This is the third album from a group that has toured puppet shows to schools since 1998 and was inspired by the positive response to a rocked-up version of Jesus Loves Me on the 2011 album, A Mighty Shout.

The first two albums put out by Quiz Worx were predominantly of original songs, but this third album updates classics such as This is the Day, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and 1, 2, 3, Jesus Loves Me. Even the 1922 worship song, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, has been given a rock vibe, while Australian rapper Nobee One contributes a rap to Love the Lord your God.

Featured artists include popular children’s singer-songwriter Colin Buchanan and songwriter and minister Ben Pakula.

“We’ve had really good feedback from SRE teachers, children’s ministers and parents since the album came out at the end of May,” says Quiz Worx general manager, Nick Koeck.

“These are classic kids’ songs that I grew up singing, and my mum and dad grew up singing.”

The songs are aimed at primary-school children, but can be enjoyed by pre-schoolers too, Nick says.

“It’s a lot of fun. We’ve been listening to it in the car and my five-year-old and three-year-old love it.”

Quiz Worx estimates that it reached 50,000 children last year with its schools shows, which tour around Australia. It hopes to exceed that figure this year, and has tours upcoming to the north coast of NSW and southwest Queensland. The latter will take puppeteers Kim Meredith and Ros Hicks, along with puppets Gruncharina and Google, to outback towns such as Lightning Ridge, Dirranbandi, Windorah and Cunnamulla during August.

“The schools have a very small number of kids, but we want to give them an opportunity to hear about and respond to Jesus, just as much as kids at the big city schools,” says Nick.

“The kids go crazy – they love it. The team flies into a town by light plane, where someone picks them up, they do the show, then they fly to another town.”

Nick says plans are in place for another outback tour for next year, visiting places the group has never been before, and revisiting places it has already been in 2017. “So we will visit a place every two years; we eventually hope to go yearly and add new places. It’s a challenge but God has graciously opened doors for us to go to a lot of places. It’s a partnership ministry and we can’t do it without the believers who help us.”

Because most of its shows are staged around Christmas time, Quiz Worx is looking for more staff to help it reach about 30,000 children during the festive season.

WIN! You can win a copy of the new Quiz Worx CD, Rise Up and Rock and a copy of Ben Pakula’s Masterplan CD, a biblical rock opera especially for kids that spans stories from Genesis all the way through to Revelation (read more about it here). To win, just tell us in 25 words or less what Christian kids song has stuck with you in to adulthood.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED.
Competition ended Friday 31 July at 9am. Winners were notified by email. 

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