where they will continue reading the verse till the end.

As mentioned, every Bible verse will be projected simultaneously for all three final teams in their respective languages. There will be at least seven rounds of Scripture quotations. The team quickest to find the location of the verses in their Bible will win the Championship. This is the contest climax, and it generates much excitement.

Official guests will hand prizes shown in advance to the winning team, and the second and third-placed teams. Short speeches by the winning team and/or honorable guests may follow.

The Championship Final will be followed by musical and dancing performances.

The entire IBCJ will be covered by Christian and non-Christian media, thus fulfilling its main aim to spread the news and draw attention to the Book of books.

Prizes for the three winning teams

The First Prize has yet to be decided upon. One possibility is a high quality e- book reader with Biblical software for each member of the winning team.

Second and Third Prizes will include valuable, Bible-related books.

None of the prizes has yet been finalized and what they will be is open to change. Communication will be held with potential sponsors in this respect.

Winning Team members will be awarded diplomas. All Championship attendants will receive commemorative plates.

Following the contest, music and dance will celebrate The joy of the Bible.

Media interviews with members of the winning team are anticipated.

Championship Preparation Time Line

July 2011:
Decision by ICEJ leadership to make IBCJ 2012 happen.
Feast 2011:
Personally informing interested ICEJ branches and pilgrims at ICEJ booth about IBCJ 2012.
Soonest possible after Feast 2011:
Each country willing to participate in IBCJ 2012 establishes its National Coordinator.
Immediately after the National Coordinatorys establishment:
The Steering Committee will send the first set of questions and quotations in English (NIV) to the National Coordinators.
November 2011 - April 2012:
Each country willing to participate in IBCJ 2012 will set up and hold its own National Preparatory Contest based on rules and questions sent by the Steering Committee under the auspice of National Coordinator. Winning team/s are expected to participate in IBCJ 2012.
May 2012:
The Steering Committee will send the second set of questions and quotations to the National Coordinators in English (NIV) for translation into respective languages.

August 2012:
All questions and quotations, translated by Coordinators into the local languages, are electronically sent back to the Steering Committee. By that date the National Coordinators also inform the Steering Committee about the final number and composition of the teams going to participate in IBCJ 2012 from their countries.

Feast 2012:
International Bible Championship Jerusalem 2012 will take place during the Feast.

Documents

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