Winning this year’s State Youth Bible Drill competition was an extra-special goal for ninth-grader Alison Westberry. Having finished first at state in 2010 and 2011, she worked hard to take home the top honor for the third year in a row.
Alison Westberry is three-time winner of State Youth Bible Drill.Indeed, she wanted to finish strong, “but I told myself I’d be OK if I didn’t win because I did my best. It’s satisfying to have practiced so much and to know the Scriptures,” Westberry said.
The Taylors First Baptist Church youth admits she’s competitive but revealed the real reason she’s passionate about Bible drill: “Out of all of the activities I do, it’s the only one with eternal value,” Westberry said.
Sue Harmon, associate director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s childhood ministry group, said she was “astounded” while watching Westberry compete in the drill. “She is blazingly fast,” said Harmon. “It’s remarkable that she won three years in a row because it means she improved each year. When you start off at a high level, it’s hard to keep improving, but Alison did.”
Seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders participate in youth Bible drill and are taught to locate books of the Bible; search for Scriptures (which may be presented during the drill from any book, chapter, or verse) identify key Bible verses from a list of 10 they have been given; identify doctrinal verses from a list of 10 they have been given; and recite memorized Bible answers to questions asked about Scripture. The year culminates in the spring with three levels of drills at the church, association and state level.
Alicia Phelps is a 25-year Bible drill veteran from Taylors First Baptist and also serves as the North Greenville Association Bible drill representative. She has taught Westberry in Bible drill for the past five years and is excited about her achievements. “Alison wants to do a good job and is competitive, so she has worked very hard,” Phelps said.
Three generations of Bible-drillers
Cathy Mixon has fond memories of being in children’s Bible drill in the 1950s at Lawtonville Baptist Church in Estill, and she credits that early experience with her love of Scripture today. “Reading God’s word is great, but learning passages you can fall back on when times are tough means more,” Mixon said.
Taylor Holland, who placed second in this year’s youth Bible drill, is flanked by her grandmother, Kathy Mixon, and her mother, Nicole Holland, both of whom were Bible-drillers in their youth.Mixon began the youth Bible drill ministry at Sand Hill Baptist Church in Varnville 28 years ago, when her daughter, Nicole Holland, “aged out” of the children’s Bible drill ministry. Mixon and her husband, also in Bible drill as a child, encouraged all three of their children to participate in Bible skills ministry. Now an adult, Holland teaches the children’s Bible drill at their church.
“Bible drill helps children hide God’s word in their hearts, and it follows them through life,” Holland said. “The children light up in amazement when I can recite Malachi 3:10 and I tell them I learned it when I was in drills at their age.”
Taylor Holland was in third grade when she started Bible Buddies, an introductory Bible class that some churches offer before children are old enough to participate in Bible drill. Her mother, Nicole, taught her in the children’s division, and now her grandmother is her drill leader.
“I love Bible drills,” said Taylor. “When I learn verses, I can remember them when I need them.”
Mixon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, and she credits her Scripture memory with carrying her through the darkest times along her journey. “I felt like I was down in a dark well and I remembered the verse, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I think we take lots of things for granted every day, including our Bibles, which we don’t study like we should. But when you hit those rough spots – and our youth hit those rough spots with so much that they face today – they will have his Word in their hearts to help them through,” Mixon said.
Holland pointed out that the number of memorized verses really adds up when a child continues through to youth Bible drills. “The more verses we know, the more we have that can come back to us [to] use in our lives. In good times as well as when we’re in trouble, they help us in our walk through life,” she said.
A tool for life
“There are so many activities for youth [to] choose [from], but learning God’s word is the most important thing they can do in their lives,” said Mixon.
Westberry, this year’s youth drill winner, was quick to add she would encourage other teens to participate in Bible drill. “It’s good preparation. In youth drill, you learn doctrine and how to answer questions about the Bible, so if you’re wondering about stewardship or sharing your faith with someone, you’ll have Bible verses to support your answers.”
In her role as SCBC Bible drill consultant, Caroline Perez works to provide information and training to churches and associations, along with coordinating the state drills. She said the fact that Taylor Holland’s participation in Bible drill was a family affair is not uncommon. “Several churches start Bible drill ministries because church members want their children involved in Scripture memory at early ages,” Perez said.
Phelps, who helped tutor this year’s drill winner, said competitions aren’t a required part of Bible drill, nor are they the most important thing. “The most important thing is for them to know the Bible better, to learn and hear the verses God wants us to know, and apply them in our daily life,” she said. “Parents tell me how much confidence it has given their children, and how they have seen a difference in how the children have learned to pace themselves in their schoolwork. Bible drill is worth it.” – SCBC