Frequently Asked Questions

Running the Race

1. How much Bible reading is involved in running the Amazing Bible Race? Do I have to read the Bible every day?
The Amazing Bible Race guides participants through reading the Scripture five days a week. Most days require two to three chapters of Bible reading per day. Weekend days do not have assigned readings, so participants may use those days to catch up or read ahead.

2. Why do I need Internet access to your website, www.amazingbiblerace.com? How often will the Race participants and the Race Director access the website?
AmazingBibleRace.com is the hub of group interaction during the race. Teams will go to the website multiple times a week to take online Bible quizzes, solve puzzles, upload photos or video (for which you give final approval) of their group in action, and check their point standings. Teams will have profile pages and can choose a team icon, team photo, and team name. You’ll manage all of your teams on your very own admin page.

3. How do individuals and teams earn points?

Daily Bible readings: Up to 50 points per team per day for reading assigned Bible passages and corresponding Runner’s Reader pages. The Race Director ensures each student has completed the daily readings.
Weekly reading bonus: 50 points per team if all students read all assigned Bible passages and Runner’s Reader pages each week (points awarded at the Race Director's discretion).
Hurdles: Up to 500 bonus points per team based on student participation and accuracy
Weekly challenge: 150 points per team
Fast-forwards: 500 points per team

Details regarding exact numerical scoring: Scores for quizzes are weighted by team size and are calculated based on the accuracy with which each student answers the quiz questions. For example, if a team consists of five team members, each team member's contribution to the overall team score is worth up to 20% of the total points possible for that challenge. If a team consists of ten team members, each team member's contribution to the overall team score is worth up to 10% of the total points. If each of the teams members answers all questions correctly, and every team member completes the challenge, the team will earn the total possible points for that challenge. If each team member answers half of the questions correctly, the team will earn 50% of the total possible points. This way team members of any size can enjoy balanced competition. There is no advantage given to either a smaller or larger team, because earning the total possible points requires full team participation regardless of team size.

4. Will I complete a quiz each day?
Not necessarily. The race is designed so that you will log on to the website each day and have something to read or complete online. For example, some days may have one or two daily quizzes or a daily quiz and a Weekly Challenge. The numbers and types of online activities will vary.

5. What if a racer misses some of the daily puzzles or just don't do them? Would that hurt the team score?
Yes, they will hurt the team score. But knowing that, racers can encourage each other. The weekly commitment is only about twenty minutes a day for five days. It’s possible to catch up if a team member misses a day. The team may collaborate on the Weekly Challenges. The team does the Fast Forwards together, but those are not every week.

6. Can I use Amazing Bible Race in my Sunday school class?
The Amazing Bible Race is not designed as a Sunday school curriculum. Sunday school teachers can certainly administer the race and serve as race directors. Christian education settings such as Sunday school or mid-week Bible study are great times also to encourage the youth, but the main emphasis of the Amazing Bible Race is on personal reading and individual quiz-taking. Team members support one another, aid in the Weekly Challenges, and complete Fast Forwards together. The curriculum does not include help for teaching a Sunday school lesson. However, that said, creative teachers can use it in Sunday school. Sunday school teachers can be great champions for getting their youth involved and staying on track.

Sunday school teachers or Bible study leaders may want to use one or two Sundays to get the race going and then use maybe ten minutes of Sunday school time to cheer the teams on. However, part of the power of Amazing Bible Race is that participants develop habits of reading the Bible regularly on their own.

Race Terminology

7. What’s a Race Leg?
One leg of the race is 12 weeks long. Six total legs make up the entire race. Students read through the Bible as follows:

Leg 1: Genesis through Deuteronomy
Leg 2: Joshua through Esther
Leg 3: Job through Solomon
Leg 4: Isaiah through Malachi
Leg 5: Matthew through Acts
Leg 6: Romans through Revelation

8. Why do the daily quizzes have tricky answers and why do they ask about seemingly unimportant details, like putting Adam’s descendants in order?
The daily quizzes aren’t meant to be tricky or worthless. The primary goal of completing the quizzes correctly (and the overall goal of the Amazing Bible Race, in general) is to encourage participants to READ THEIR BIBLES! Deeper theological themes, interpretive perspectives, contextual facts, life application skills, and reflective tools are presented through the individual’s use of the Runner’s Reader and interaction with his or her teammates during the Race.

We acknowledge that some of the quizzes “test” minute, seemingly irrelevant details of the text. We, however, think it’s a lot more fun to take a quiz while reading through the list of Adam’s descendants than becoming dizzy and “vegging” out once you’ve read past the first three names. We also maintain that, while our ultimate goal is equipping participants to live out biblical truths, we must first get them to actually read the Scripture. We trust that the Holy Spirit will use these little quizzes covering the often-overlooked aspects of God’s Word to work an “a-ha” moment in the hearts of racers.

9. What’s the Runner’s Reader?
The Runner’s Reader is the student book for the Race, a travel journal for each participant. The Runner’s Reader is divided into five daily readings per week. The Runner’s Reader features summaries of the Scripture passages, reflection questions, printed prayers, definitions and explanations of words and phrases from the Scripture, and instructions for the Weekly Challenges, Fast Forwards, and Hurdles.

10. What’s the Race Director’s Guide?
The Race Director’s Guide CD-ROM contains everything you need to start your Race. The CD-ROM has a Director’s Guide, Kick-Off party outline, art and logos for publicity, handouts, Finish Line party outline, and a promotional DVD. Most importantly, your CD-ROM has your web registration for all that amazingbiblerace.com offers your group.

11. What’s the Weekly Challenge?
The Weekly Challenge is printed in the Runner’s Reader for each week. Each reader will hunt through the Scriptures for answers to the questions. Each reader will complete an online quiz about the Weekly Challenge for 150 points per team. Each team member must log onto the website at www.amazingbiblerace.com and successfully complete the Weekly Challenge quiz individually in order for the entire team to earn the 150 points. Team members are encouraged to work together to find the answers for the Weekly Challenge quizzes before taking the quizzes individually.

12. What’s a Fast Forward?
Fast Forwards are printed throughout the Runner’s Reader and give teams the opportunity to apply their learning to life experiences or contemporary situations. Teams complete activities outlined in a Fast Forward and journal about, photograph, or videotape the activity. Teams will be able to upload their pictures and video to the Amazing Bible Race website. Teams will receive 500 points per each Fast Forward completed and documented.

13. What’s a Hurdle?
Hurdles are printed throughout the Runner’s Reader. They tell the reader to visit the Amazing Bible Race website to find extra help for hard passages. Hurdles offer passage summaries, contextual information, and quizzes to aid the reader. Successfully completing a Hurdle quiz gives the student 50 bonus points.

14. What’s a Water Break?
Water Breaks are printed throughout the Runner’s Reader and occur at natural breaks in the Race, such as finishing the reading of a book of the Bible. Water Breaks give the reader an idea of how much he or she has read thus far and offer encouragement to keep reading.

15. What’s a Racing Tip?
Racing Tips are interesting facts printed throughout the Runner’s Reader. Racing Tips offer special contextual insight to the day’s Bible passage.

16. What are Trailblazers?
Trailblazers are printed on each day. Think of this feature as the “main characters” of the day’s Bible passage. In the Trailblazers’ list, you’ll find descriptions of the persons, their relation to others in the passage, and their significance to the day’s passage.

17. What are Road Signs?
Road Signs are printed throughout the Runner’s Reader. They feature a list of important words and phrases in the day’s Bible passage. You’ll find pronunciation guides as well as definitions and explanations of key words and phrases.