By BLYTHE CLAYTON
A-J Special Contributor
Many can recall memorizing the books of the Bible in Sunday school, but few people can remember studying and memorizing an entire book.
Children from area Churches of Christ did just that. After studying the book of Luke for a year, they tested their knowledge and competed with other children at Sunset Church of Christ's 18th annual Bible Bowl on a recent Saturday.
The children, in third through sixth grades, and their coaches traveled from Abilene, Monahans, Cisco, Buffalo Gap, Morton, Oldham, Tahoka, Lawn and Portales, N.M., to prove their knowledge.
Every year, children study a predetermined book of the Bible to prepare for the competition. This year all questions were from the book of Luke.
More than 200 children were divided into teams of four and some churches had more than one team representing them.
A ''quizmaster'' at the front of the room asked a multiple choice question and the children selected a letter that corresponded with their answer. Each child was given a cardboard box that had a single letter A, B, C and D on each side of the box. They indicated their choice by showing the letter of their answer to a scorekeeper, who sat in front of each team to tally the results.
Jared Thurne, a sixth grader from Sunset Church of Christ, said he participated in the Bible Bowl because it was fun.
''Most of my friends are around too,'' he said.
More than 50 adult volunteers helped throughout the day and each church had a coach who showed as much intensity as the children, who listened intently to each question.
Connie Chrane was the Bible Bowl coach for the Church of Christ in Buffalo Gap, 20 miles south of Abilene. Two of her own children participated in the Bible Bowl.
''I like to coach because my kids learn about the Bible,'' Chrane said. ''They're excited about learning and they're excited about the competition.''
Chrane's daughter Kelsey, who is in the third grade, attended Sunset Church of Christ's Bible Bowl for the first time, but she was no newcomer to competition.
''The last Bible Bowl I went to was pretty fun and I was doing pretty good," Chrane said.
Third and Dwight Church of Christ in Monahans hosts a Bible Bowl in March. Wood Lawn Church of Christ in Abilene hosts a Bible Bowl in April. Sunset Church of Christ follows up with a Bible Bowl every May, said Danny Soliz.
Soliz has coordinated the Bible Bowl for 18 years because his daughter, Fonda Moneymaker, now 27, competed in the bowl as a child.
''The reason I stayed with it is because when you work with kids, you have to love them,'' he said. ''You have to love them, even though you have to tolerate a lot sometimes.''
The day of competition was over after the awards ceremony. Members of Sunset Church of Christ calculated scores:
Buffalo Gap Church of Christ won the Sweepstakes award for the highest percentage correct as a congregation. Hunter Sanders of South Plains Church of Christ in Lubbock and Jenny Huddleston of Third and Dwight Church of Christ tied for the highest percentage correct for individuals.
The team that had the highest score was from South Plains Church of Christ. Hunter Sanders, Starla Doyal, Alex Revelski and Savannah Harris all took home trophies.
Soliz announced that next year the Bible Bowl questions will be over the book of Second Kings.
Soliz said he just wants the children to do their best. ''It's just encouraging to see a group of kids learn about the Bible.''
