What can a summer study host do to help and encourage their participants outside of holding summer study meetings and hosting Proclaim Day?
Meet Catherine Chen, a National Bible Bee alumna and summer study host who has joined the blog to discuss how hosts can stay involved in their local community of participants even after the summer study is over!
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Hi Catherine! Thank you for joining the National Bible Bee blog to share your journey and experiences as a host and NBB alumna!
When/how did your family become involved in the National Bible Bee?
We originally heard about it from some friends from AWANA. We were nervous about it at first, but in 2013, decided to give it a shot! (Back then, my youngest sibling wasn’t even old enough to participate; this year, he’ll be aging out.) I competed from 2013-2020, and have been involved in the community in one way or another since then.
How long have you/your family hosted a summer study group?
2025 was our third year hosting online! Our summers are generally unpredictable, so online hosting is a great way for us to give back to the community regardless of wherever around the world we may be. While I am the main host and do the bulk of the work, my siblings also contribute a lot to each meeting and especially on Proclaim! Days.
Describe your involvement in the National Bible Bee even after aging out of the competition:
I aged out in 2021 (I didn’t compete my last year as I was away in college). In 2022, I was part of the Alumni Service Team, which was a huge blessing and so much fun. In 2023, I started hosting during the summers and volunteering as a judge at the National competition in November, and I’ve been doing that every year until now.
What would you say to encourage local group hosts or those that are considering hosting in the future?
I would say to go for it! Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s a lot of support from NBBC hosts across the United States, as well as a dedicated host support team – realize that you’re not going at it alone. We share resources with each other and encourage one another throughout the summer. You’ll make mistakes or realize you could’ve done something better, I think it’s how everyone starts out, but each year gets better and better.
How can summer study hosts help prepare participants for the National Bible Bee Competition?
I think there are a lot of answers to this question! First, hosts should be aware of the content that goes into the qualifying test (NBBC provides a document listing the breakdown on the dashboard) – Discovery Journal content, memory passages, etc.
The second thing would be to make use of the community resources at your fingertips! Contestants who’ve competed before generally make a lot of study materials that they share with the community, so gleaning through those resources and providing them to your local families, especially newer ones that aren’t sure where to start, is a good option. Hosts and parents that have contestants who’ve qualified before also often create resources or give great tips, so I’d keep an eye out for those as well.
Can you share some ways that local hosts can continue to stay involved in their NBB community even after the summer study has ended?
There are definitely multiple ways to stay involved! Hosting [NBBC] prep meetings during the fall (these could be mostly contestant-run with host supervision – passage recitations, having contestants prepare quizzes and/or presentations on a chapter of the study passage or a memory passage, etc.), helping with the host support team, staying in touch with other hosts or contestant families (some hosts organize meetups during the “off-season” for families to get together and fellowship), spreading the word about the NBBC with your local community, etc.
How has leading a host group impacted your life?
It has given me a structured way to give back to the next generation, and helped me to share with others in the same way the NBBC impacted my life while I was growing up. It’s also such a joy to watch and hear contestants of all ages recite the Word, and grow throughout the summer as they learn more about God!
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Well said! Thank you so much, Catherine!
As a host, you have the beautiful opportunity to provide much needed support to families and participants. May you be encouraged to keep pouring into them and be blessed through the community found in studying and memorizing God’s Word through the National Bible Bee. And remember, you are not alone! There are many hosts on the same journey, and plenty that are always willing to provide ideas and support!
Interview by NBB Alumna: Emma Fernandez
