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2 Tampa students vying for U.S. Bible Bee title

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By MICHELLE BEARDEN

mbearden@tampatrib.com

Published: November 5, 2009

TAMPA - Know your Moses? Do you get pumped up by Peter and Paul? Are you savvy about the Psalms?

Two Bay area students are among 300 finalists who will test their knowledge today and Friday at the Bible Bee in Washington, D.C., in the first national competition of its kind.

"When I first opened up the materials, I thought, 'No way.' But it wasn't as hard as I thought," said David Cox, 15, of Land O' Lakes. "I feel like I know the Bible pretty much now."

But he didn't take any chances. He gave up a recent weekend camping trip with his home-school group to hunker down with the Good Book.

The Bible Bee (think Scripps National Spelling Bee with a spiritual twist) drew more than 16,000 contenders across the country to local competitions held Sept. 12. One hundred students in each of the three age categories (7-10, 11-14 and 15-18) moved on to the finals, which are today and Friday.

Three top winners in each category will earn cash and trophies.

The payoff: more than $260,000 in prize money. Contest organizers recommend that the winners funnel it to college scholarships, but they do have the option of taking a lump sum.

The money comes from the Shelby Kennedy Foundation, named for a 23-year-old woman who died of cancer in 2005. The nonprofit ministry, which was founded by an anonymous benefactor, has a mission to "encourage children and youth to grow in Christ through Scripture memorization," inspired by Shelby's testimony.

The National Bible Bee is the foundation's first major event.

Both Cox and the other finalist, 10-year-old Katherine Forster of Lutz, are in Washington with their families.

Both participate in the Legacy Home School Group of Tampa.

"Nope, I'm not nervous," said Katherine, who aspires to learn French and be a missionary when she grows up. "Standing in front of the judges is the only thing that scares me a little bit. But I really don't get stage fright."

Her favorite parable: The Sermon on the Mount. The most difficult to learn, she said, was the doctrinal section of the Book of Romans.

Dozens of area schoolchildren spent months preparing for the local competition, meeting weekly in study groups and clubs to practice more than 300 Bible-related questions. The daylong contest in September included written and oral exams.

Today, the 300 finalists will be quizzed on Bible facts and asked to recite biblical passages.

The top 25 contestants in each category will continue the bee Friday, with several elimination rounds.

Cheryl Chew, one of the Bay area coordinators, said win or lose, all the kids who participated this year will come away victors.

"It's so good morally to have God's word in their hearts," she said. "The hope is they will take these lessons and grow up to be responsible citizens in our community. The Bible gives them the guidelines; now they have to act on it."

Cox, whose favorite subject is science, said he's already learned one big lesson.

"Don't give up," he said. "I was frustrated at first, but then I stuck with it. And now I feel I really accomplished something."

Reporter Michelle Bearden can be reached at (813) 259-7613.

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