KATHLEEN A. COSTELLO

1. What years did you quiz?
   I quizzed from 1961-1965
2. Where and for what church did you quiz?
   Wesleyan Methodist Church, Baldwinsville, NY
3. What were the highlights of your quizzing years?
   That last year of quizzing was a most phenomenal year. I just immersed myself in the book. Any time I had free time I was studying. I do not remember memorizing like quizzers do today but yet, with all the time and analysis, the information was all there. Nationals was held at Louisville, Kentucky. Both of my teammates were boys, so I had a room all to myself that night before. There were no round robins, just one big championship quiz that Michigan and New York had gone down for. I was in the dorm room by myself. We had arrived in Kentucky that day. The excitement of travel had worn off by 9 PM so I was ready for bed and then suddenly decided to read Romans over one more time before closing my eyes. As I read it for the umpteenth time, I noticed something that I never had seen before. There were three "I beseech you (urge you) brothers." Wow! I was so excited. What a great 50 point question for question 11. At that time there were 20 questions with 15 points for easier questions and more points for more difficult questions and number 11 always being 50 points. I made sure I memorized those three verses. The next day, it happened just like it does in a story or book. It was a tight quiz with the leading score constantly swinging back and forth between Michigan and New York....that is....until question 11 when the "I beseech you" question came up. Then New York led the rest of the way.
4. Did you or your team win any championships? If so, what and when?
   National Champion on book of Romans in '65 just beating out Michigan by 5 points, I believe
5. What was your favorite scripture? Why?
   I would say one of my favorites is the latter part of Romans chapter 8. What powerful words.
6. How did Quizzing affect you as a teen?
   What an affirmation of faith, of God working in my life, of blessing that I have repeatedly gone back to when doubts have come. I knew, without a doubt, that God had, for some reason decided to bless me. My father had just died from cancer. I was in a state of shock and doubting. But I firmly believe because of my obedience to study His Word, He rewarded me with that championship. Financially, it was a huge help to my mother. We received 1/4 off tuition scholarship at Houghton College. With the loss of my father's income, it was such a blessing.
   When I look back on that year of quizzing, I do not remember any joy in winning or a drive to win. Studying was not about that. I was just doing it. And in that, the Holy Spirit filled me with such peace that it really did not matter if we won or lost. What was important was that God directly worked in my life. What was important was that feeling (knowledge) that I was not my own...I was bought at a price...and He was in control....It was bigger, much bigger than winning a competition.
7. What difference has quizzing made in your life to this day?
   Because of that dramatic way of God showing me He was alive and living in me, I have been forever changed. I decided I wanted all teens to have that chance for God to work in their lives, and it might come through quizzing like it did for me.
8. Are you presently involved in Bible Quizzing in any way or have you been since you were a quizzer? If so, how?
   So after college and marriage, I started a Free Methodist quiz team in the Yorkshire Free Methodist Church in 1975. I was not aware of any other teams in New York at that time. We did not have anyone to quiz with throughout the year. Needless to say, what innocents or rookies we were as we traveled out to Winona Lake with my 3 month old baby boy, C J, in 1976 to quiz in our first nationals. It did not go too well, but it was a start of a ministry still going on today.
   At the Albion Free Methodist Church, I again started up a quiz team in 1985 with 4 quizzers and have been coaching ever since. My three children went through quizzing with both C J and Kelly making it to the final six senior teen individuals. Colleen did not like the competitive aspect and would be distraught when eliminating an opposing team but has gone on to be a VISA missionary, first for 3 years in China, and most likely now on to Thailand. I feel ecstatic and assured as my children go anywhere knowing how thoroughly they are grounded in the scriptures! Kelly is now helping out in the Michigan conference as she attends U of M. CJ is ministering in various capacities in Maryland at his church. There is no agony or worry on my part for them losing their faith.....and I hope that is true for each of the quizzers that has come through our ministry. ...that their lives will more reflect the spirit of Christ the more they memorize and study the scriptures and there will no buffeting by the waves of doubt when they experience Christ's working. So, 19 years of teens have come and gone in our ministry and with it, touching lives for Christ, I pray.
9. What ministries are you currently doing? How are you presently active in serving the LORD?
   I have been Christian education director, VBS teacher, Sunday School teacher (12 years), CLC director and teacher. Now I just concentrate on the Bible Quizzing.