Bible Drill and Speakers

by Sarah North

Attention, present Bibles, begin”… For nine years I participated in Bible Drill and also competed in the Student’s Speakers Tournament for two years. During this time, I was the state winner and national runner-up for Speakers and state runner-up in High school Bible Drill.

Being a part of these two ministries has had a lasting impact on my life. Not only did I memorize Bible verses during this time, but I had fun at competitions, made lifelong friendships, improved my public speaking, and most importantly, I had the opportunity to share God’s word with others. To this day, I can recall many of the verses and passages by heart or at least have a general idea on where to locate them.

One verse that comes to my mind most often is, “What time I am afraid I will trust in thee (Psalm 56:3).” This is a verse I learned in Children’s Bible Drill that has stuck with me over the years. I find myself going back to this simple, but powerful, verse over and over again. Memorized for a competition, remembered for a lifetime.

Sarah lives in Falcon, Colorado where she works at Ent Credit Union. She is 2 months away from finishing up a two year rotational program in mortgage and consumer lending. In 2012, she was State Runner up in Student Speakers Tournament. In 2013, State Winner and National Runner up in Student Speakers and State Runner up in High School Bible Drill.

For the month of October, we would like to raise $1,500 for the ministry of Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Student Speakers, Inc. through an October Giving Challenge. We are encouraging Bible Drillers, former Bible Drillers and Speakers, parents, and other Bible Drill champions to donate this month in honor or in memory of a Bible Drill leader or Student Speakers leader who made a difference in your life, the life of your children/grandchildren, or your church.  You can donate by clicking this link: Donate

Once you donate, email us at bibledrillspeakers@gmail.com and share with us the name of the leader you made your donation in honor or memory of and their mailing address.  They will receive a note informing them that a donation to Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers Inc. has been made in their name.  In your email, we encourage you to also share a story of how this leader impacted the life of a Bible Driller or Speaker.

Our family has made a donation in honor of three Bible Drill Leaders who have personally impacted our lives. Growing up as a part of Plentitude Baptist Church, Donna Morrison was my Bible Drill leader.  Not only did Donna teach my class each week, she helped create a love for Bible Drill in my life.  Donna shared a real-life story with us about how we could trust God in any life circumstance.  As a result, I will never forget Psalm 56:3 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”  Martha Odum at FBC Monroe taught both of my sons in Children’s Bible Drill.  Martha has literally impacted the lives of hundreds of kids at FBC over the last 25 plus years as she has helped them learn Bible Skills and how to memorize scripture.  Kim Sanders taught both of my sons in Youth/High School Bible Drill at FBC Monroe.  She creatively looked for ways to encourage them to memorize scripture while investing in their lives.  I am so gratefully for each of these three ladies and the impact that they have had on our lives.

Through your generous gifts to Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers Inc, we will continue to impact the lives of the next generation.  

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I hope your Bible Drill year is off to a great start! In August, Alabama hosted the webinar “Four ways you can teach Bible Skills in a socially distanced world.” The session leaders in the webinar are Belinda Stroud with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, David Jennings with First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Maria Brannen with Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc. and Deborah Robson with North Carolina Baptist Bible Drill. The webinar and resource was a joint venture between the three states.

If you missed the live webinar, you can view it online on our website and learn about some creative, fun ways churches can teach Bible Drill at home, online, at church or while discovering the outdoors even though we are living in a socially distanced world.

I’d love to hear how your Bible Drill group is meeting!

Download the free ebook and at home resource here: How to do Bible Drill in a Socially Distanced World.

This fall, students in Grades 9-12, are invited to participate in a High School Essay Contest sponsored by Georgia Baptist Bible Drill and Speakers, Inc. The winner of this contest will receive a $500 scholarship to the college of their choice.

Topic: “Coffee with Three New Friends” – Write about a gathering/chat at a local coffee shop that you would host for yourself and three biblical characters (Old or New Testament). Why did you choose these three? Since you are the host you get to choose the topic(s) of conversation. Your title can be different from the topic as long as you stay on topic.)

Judging Criteria:

* Creativity  (Originality; thought provoking;)

* Grammar (Use proper sentence and paragraph structuring; correct punctuation and spelling)

* Scripture Based (Use Scripture which is meaningfully used and is applicable.)

* Evidence of Research: Minimum of 4 footnotes or endnotes and at least 3 bibliographical entries, Scripture can only be counted once in bibliography and twice in your footnote/endnote count. A separate bibliography is required.

* Length: Minimum of 750 words

Include a personal bio sheet with following information: name; address, email, phone, and church membership.

Use a PDF format when submitting your essay.

Deadline: December 1.

Use this link to submit your essay: https://www.dropbox.com/request/bKy96QBiIzLbuT5mv5H0

This fall, Georgia Baptist Bible drill and Speakers, Inc. is sponsoring a College Essay Competition. The prize is a $500 scholarship to the College of your choice. This essay competition is open to current college students. The topic is: “My Life as a Christ Follower While in College.” Students are to write about their experience as a Christian disciple or their spiritual hopes as a disciple during this time. Students may change the name of their title, but need to stay on topic.

Judging Criteria:

* Creativity  (Originality; thought provoking)

* Grammar (Use proper sentence and paragraph structuring; punctuation and spelling)

* Scripture Based (Scripture used meaningfully and is applicable)

* Evidence of Research: Minimum of 5 footnotes or endnotes and at least 4 bibliographical entries. Scripture can only be used once in your bibliography count and twice as footnotes or endnotes count.  A separate bibliography is required. 

* Length:  Minimum of 1000 words

Include a personal bio sheet with the following information: name; address, email, phone number; church membership, and college you attend.

Submit the essay as a pdf using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/Cq7QXTlVuscj2c6ihDbu

Deadline: November 14, 2020 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

As you begin your new year in Bible Drill, do you have a Bible Drill Kick-off night or are you meeting outside? Try the Water Balloon Toss idea from our new ebook.  It’s a fun game you can play outdoors with your drillers.

Materials needed:  water balloons; bin to hold water balloons

Prep: Fill water balloons with water.  Provide 1 balloon per 2 drillers and a few extras.

Do: Have 2 drillers stand across from each other approximately 1 foot.   Both drillers will take turns tossing the balloon back and forth and will try to catch it.  As they toss the water balloon back and forth, they take a small step back each time.  As they toss the balloon, they will say the books of the Bible or scripture verse.   The last team with their balloon not popped, are the winners.

Reminder: It’s a good idea to have drillers use hand sanitizer before and after playing this game.

Looking for a fun, interactive online game to use with your Bible Drillers or in a Sunday school Class? Try our Bible Drill Kahoot idea from our new ebook. This can be used on a Zoom Call or with your in person class.

Materials Needed: Each participant needs a smart phone or tablet/iPad.

Prep: Leader: Create a free Kahoot account.  Then create a game to review verses, books, or Key Passages.  Here is one free for your use: https://create.kahoot.it/share/bible-drill-red-cycle-review/462da5e3-1622-4d8e-905f-af5a7f757c67

Ask parents to download the Kahoot app on a smartphone or tablet/iPad before logging onto the zoom call (or coming to class).

Do: Zoom Call option: After welcoming your drillers, make sure they each have the smartphone or tablet with the Kahoot app installed nearby.  Leaders: You will use the screen share feature on zoom to play the game.  For the in-person class option, display Kahoot on a computer screen or flat screen monitor using an HDMI cord. Ask all drillers to login in on Kahoot with the id/pin displayed to play the game.  Enjoy the game. 

Variation: On a zoom call, have the parents and drillers compete against each other and see who is the winner!

Looking for a fun ideas to kickoff a new year in Bible Drill? Try our swimming pool game ideas from our new ebook. These activities can be used at home or at a Bible Drill pool party.

1. Pool Hoop-de-loop

Materials needed: 2 pool noodles; Duct tape; foam noodles, knife, permanent marker

Prep: Make a giant foam noodle hoop by attaching the 2 pool noodles together, into the form of a circle, with duct tape; Cut a noodle into 1-2-inch pieces.  Write the Books of the Bible on the foam noodle pieces.

Do: Toss the giant foam noodle into the swimming pool, then toss the books of the Bible into the hoop.   Have the “swimmers” close their eyes and choose a book of the Bible, then they have to say the book before, book chosen and the book after. 

Variation:  Do this game with scripture verses.

2. Kickboard Books of the Bible Scavenger Hunt

Materials needed:  One kickboard per swimmer, foam noodles, knife, permanent marker

Prep: Cut a noodle into 1-2-inch pieces.  Write the Books of the Bible on the foam noodle pieces

Do: Take the Books of the Bible foam pieces and toss in the pool.  Swimmers will use their kickboard to “swim” across the pool to find the books of the Bible, in order. 

Variation:  You can do just the major prophets, the gospels, or the books of law, etc.  Consider making a color-coded set per swimmer and see who can find all the books and put them in order the quickest.

Idea: Create a set of books/verses on foam pieces for color coded for each driller. This makes it easier to social distance in the pool as they have fun with these activities.

During this time of social distancing, one option of encouraging Bible Skills/Bible Drill is to provide parents with easy resources to disciple their kids. The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions has developed an excellent at home resource for Bible Drill that includes a devotion for each Red Cycle Children’s Bible Drill verse as well as a fun learning activity. 

Here are 3 ways to engage families in Bible Drill using this resource:

1. Use it as a weekly family devotional resource for all of the families in your kids’ ministry.
2. Use this resource to engage your families when sheltered in place whether by word of the governor of your state or by their choice.
3. Use this resource as a supplement to your weekly virtual or in person Bible Drill program.

Consider providing the supplies for the activities for your families. A few options of what this might look like:

– Weekly:  This option allows the ability to adapt and change plans on a weekly basis.  For example, you can send home resources with drillers if meeting at the church or do a drop-off/pick-up option if sheltering in place part of the school year.    

– In a monthly box/bag: While convenient, this allows the flexibility of regularly touching base with families/drillers through drop-offs or pick-ups.

-In a box for the entire year:  This is the most convenient option and allows families to go through the devotions at their own pace.

Photo by Agung Pandit Wiguna on Pexels.com

Looking for a fun, creative idea to use with your Bible Drillers or in a Sunday school Class? Try our Draw a verse idea from our new ebook. This activity can be used at home, online during a zoom call, at church, or outdoors.

Materials Needed: paper, crayons, colored pencils, or markers; (variation – canvas and paint); Bible
Do: Have the children/students locate the verse and read it out loud. Tell them to write/paint the verse somewhere on the page/canvas. Discuss the verse and then ask the children/students to draw an illustration of the verse. (What does it mean to them or how can they apply that verse to their life?) Set a timer and give the children/student a certain amount of time to do their drawing/painting. When the timer goes off, allow each child/student to show their drawing/painting and tell what it means to them. Then have them recite the verse again.

Recommended Bible Drill verses for this activity: Genesis 1:27; Leviticus 22:31; Deuteronomy 6:5; Job 37:14; Proverbs 20:11; John 15:13; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 6:1; Philippians 4:6; James 1:19
Recommended Key Passages for this activity: The Creation; The Israelites Leave Egypt; The Baptism of Jesus; The Birth of Jesus; The Parable of the Prodigal Son; The Christian’s Armor

Variations: 1. For a Sunday school Class, let children/students pick a verse they have studied this month or a favorite Bible verse to illustrate. 2. Have students scroll through their phone and pick a picture that represents a Bible Drill verse to them. Have them edit the photo and add the text of the verse to the photo. Let students share the photo with your group and/or on social media.