Courtney Watts of Sandy Level Baptist Church, Columbia Metro Association, won this year’s State Youth Bible Drill, held May 4 at the South Carolina Baptist Convention building in Columbia.
The 8th-grader competed with 29 young people from 14 churches.
It was Watts’ second year to participate at the state level, after competing three years at the children’s Bible drill. “I like being with my church friends and being rewarded for having fun memorizing Bible verses, key passages, and doctrinal references,” she said.
Tied for runner-up were Olivia Barton of Pleasant Union Baptist Church, Carolina Association, and William Hunter of Edwards Road Baptist Church, Greenville Association. Both teens have been drillers for six years — three as children and three as youth — and both have made it all the way to the state drill each year.
To qualify for the state drill, boys and girls in grades 7-9 must first participate at their church. Those with successful scores move on to the associational drill, and all who score above a certain level in the association are then eligible for the state drill. Both the children’s and youth Bible drills are administered by the childhood ministry group of the state convention.
These students received trophies for making it to the state level all six years of Bible Drill. From left: Kiernan Gordon, Robert Hunter, Olivia Barton, Kailyn Horn, and William Ellis.
Courtney’s favorite part of youth drill is the “Bible Answers” section, where teens memorize verses that answer questions such as, “What does God say about holiness?” or “How should I treat others?”
“You memorize [the answers], and they are stuck in your head,” said Courtney. “When you face problems or rough periods in your life, you can refer back to them.”
The Bible drill leader at Sandy Level Church is Gwen Eargle. She says of Courtney, “She is very self-motivated and has always kept Bible drill a priority in her life, even in the midst of playing school sports. I’m very proud of her for that.”
Much of the participants’ success in both children’s and youth Bible drill depends on the support and involvement of the family, since practice and study at home is important. Courtney’s home support comes from her grandparents, Bobby and Shirley Watts of Blythewood. Shirley urges other parents and grandparents to encourage their children to participate in Bible drill, saying, “Bible drill is a fun way of memorizing to increase children’s knowledge of the Bible and apply it to their lives.”
As the state winner, Courtney and a chaperone were awarded a complimentary week at SummerSalt Youth Camp, provided by the Youth Ministry Group of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. — SCBC