Twelve Pathfinder teams met at Walla Walla Valley Academy on March 11, 2023 to compete in the annual North Pacific Union Pathfinder Bible Experience, hosted by Upper Columbia Conference.
PBE is a team-based challenge put forward by the North American Division to test the knowledge of the team on certain blocks of scripture. PBE was developed to encourage Pathfinders to conduct in-depth study and memorization of scripture and to help them reflect on how the Bible applies to their own lives. A new section of the Bible is selected each year, and this year’s focus was the book of John.
Teams begin the competition by competing with teams from other local Pathfinder clubs. If they answer a certain percentage of the questions correctly, they then move on to the next round at their local conference level.
The teams that do the best at the conference-level competition are then selected by a panel of judges to move forward to the union level. This year, 12 teams from across NPUC competed at the union level. Of those 12 teams, eight are moving on to the division level competition in Tampa, Florida, on April 21–22, 2023.
The advancing teams are:
- Middleton Swords (Idaho Conference)
- Pleasant Valley Go Fish (Oregon Conference)
- Pleasant Valley Goldfish (Oregon Conference)
- Whipple Creek Watchmen (Oregon Conference)
- Colville Cougars (Upper Columbia Conference)
- Cascade Eagles (Washington Conference)
- Sojourners Team Pastor John (Washington Conference)
- Sojourners Team Who Loved Jesus (Washington Conference)
“I was reminded again how excited the Pathfinders are when they are waiting to hear the results of their team's effort,” shared Rob Lang, NPUC youth and young adult director. “They have so much energy and enthusiasm to hear the results of their hard work and dedication. They are clearly all winners because they are all growing!”
Location of the NPUC PBE rotates throughout the six conferences each year. The next NPUC PBE will be hosted by Idaho Conference on March 8–9, 2024 and will highlight Joshua and Judges.
