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Posts by Maria Brannen:

Celebrating the Life of Waldo Woodcock (1/2/1929 – 12/26/2019)

Photo taken of Waldo & Sarah Woodcock and Dennis Rogers several years ago.

Yesterday we celebrated the life of Waldo Woodcock – a life-long champion for Bible Drill and Student Speakers in Georgia.  I first met Waldo Woodcock when I was in Children’s Bible Drill.  During my teenage years, as a Bible Driller and as a Speaker, Waldo Woodcock had an impact in my Discipleship Journey.  As a State Missionary, he faithfully served – championing the importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts and sharing our faith. He retired in 1996 after serving for 28 years as a State Missionary in Discipleship Training at the Georgia Baptist Convention.  In March of 1998, before I began at the Georgia Baptist Convention, Waldo Woodcock, called me at the church where I was serving on staff and encouraged me with my upcoming journey of serving as a State Missionary with the responsibility of Bible Drill.  For many years after his retirement, Waldo continued to serve as a Bible Drill judge and presider.

Earlier this year, Waldo called me from the Georgia Baptist Retirement Community where he lived in Waycross and expressed his support and encouragement for our new Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Student Speakers, Inc. ministry.  He was pleased that this vital ministry to our Georgia Baptist churches was going to continue!

Waldo made a difference in so many lives and invested in multiple generations through Bible Drill and Speakers.  I am thankful to have been impacted through his life and ministry.

Bible Drill Christmas Bingo

This week our Youth and High School Drillers are having their Bible Drill Christmas Party and we were looking for a fun, Bible Drill Christmas Game to play at the party.

Thank you to LifeWay Kids for sharing a customizable Christmas Bingo template that can be used for a Bible Drill Christmas Activity. To download the template, click this link for the article sharing the Christmas Tree Bingo Board: Christmas Bingo

Items needed:

  • A copy of the Christmas Bingo Card for each driller
  • Permanent Marker (ultra fine point)
  • Christmas Candy (We like to use Christmas M&M’s)
  • Bible Drill Card

Prepare:

  • Print out a copy of the Bingo Board for each driller
  • Using the permanent marker write Bible Drill references in each square. (Make each card individually so that the references are in a different square on each card)
  • Put Christmas candy in a small cup for each driller to use as the markers for their card

For Children’s Bible Drillers:

Call out the underlined portion of the card (like in a completion drill) and the drillers must put the candy marker on the correct reference.  

For Youth Bible Drill:

Call out a phrase of an Identifying verse, a Doctrinal Statement, or a Bible Answers Question and the youth must put the candy marker on the correct reference.

For High School Bible Drill: 

Call out a Key Biblical Passages statement or a What We Believe Question.  Drillers must put the candy marker on the correct reference.  For the rest of the squares – you may want to repeat some (that is what we did) or come up with your own options of what to put in the remaining squares.

We’d love to hear what Christmas Bible Drill activities you are using for your group.

Investing in the next generation

Seeing millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers investing in the Next Generation through Bible Drill this month during our October Challenge has been a blessing. To hear from a former driller from a few years ago about their gratefulness for Bible Drill and to see what God continues to do through this ministry is incredible.

Our October challenge is to raise $1,500 for the ministry of Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Student Speakers, Inc. Due to the generosity of former drillers, speakers, parents, leaders, and Bible Drill Champions, we are half-way there. A big thank you to to everyone who has donated this month!

If you would like to be a part of the October Challenge, there is still time to donate. During this challenge, we are encouraging Bible Drillers, former Bible Drillers and Speakers, parents, and other Bible Drill champions to donate $10 or $20 this month to invest in the discipleship and Biblical literacy of the next generation of kids and students through Bible Drill and Student Speakers. You can donate by clicking this link: Donate

October Challenge

For the month of October, we would like to raise $1,500 for the ministry of Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Student Speakers, Inc. We are encouraging Bible Drillers, former Bible Drillers and Speakers, parents, and other Bible Drill champions to donate $10 or $20 this month to invest in the discipleship and Biblical literacy of the next generation of kids and students through Bible Drill and Student Speakers. You can donate by clicking this link: Donate

Will you take the challenge to do one of the following?

  • Collect your change for the month of October and donate to Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc.
  • Donate the amount you would spend on coffee in a week
  • Donate $10 or $20
  • Encourage your friends and family to match what you donate

The ministry of Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers has transitioned to a separate non-profit ministry and is led by a team of individuals from across our state that is committed to investing in and nurturing the next generation of kids and students in Biblical literacy and scripture memorization.  LifeWay Research shared in the book Nothing Less – Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith by Jana Magruder that the number 1 predictor of Spiritual Maturity as Young Adults is regularly reading the Bible as Kids.  Through Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers Inc, we will continue to provide resources and events/Drills to encourage a love for God’s Word and a growth in Christian Discipleship.  

New ESV Bible Drill Bible

Crossway, the publisher of the ESV pew Bible that we use for Bible Drill, has updated their Bible. The information for the new Bible Drill Bible is:

  • English Standard Version (Black Pew Bible) – Copyright ©2001 Publish Date 2018
  • ISBN 978-1-4335-6343-0
  • These may be ordered from:

The main difference is that if you measure from the front to the back of the Bible across the pages (or at the spine) – the new Bible measures about 1 inch whereas the current ESV Bible Drill Bible we have used measures about 1 1/2 inches. The layout and page numbers are the same. There are no wording changes.

For the 2020 Bible Drills, we will use the current ESV Drill Bible (ISBN: 978-1-4335-2204-8) and the new ESV Bible (ISBN: 978-1-4335-6343-0).

5 Tips for Planning for 2020 Bible Drills

Photo by picjumbo.com on Pexels.com

I hope your Bible Drill year is off to a great start!

Even though, it’s fall, it’s not too early to begin planning for your drills next Spring. Here are four tips to assist you.

(1) Mark your calendar for the 2020 Regional and State Drills. These can be located on your state website usually on the Bible Drill page and/or events page. The 2020 Regional/State dates and locations for Georgia are:

  • Tuesday, April 14, 2020 – Tom’s Creek, Martin
  • Thursday, April 16, 2020 – FBC Douglas
  • Sunday, April 19, 2020 – West Rome Baptist
  • Monday, April 20, 2020 – FBC Lawrenceville
  • Tuesday, April 21, 2020 – FBC Cochran
  • Thursday, April 23, 2020 – Warren Baptist, Augusta
  • Sunday, April 26, 2020 – FBC Douglasville
  • Saturday, May 9, 2020 – State Youth/High School Bible Drill and Student Speakers Competition – First Baptist Church, Loganville

(2) Contact your association for the date and location of the Associational Drill and mark your calendar. If you are responsible for planning the Associational Drill, set your drill date 1-2 weeks before the date of the Regional/State Drill that churches in your association will attend. This will allow the churches to time to register for Regional/State Drills (if this is required in your state.)

(3) Schedule your church drill 1-2 weeks before your associational drill. Make sure to check with your church office/leadership team when scheduling the church drill in order to avoid any church scheduling conflicts. This is a great time to fill out any facility paperwork your church may have.

(4) Communicate the drill dates with your church families via e-mail, text updates, flyer, announcements, etc. Encourage parents to mark the dates on their calendars now and make plans to be at the drills. Make each date a big deal by celebrating before or after the drill with refreshments, ice cream, Chick-fil-a meal, or your own special traditions.

(5) Make sure you don’t miss any Bible Drill updates. Follow our blog by entering your e-mail on the right toolbar. This will ensure you receive the latest Bible Drill updates by e-mail as soon as blog articles are posted. While you are on our website, make sure to check out the extra tabs with additional Bible Drill information.

3 Bible Drill Activities for your drillers

Enjoy these 3 fun Bible Drill Activities with your kids/students:

  1. Verse Pop
  • Cut strips of paper to match the number of words in your Bible verse.
  • Write one word per strip of paper. Don’t forget to include the reference.
  • Place one strip in each balloon.
  • Blow up balloons.
  • Have drillers pop balloons and assemble the verse.

2. Bible Drill craft – verse reminder

  • Purchase a cheap frame from the dollar store
  • Cut scrapbook or colored paper to fit the frame.
  • Write Bible Drill verse for the week on the glass using a dry erase marker.
  • Have drillers take the frame home and put it in a family area to serve as a reminder as they are learning the verse.
  • Once they’ve learned the verse, erase and add a new verse!

3. Spoons – Books of the Bible

  • Have fun reviewing the books of the Bible by playing spoons with your drillers.
  • Cut 3 x 5 index cards in half and write a book of the Bible on each piece. Want to use a Books of the Bible printable instead? At https://mariabrannen.com, I have created Old and New Testament Books of the Bible cards printables that are free when you follow my blog by e-mail.

4 Great Bible Drill Resources

I am always on the lookout for something new to add to my Bible Drill bin of resources for each cycle.   This summer, Lifeway’s “In the Wild” VBS had 4 great Bible Drill Resources that you will want to add to your Bible Drill bin or file. Check out this video to learn more.

state Bible Drill pic 2019 HS

6 Tips for Kicking off a New Year in Bible Drill

It’s hard to believe that school will be starting in less than a month. With the beginning of a school year, many of our churches are kicking off their new church year and the beginning of Bible Drill. As you make plans, here a few tips:

  • Plan a fun kick-off event to get kids and students excited about Bible Drill. One great option is our Bible Drill night at Stone Mountain – July 18th. The cost is $10 and includes a Chick-fil-a Meal. Join other drillers from around the state for a night of food, fun, fellowship and the laser show! For more information and to register: https://bibledrillandspeakers.com/2019/06/04/registration-is-open-for-bible-drill-day-at-stone-mountain/
  • Create a Bible Drill calendar for the school year. List out all the dates related to Bible Drill: Bible Drill kick-off/parent meeting, dates you will have class, dates you will take a break (due to holidays, fall festival, etc.), Christmas party, special practices/activities, and dates of the Church, Associational, Regional and State Drills as well as which verse(s) you will be teaching each night.
  • Plan a parent meeting (especially for Children’s Bible Drill parents). Include some fun parent/child Bible Skill games as well as an overview/introduction of Children’s Bible Drill. Consider including adding a door prize or two for the meeting.
  • Choose your translation (ESV, KJV, or CSB) if you are beginning your first year of Bible Drill.
  • Download Bible Drill cards in the translation of your choice from our website: https://bibledrillandspeakers.com/
  • Order Children’s Bible Drill Resources from https://www.lifeway.com/en/product-family/bible-skills-drills-thrills or Youth Bible Drill Resources from Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers Inc. https://bibledrillandspeakers.com/

I hope you have a fun year as you help kids and students develop a love for God’s Word and to memorize scripture! We’d love to hear what you have planned for your year in Bible Drill!

2019 National Competition participants

2019 National Bible Drill and Student Speakers Competition

On June 13-14, North Carolina hosted the National Bible Drill and Student Speakers Competition at Parkwood Baptist Church in Concord, North Carolina. On Thursday afternoon, students from across the country participated in a mission project, creating hygiene bags (with soap, shampoo, toothbrush/toothpaste, etc.) for a local ministry. Following the mission project, they participated in the Thursday night fellowship – a time of food and fun with other participants.

On Friday, our Georgia Winners – Abigail Mongillo from Warren Baptist in Augusta (Youth Bible Driller Winner), Jonathan Branton from Harp’s Crossing, Fayetteville (High School Bible Drill Winner) and Kyle Brannen from FBC Monroe (Student Speakers Competition Winner) participated in the National Tournament along with students from other states. Our Georgia winners along with the other students recited scripture in the drills and shared some incredible messages through their speeches. Drillers were encouraged to continue to make a difference beyond the National Competition by discipling a future generation of kids and students through Bible Drill. Each of the speakers had powerful messages and were encouraged to continue to speak and share their faith beyond the National Tournament.

Kristen Aguirre (Texas Baptists) was the National Winner in Youth Bible Drill. Janice Beto (Southern Baptists of Texas Convention) was the winner in High School Bible Drill. Caroline Kemp (Texas Baptists) was the National winner in Youth Speakers.

Registration is open for Bible Drill Day at Stone Mountain!

Load up the van and join us for Bible Drill Day at Stone Mountain on July 18! We will meet on the lawn at 5:30 pm for fun, fellowship, a Chick-fil-a supper and the laser show. The cost is $10.* 

Bible Drillers of all ages are welcome! Bring your Bible Drill Team, former Bible Drillers, parents, and leaders! 

*Does not include parking fees or additional activities at Stone Mountain.

PLEASE NOTE REGISTRATION IS A 2-STEP PROCESS.  YOUR REGISTRATION WILL NOT BE FINALIZED UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED BOTH STEPS.  (STEP 1: REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND STEP 2: PAYMENT (Please read payment notes before you click on the link to pay)

STEP 1: Click here to Register for Bible Drill Day at Stone Mountain

STEP 2: Click here to Pay for Bible Drill Day at Stone Mountain

This link will take you to the giving page for First Baptist Church Monroe.  FBC Monroe has partnered with Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers to collect payment for this event for us.  Once you have clicked on the above link:

  1. Click on the box that says “one time gift” (this will link you to FBC Monroe’s pushpay page
  2. Enter the amount you are paying (number of attendees x $10).  For example, if you are bringing a group of 5, you would enter $50 (5 x $10 = $50)
  3. Make sure “Give one time” is highlighted
  4. Choose “other” for your fund
  5. VERY IMPORTANT – In the Memo line, type: Georgia Baptist Bible Drill Day – Stone Mountain
  6. Click “Next” and then follow the rest of the steps to complete your payment

Be a part of our Bible Drill Mission Projects this Summer

During the summer is a great time to look for ways to serve through mission trips and ministry activities. This summer, Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers has opportunities for older kids, students, Bible Drillers, families and adults of all ages to serve and be a part of the ministry of Bible Drill.

The projects are flexible depending on the time frame your family or group has available to serve:

  • Maybe you are a family headed to NE Georgia, SC, or NC for summer vacation but want to make a difference by serving for part of a day. . . 
  • Maybe you are looking for an opportunity for your older kids or students to take a day and serve this summer . . .
  • Maybe you want to offer a 3-day preteen or family mission trip opportunity . . .

Our Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers Ministry Area is located in Monroe, GA and would welcome your assistance.

Examples of opportunities to serve:

  • Sorting and organizing Bible Drill and Student Speaker Resources
  • Assisting with inventory of resources
  • Preparing items for our e-store
  • Administrative assistance – making copies, proofreading, preparation of judge notebooks; data entry
  • Preparation for 2020 Bible Drills
  • Prayer huddles
  • Collection of items (contact Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers for a list of current needs)

For more information, details, and available dates to serve this summer contact Maria Brannen (bibledrillspeakers@gmail.com)

2019 Georgia State Bible Drill and Speakers Competition Winners

On May 11, 2019, the State Bible Drill and Student Speakers Competition was held at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, GA.

The 2019 Youth Bible Drill Winner is Abigail Mongillo from Warren Baptist Church in Augusta. The High School Bible Drill Winner is Jonathan Branton from Harp’s Crossing Baptist Church in Fayetteville. The Student Speakers Competition Winner is Kyle Brannen from FBC Monroe.

As the High School Bible Drill Winner, Jonathan Branton was awarded the Waldo and Sarah Woodcock Scholarship in the amount of $500. As the Student Speakers Competition Winner, Kyle Brannen was awarded the Jenny Rogers Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,200.

These students will be representing Georgia at the National Youth and High School Bible Drill and Speakers Tournament on Friday, June 14th at Parkwood Baptist Church in Concord, NC.

Join us for Bible Drill Day at Stone Mountain!

Load up the van and join us for Bible Drill Day at Stone Mountain on July 18! We will meet on the lawn at 5:30 pm for fun, fellowship, a Chick-fil-a supper and the laser show. The cost is $10.*

Bible Drillers of all ages are welcome! Bring your Bible Drill Team, former Bible Drillers, parents, and leaders! Registration and more information coming soon!

*Does not include parking fees or additional activities at Stone Mountain.

    Welcome to Bible Drill and Speakers

    Welcome to our Bible Drill and Speakers website/blog.  Our desire is that this will serve as a resource for individuals and churches as students are discipled using Bible Drill and Student Speakers.

    Bible Drill is a journey of kids and students hiding God’s Word in their hearts for a lifetime.  Through Bible Drill, kids and students become familiar with God’s Word by spending time in the Bible.  They memorize scripture and the 66 books of the Bible as well as learn Bible Skills (how to locate books, and scripture passages.). In Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith by Jana Magruder, LifeWay research found that the number one predictor of spiritual health as young adults is that they regularly read the Bible as Kids.   Bible Drill helps lay this spiritual foundation in the lives our kids.  One of the joys of Bible Drill for me has been to see students receive their 9-year award for Bible Drill.  This 9 year award represents 9 years of regularly spending time in God’s Word and hiding it in their hearts.  May we all spend time hiding His Word in our hearts – regardless of our age . . .

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    Photo by Maria Brannen 2018 – Regional Bible Drills