The Competition Catalyst

by Brandon Roysden

I will never forget the first time I saw the ocean. It was the summer of 1989, and my dad had just accepted a pastorate at a Free Will Baptist church in East Tennessee. I had never heard of CTS competition, but this church was an annual participant in both the national convention and the National Youth Conference, which meant I got a free trip to Tampa, Florida. No complaints from me!

That summer was the first in two decades of annual treks to attend the meetings of our denomination. The trips took me to never-before-seen destinations and allowed me to develop relationships with friends I now consider family. My involvement with the National Youth Conference gave me a perspective I would not have otherwise. It gave me an appreciation for our people and our movement.

As I reflect on all the hours spent studying memory verses, practicing piano, and traveling to district and state competitions, I don’t think I ever realized the impact it had on my spiritual growth until now.

It is easy to misunderstand what the Bible and Arts competition is all about. Maybe the problem is even in the name. With all of the horror stories we hear about T-ball parents and misbehavior at sporting events and pageants, it’s easy to get the wrong idea. Perhaps we should call it a ministry expo or leadership training or even The Discipleship Games. I imagine many of you still refer to it as CTS (Church Training Service), which is probably about as appropriate of a name as any. The point is this all began as a way to help students learn God’s Word and use their talents to glorify Him. I would contend that when done properly, it still holds the same value today it did at its inception in 1968.

In recent years, it seems there has been increasing interest in programs like Awana, The Navigators, and The Bible Bee. Is there any wonder? These programs hold Scripture to be worthy of our attention and dedication as it should be. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is increasingly biblically illiterate. According to a study commissioned by The American Bible Society in 2013, only 37% of young adults (ages 18-28) could correctly identify the first five books of the Bible and nearly half (45%) of that same group thought John the Baptist was one of the 12 apostles.

Is it possible that with all of the emphasis on church camp, lock-ins, and mission trips (all great, by the way), we have neglected to properly emphasize the basics of Bible knowledge and have created students who simply consume the programs on which we spend so much time, without investing in the Scriptures themselves?

Obviously, any number of strategies could deal with decreasing biblical literacy; however, as I look back at my involvement with the National Youth Conference, I am struck by how much it served as a catalyst for this kind of growth in my own life.

• It taught me discipline. I grew up playing sports for some pretty demanding coaches, but I don’t think any of them were as demanding as my mom when it came to studying the Bible or practicing my competition music…again. For some, this might seem like an unholy dedication to holy things, but it taught me that investing in the things of God is as important as the hours I spent on the baseball diamond as a child. It also showed me things worth pursuing are worth giving attention and time. In a culture that often follows the path of least resistance, competition made it clear that path rarely gets you very far.

• It gave me perspective. You’ve probably heard the anecdote about how little a fish knows about life outside the bowl. As a child growing up in the rural mid-South, annual trips to the national convention were virtually my only opportunities to leave my home state. The trips were our vacations. Not only did they give me a greater appreciation for the world outside my own experience, they opened my eyes to the larger Church—the Church beyond my small building and “reserved” pew.
  

• It provided an outlet. Now that I have two children of my own, I’m beginning to understand why my parents still joke about how rarely I sat still as a child. Children are full of energy and life, and if we do not provide them with constructive outlets, they will find their own. Unfortunately, these may be limited to things like school, sports, and video games. While none of these are necessarily bad, Bible competition taught me that the church and God’s Word deserved some of my energy, too.

• It gave me community. After attending the convention year after year, I became increasingly aware of being Free Will Baptist. This continued through my years at a Free Will Baptist college, as I worked for a Free Will Baptist high school, and now as I have the privilege to be employed by the Free Will Baptist publishing house. It’s not that I think God is somehow impressed that I come from a rich denominational tradition, but I do believe this tradition has grounded me, given me a sense of community, and provided opportunities and friendships I never would have enjoyed otherwise. Not only that, I believe that fellowship outside the local body is biblical. Being involved in competition helped me see there were other students just like me, who believed what I believed, doing the same things I was doing. It helped me realize I was not alone.

As I sit on this side of all of my experiences with the National Youth Conference, it seems my life has come full circle. I am now involved again with all of the things I participated in as a child and student. If I could ask one thing of you as a member of our Free Will Baptist community, it would be to get involved. For some of you, that might mean taking a second look at the competition program. For others, it may be showing up at local meetings or connecting online with fellow ministers and leaders.

I know we don’t have it all figured out, but the beauty is that we get to keep trying—trying to honor God with our time, energy, and efforts. Trying to live peaceably with all men. Trying to have the most impact on our families and the world with the time we are given. For me, all that started with a trip to the ocean 25 years ago. What about you?

About the Writer: Brandon Roysden is coordinator of the National Youth Conference. Learn more: www.fwbnyc.com.

National Youth Competition Timeline

1948 – Free Will Baptist League hosts first nationwide conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

1962 – FWB League and the WNAC sponsor a teen banquet and youth rally at the national convention.

1965 – Church Training Service (CTS) expands League Sword Drill and Declamation competition, adding Bible Bowl and Bible Tic-Tac-Toe.

1968 – First National Youth Conference meets in conjunction with the national convention in Oklahoma City

1972 – Music & Arts Festival added to the Bible competition

 

 

Former Competitors Weigh in on the Impact of Competition

Meeting people throughout the denomination who were my age and others that were leaders was very beneficial to me. I think this helped me to identify with Free Will Baptists as a denomination and made me feel like I had a place in the denomination. —Emily Parrish

The store of Bible knowledge from the competition has prepared me to answer questions that people have about my faith. I have done this on numerous occasions, but I definitely know that it has helped in my teaching as a youth pastor. —Allen Pointer

I have been able to recall most of the Scripture I memorized in competition. When I began working with my first grade son last year, I still knew these passages, even though I haven't had to recite them in years! Working with him has solidified in my mind why we do this. I have so much of God's Word hidden in my heart, and this is exactly what I want for my children! —Hope Hinson

Learning Scripture really helped me to learn about God and His Word. As a pastor, it was also a delight to see various young people compete and excel. —Paul Harrison

Music competition helped me grow more comfortable with singing before larger groups of people. Competition and involvement in music at school helped that grow into a tool I still use today in ministry. —Steve Greenwood

Mission trips and church camp highs fade away, but studying and preparing for NYC competition is an eight to ten month adventure of learning. —Darren Walker

My involvement in competition has helped me to recall Scripture and denominational information that I've used in talking to others and in teaching classes. It's helped me maintain a link to youth and their interests in competitive activities. —Marcus Brewer

Competition helped to make me "comfortable" being in front of a crowd of people. Since I have done that for a living for over 30 years, I would say it definitely helped prepare me! —Curt Gwartney

The best part of my involvement in the program was seeing young people realize it was not competition but ministry and worship. I encourage others to be involved because it allows them to use their gifts and talents for the Lord. The Bible competition is great Bible discipline. —Jim Lauthern

For me, competition was never about winning. It was about being part of something larger than my everyday life and mastering skills that have served me well throughout my life and ministry. —Eric K. Thomsen