A children’s Bible memory revolution: John Tice, Class of 1990.

When you turn to an online game or app to help your kids pass the time, John Tice is hoping it isn’t Angry Birds — he’d like you to check out some of his Scripture memory programs.

Impress Kids, a 13-year journey that became an official company in 2010, isn’t like most Scripture memory methods. It has gone beyond note cards to full-fledged, color-filled online interactivity — and it’s set up so anyone can take advantage of it with their own Bible Memory plans.

John first thought of the idea for Impress Kids when he and his wife, Andrea, were serving as Local Church Ministries missionaries in western New York. He was troubled by the way the children’s Biblical curriculum was disjointed as kids tried to learn through several programs at once.

“They had Sunday School and mid-week programs; some went to AWANA or learned Bible verses at school. The problem was that none of it was connected. I kept thinking we could do better,” he says.

In 1997, after driving home from church, John says he began to dream of a Bible memory program that could complement what was already being done in churches, schools, and homes — something fun for kids and useful as a ministry tool.

John would work on his idea some, lose clarity, and then neglect it. But he kept picking it back up.

“It was a dream God never let me put aside,” he says.

Then, in 2009, John says, “God expanded my vision and made it clear that the program should be Internet and mobile-based.”

With the help of friend and developer Andrew Hawes, Andrea’s creativity, and investors excited about how far the program could reach, Impress Kids finally began to take shape.

“It’s been a wild step of faith,” Andrea says of the venture.

In the short time since Impress Kids started, the team has produced two memory games. Verse Hero is set up much like Activision’s Guitar Hero and features a moving plane of words in rows and columns. Granny Dojo is a comical and beautifully illustrated game of Bible Martial Arts in which players learn to memorize the books of the Bible by breaking boards with instruction and encouragement from a pajama-clad granny sensei.

The service also includes a MyPlace feature — a safe, easy spot for students to learn. Instructors can access activity and make progress reports. Impress Kids’ Media Player activity allows subscribers to present video content to students as they learn.

John also created a separate, 27-page written Bible memory plan, which is available to download for free at impresskids.com. Unlike traditional weekly assignments of one or two verses to coincide with Sunday School lessons, John’s plan has 24 passages designed to be memorized over a six-year span. By packaging verses, students can understand their meaning in the context of more complete ideas or lessons. John says this way of presenting Bible memory will kindle greater retention and real-life application.

“You have these Scriptures throughout your life that, for a time, are your anchors,” John says.

Impress Kids is really a result of John’s own 25 years of memorizing Scripture, which began around the time he was saved in the mid-1980s.

John’s walk with God started when he took a Bible from a hotel room nightstand. He was a U.S. Marine at the time and began reading the Bible while at sea. His enthusiasm died somewhere in Leviticus, though.

“I realized that God loves people and hates sin, but I didn’t get to Christ yet,” he says.

Back on land at Camp Pendleton in California, John heard a message on a Christian radio station about the sacrificial system. The on-air pastor shared the good news of Christ, and John committed his life to following Him.

Shortly after his salvation, John joined Victory Bible Church in San Clemente, California. While there, he worked in the children’s ministry and met pastors within his community who were dedicated to memorizing God’s Word. John followed their lead and saw the power of committing God’s truths to memory transform him “inside and out.”

One pastor, Bible Institute alumnus Alan Morse, shared his experience with John and encouraged him to apply. In 1988, John traveled cross-country to attend the Bible Institute in Schroon Lake.

John discovered many ways to be a servant of God while at Word of Life, and on a street evangelism trip to Philadelphia, he met Andrea. This year will mark their 22nd year of marriage. They have three children: Laura, 18, David, 15, and Emily, 9.

With the success of Impress Kids comes more growth and development for John and Andrea. The company is charging ahead with new games and upgrades, which John says will include audio files, readable stories, printable activities, and more. Impress Kids’ user base now extends from Africa to the North Pole.

“I feel like (Impress Kids) has come out of a whole-life journey,” John says.

He continues to rely on the Scripture he has committed to his own memory to keep him grounded in the Lord and focused on His will. For the past few years, John says he has found stability and comfort in Psalm 59:9.

"Oh my strength, I watch for you. You, oh God, are my fortress,” he recites.

Learn more about Impress Kids and John and Andrea’s work at impresskids.com.