Samaritans and Sith Lords clash at LTC
DALLAS — After Mary learned that she would give birth to the Son of God, whom did she go visit?
What did Jesus call Herod upon learning that Herod wanted to kill him?
What did the Samaritan put on the injured man’s wounds? *
Those were three of the 100 questions from the Gospel of Luke asked during Bible Bowl at the annual North Texas Leadership Training for Christ convention. This year’s theme: “The One,” based on Luke 1:35 and 7:20.
Bible Bowlers hold up their answers to questions from the Gospel of Luke.
Seated in a ballroom roughly the size of an aircraft hangar, hundreds of children in grades 3 to 12 flipped white, cardboard cubes to A, B, C or D in answer to the multiple-choice questions. Adults dutifully jotted down their answers, scored each of the four rounds of questions and used a QR code to submit the final results.
Some of the questions stumped students and adults alike. When the moderator asked, “What did Jesus call Zacchaeus?” one parent leaned toward another and whispered.
“I thought it was ‘wee little man,’” he said.
It was, in fact, “a son of Abraham.”
This year’s event, held at the Hilton Anatole near Dallas Love Field Airport, brought together 2,730 students from Churches of Christ across Texas and Oklahoma. That’s an increase of about 150 from last year, said Tim Henderson, minister for the Rugby Avenue Church of Christ in Charlottesville, Va. Parents included, about 6,000 people filled the hallways and conference rooms as they participated in 29 events — from song leading and signing for the deaf to drama skits and puppet shows.
Addison Grounds of the Memorial Road Church of Christ signs for a presenter during LTC Sunday worship.
Henderson, who formerly lived in Texas, brought a group of students to the event when it launched in 1989. He joined the board of directors the next year. Since 1999, he and his wife, Denise, have run the North Texas LTC office. In the past three decades, additional LTC conventions launched in cities including Kansas City, Mo., Norman, Okla., Mobile, Ala., and Scottsdale, Ariz. On the South Pacific island of American Samoa, students participate in LTC events.
The events are non-competitive. Judges award gold, silver and bronze medals based on individual performances. Church coordinators receive the awards and present them to students as they choose, sometimes after they return home.
Judges do, however, select noteworthy song leaders, Scripture readers, speakers and signers to help conduct Sunday morning worship. Before the worship service, participants and parents watch a showcase of the year’s standout choral groups and skits.
This year, choruses from the Merrick Drive Church of Christ in Ardmore, Okla., the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma City and the Airport Freeway Church of Christ in Euless, Texas, sang in the showcase. Youths from the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston performed a game show-themed skit in which contestants searched for a new best friend.
Students from the Western Hills Church of Christ duel in their “Star Wars” themed drama.
Students from the Western Hills Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, presented a “Star Wars” themed skit based on Luke 20 — during which a Dark Lord of the Sith questioned a noble Jedi about paying taxes to the Empire and healing on the Sabbath while attacking him with a plastic lightsaber and complimenting his own choreography.
“Like we practiced!” the Sith Lord croaked in a menacing voice as the audience laughed. “That looked so cool!”
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