Bible Drill and Speakers

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Posting scripture verses in a room are a great way to focus on and memorize God’s Word. Today, we are offering a free download of 10 Scripture verse posters. The posters are available in ESV, KJV, and CSB.

3 creative ways you can use these posters to help with scripture memorization:

1. Print out the posters on 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock, trim and insert one in an inexpensive 8 x 10 picture frame. Place the framed verse on your kitchen counter or table so that your family can read and memorize the verse together. Change the verse weekly (or monthly.)
2. Use in your Youth Bible Drill Class. Print these Cycle 2 Bible Answer Verses in color on 11×17 sheets. If you don’t have access to a copier that prints on 11 x17 paper, check out a local store that offers copy services. Hang the verse posters in your Classroom.
3. Print out 8 1/2 x 11 size on white cardstock and laminate. Use these with teaching activity stations as students are learning the verses.

Download ESV Verse Posters Here

Download KJV Verse Posters Here

Download CSB Verse Posters Here

Thank you to Karen North for creating these posters and sharing them with us! She is the Bible Drill Leader at Covenant Baptist Church in Valdosta, GA and one of our Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc board members.

5.  Psalm 56:3 – Light Switch Cover

• Items Needed:  Light switch cover and several colors of thin permanent markers
• Preparation:  None 
• Directions:  Have drillers print the verse onto the light switch cover, take it home, and put it in a place that they see each day to remind them of the verse.

6.  Psalm 119:11 – Bible Bag Knockdown

• Items Needed:  Paper bags, newspaper, permanent markers, and bean bag
• Preparation:  Print phrases from the verse onto paper bags including the reference for one bag.  Fill the bags with crumpled newspaper then staple bags at the top.  Line the bags up in a row.
• Directions:  Allow drillers to knock down one bag at a time with a bean bag.  When a bag is knocked down remove it and have the driller say the verse.  Repeat until there are no bags remaining.

7.  Proverbs 22:1 – Digging For Gold

• Items Needed:  large bowl, rice, and coins with phrases on it
• Preparation:  make several “coins” with phrases of the verse on them and fill bowl with rice
• Directions:   Let drillers take turns digging for gold in a large container of rice to find “gold” with phrases of the verse written on them.  Have them read the phrase as each coin is found.  When all of the coins are found have the children put the verse in order.

8.  Isaiah 6:8 – Voice Relay

• Items Needed:  None
• Preparation:  None
• Directions:  Divide drillers into two teams.  Next, divide each team in half.  Send 1^st half of both teams to the opposite side of the room.  Each half of the teams stands in lines and faces the rest of their team.  Divide the verse into parts depending on the number of children.  Example KJV:

Part 1 – Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,

Part 2 – Whom shall I send,

Part 3 – and who will go for us?

Part 4 – Then I said, Here am I;

Part 5 – send me.

Part 6 – Isaiah 6:8

• Begin relay by having driller #1 of each ream run across the room toward the other part of their team saying part 1 of verse, and tag driller.  The tagged driller on each team then runs across the room to the opposite side while saying part 2 of the verse.  They will tag the next driller in line.  Continue until the verse is completed.  When the team has finished the relay, the halves of each team will have traded sides of the room and the verse will be complete.

For today’s blog post, I’ve gathered up 7 fun teaching activities! Scroll down and under each picture is a link to one of our webpages with complete instructions for creating and playing the game/doing the activity. The water games would be a great to include for a Bible Drill Kick-off or an extra Sunday afternoon practice while it’s still warm!

Pool hoop-de-loop and Kickboard Books of the Bible Scavenger Hunt

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Water Balloon Toss

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Looking for some new games and teaching activities to use this year in Children’s Bible Drill? Today, we’ve got 4 creative verse activities for you to use in teaching and reviewing the first 4 Blue Cycle Verses!

1.  Genesis 1:31 – Put the Verse in Order

• Items Needed:  Genesis 1:31 verse on cardstock, scissors, and laminator (optional)
• Preparation:  Print out the Genesis 1:31 verse onto cardstock. Cut apart and laminate.
• Directions:  Have drillers put the verse in order as quickly as they can.  Variation:  Using more than one set, have a relay to see which team can put the verse in order the quickest.

2.  Deuteronomy 16:17 – Fill in the Blanks

• Items Needed:  Poster board cut in half, permanent marker, and Jenga blocks
• Preparation:  Print every other word of the verse onto the poster board with a block shape the size of the Jenga block in between each word you have printed.  Print the words of the verse that were not printed onto the poster onto the Jenga blocks.  Don’t forget to include the reference.
• Directions:  Have the drillers fill in the spaces of the missing words with the correct word.  Drillers can see who can fill in the blanks the fastest.

3.  Joshua 24:24 – Spinning Top Game

• Item Needed:  Spinning top
• Preparation:  None
• Directions:  Use a spinning top (or multiple spinning tops).  For individual drillers or a pair of drillers – begin spinning the top and see how many times a driller can say Joshua 24:24 before the top stops spinning.  To play in teams (1 top needed per team) – spin the top and see how many times driller #1 can say the verse before it stops spinning.  Pass the top to driller #2 and repeat.  The team that can say the verse the most times wins.  

4.  1 Chronicles 16:9 – Sign a Verse

• Item Needed:  Signing video of verse
• Preparation:  View 1 Chronicles 16:9 video.  Become comfortable with the signs so that you can teach them to the children.
• Directions:  Teach the drillers the verse using the signs.

For some, writing an essay can be a fun and creative process. For others, it can be a challenge and sometimes intimidating. However, writing an essay can often also be beneficial.

This fall, Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc. is holding an essay contest that offers 3 benefits:

The first benefit is that of spiritual growth. Students who participate in the contest will engage with the topic and scripture as they develop their essay. This provides an opportunity for students to grow spiritually as they examine their beliefs. Churches, ministries, schools, and families can use this essay contest as a discipleship mentoring process for high school and college students. Mentors are encouraged to engage students through intentional conversation related to the topic. Students can be guided to examine God’s Word prayerfully as they begin to write. An added bonus is for students to discover that writing can be an avenue to share their faith with others.

The second benefit is the development of writing skills. Through the process of this essay contest, students can develop their writing skills. Parents, mentors and teachers can assist students in setting intentional goals in the development of their essay by guiding them in the development of an outline, a first draft, and final draft. An offer by a teacher or a mentor to proof their essay can be valuable in this process. Feedback students receive help students grow as writers.

The third benefit is a college scholarship. The winners of our High School and College Essay Contests each receive a $500 college scholarship to use at the school of their choice. For more information regarding our Essay Contests, visit our essay webpage using this link: Essay Contests

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Here are 10 tips to for kicking off a new year of Bible Drill:

• Determine when and where you will meet. Be creative and flexible. You can meet on Wednesday or Sunday nights at church, Thursday afternoon in a homeschool group, or with a group of friends during the week at your house!
• Plan a fun kick-off event to get kids and students excited about Bible Drill. Include some fun Bible Skill games as well as an overview/introduction of Bible Drill. Door prizes and food are always a big hit. Consider including parents (for Children’s Bible Drill).
• 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
• Download our administrative materials including our New Children’s Bible Drill Leader’s Guide, Our handout on how to have a winning year in Bible Drill, and scoresheet. We also have similar administrative resources on our Youth and High School pages.
• Create a Bible Drill calendar or checklist 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. We’ve created a checklist for each age group that you can fill in your dates. Children, Youth, and High School.
• Order Children’s Bible Drill Resources from https://www.lifeway.com/en/product-family/bible-skills-drills-thrills or contact Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc (maria@bibledrillandspeakers.com) for Youth Bible Drill Resources.  
• Utilize new resources this year in teaching Bible Drill: (1) Family Bible Drill Devotions for Children’s Bible Drill – Alabama Baptist Bible Drill (2) Use the Verse Ring cards from North Carolina featured on our Children, Youth, and High School pages. These are Bible Study flash cards about the size of a baseball card. Choose your age group and translation, then download and print out on white card stock. This is a great printable to have your drillers cut out and use to review verses. They can be used whenever and however you meet.
• Keep connected with Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc and other Bible Drill leaders by subscribing to our website/blog and/or by joining our Facebook group. By entering your email on our website, it will allow you to receive our latest Bible Drill updates by email. Joining our Facebook group is a great way to connect with other Bible Drill leaders in the state.
• Be flexible in how you do Bible Drill this year. Having a schedule with the flexibility to meet people where they are will allow us to engage more kids and students in discipleship and hiding God’s Word in their hearts. Download our free ebook that shares strategies for Bible Drill to take place at home, online, at church, or outdoors

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!

Each year we recognize Bible Drillers at the 3, 6, and 9 year milestones of participating at the Regional Level of Bible Drill. By the time students complete their 9th year of Bible Drill, in addition to learning Bible Skills, they have memorized 359 verses plus learned where 30 Key Passages of Scripture are located. At our State Drill this year, we asked two 9-year drillers (Will Bowick, FBC Monroe and Mary Carol Kletcke, FBC Cochran) to share what Bible Drill meant to them and/or how it helped them grow spiritually and their favorite Bible Drill verse.

These High School Students shared the following comments with us:

• It’s a great way to learn scripture and have fun.
• I just wanted to keep doing it (Bible Drill) over and over again.
• These scriptures will stick with me the rest of my life.
• I am going to miss it.

As I thought over their comments about their 9-year discipleship journey through Bible Drill, I asked myself, how many of us could view our last 9 years the same way?

• Are we learning scripture?
• Are we enjoying our time with God’s word (having fun)?
• Do we want to go back to God’s word over and over?
• Are we abiding in God’s word in such a way that His Word is with us throughout our lives?
• Do we miss it when we are not spending time in His Word?

What does Bible Drill mean to you? To your church as part of a discipleship journey?

Our 2021 National Invitational Youth and High School Bible Drill and Speakers Tournament was held Friday, June 18th at Dallas Baptist University in Texas. Leala Hutchens, our 2021 State Youth Bible Drill Winner from FBC Cochran, received a perfect score award and tied for 2nd place in the National Youth Bible Drill.

Andrew Wisely (FBC Dallas, Southern Baptist of Texas Convention) won 1st place in Youth Bible Drill. Lillian Felton (FBC, Dallas, Southern Baptist of Texas Convention) won 1st place in High School Bible Drill. Jonathan Perkins (Prestonwood Baptist Church, Southern Baptist of Texas Convention) won 1st place in the Speakers Tournament.

Congratulations to all the State Winners who were a part of the 2021 National Tournament! Georgia will be hosting the 2022 National Youth and High School Bible Drill and Speakers Tournament.

Our 2021 State Youth and High School Bible Drill was held on Saturday, May 8th at FBC Cochran. To qualify for the State Youth/High School Drill, drillers had to score 270 points or higher at the Regional Drill. In addition to memorizing the books of the Bible in order and being able to locate books and verses in 8 seconds, Youth Drillers learned 30 verses and our High Schoolers memorized 68 verses including Exodus 20:3-17 (The Ten Commandments).

Leala Hutchens was the State Youth Bible Drill Winner and Rose Reardin was the Youth Bible Drill 2nd place Winner. Both drillers received Perfect Score Awards. Leala and Rose are students are from FBC Cochran.

NenaBeth Mickle was the State High School Winner and MaryCarol Kletcke was the 2nd place Winner. Both drillers received Perfect Score Awards. NenaBeth and MaryCarol are also from FBC Cochran. As the 2021 High School Bible Drill Winner, NenaBeth received the Waldo and Sarah Woodcock $500 College Scholarship.

Congratulations to Jordan Sanvidge (FBC Jackson) and Rachel Frantz (FBC Garden City) for also receiving the Perfect Score Award.

Leala and NenaBeth will be representing Georgia at the 2021 National Invitational Tournament for Bible Drill and Speakers June 17-18 at Dallas Baptist University in Texas.

I will never forget a VBS teacher coming to me several years ago, shocked that the kids in her 4th grade class (most of who with their families were regular attenders of our church) could not locate passages of scripture in their Bibles. She said, “Maria, I had to stop what we were doing in class and teach these kids how to find a book, then a chapter and the verse!” As a parent and a Kids Minister, I feel it is a priority for kids to learn Bible Skills, especially how to locate Bible Books and passages of scripture. This year we are excited to offer an opportunity for Children and Students to develop their Bible Skills through locating Books of the Bible and Scripture passages.

* 2021 Children’s Bible Skills Exhibition – We will offer a Bible Skills Exhibition for 3rd-6th graders at our Regional Bible Drill Locations. This Bible Skills Exhibition includes Book and Scripture Searching Drills only. There will be 12 Book Calls and 12 Scripture Searching Calls. Children will have 10 seconds to locate the book or scripture passage. References for the Scripture Searching Drill will be taken from the current Bible Drill card. Children may qualify for the State Exhibition by receiving a score of 16 or higher at their church level. Children will receive a certificate. This is great for kids who are beginning to learn Bible Skills, new or potential drillers or for churches who were not able to resume their Bible Drill program in 2020-2021 due to COVID. 

2021 Bible Skill Exhibition for Students. – We will offer a Bible Skills Exhibition for 6th-12th graders at our Regional Bible Drill locations. This Bible Skills Exhibition includes Books and Scripture Searching Drills only. There will be 12 Book Calls (2 points each) and 12 Scripture Searching Calls (3 points each). A perfect score would be 180 points (60 from each judge). A Bonus point will be awarded to the driller who steps out first in 8 seconds on each call. Students may qualify for the Exhibition by receiving a score of 135 at their church level. Drillers who participate in the Regional Bible Skills Exhibition will receive a certificate. This is a great option for new or potential Youth Bible Drillers or for churches who were not able to resume their Bible Drill program in 2020-2021 due to Covid. Note that there is no State Level for the Bible Skills Exhibition for students.

For dates and locations, click here

For more information and to register, click here

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