The Next Step!!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

As you may remember, Deaf Missions took her Greatest Step Forward several years ago. All glory to God and thanks to your prayers and support, a new studio was built and equipped with the latest High Definition cameras and editing equipment, along with additional office, meeting and storage space. Since then, this space has been utilized daily to produce quality videos and other visuals for deaf people, to translate more books of the Old Testament into American Sign Language, and to host large group training sessions, Bible studies, meetings and other groups.

The building addition has truly expanded and enhanced Deaf Missions' ministry and helped us become more effective in creating Bible visuals and communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ with deaf people and their families and friends. The $450,000 needed for this addition was all paid for through the generosity of our supporters.

Friend, I am VERY excited to share with you that Deaf Missions is now taking The Next Step. What is The Next Step? The Next Step is establishing a new full- time, three-year training program to prepare people to become preachers, evangelists and missionaries among deaf people throughout the world. There is a major leadership void in Deaf churches and ministries in the United States. Deaf people in various countries are hungry for the Word of God in a signed language they can understand. What they need are trained, qualified deaf and hearing people who can communicate with them and will impact them for eternity!


That is what this training program will do...it will train people to become effective Christian leaders who can reach the current and next generation of deaf people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a known and respected leader in Deaf ministry, Deaf Missions is certainly an EXCELLENT place for this training program. Students will not only take classes from qualified and experienced preachers and missionaries of the deaf, they will have tremendous "hands-on" experiences, too. They can participate in our video productions, work with the Bible translation team, write and sign devotions for Daily Devotions for the Deaf, reach deaf people alongside experienced missionaries on short-term international missions trips, help us teach weekly Bible classes at Iowa School for the Deaf, make an impact at our annual Bible Camp for the Deaf, and preach at the local Christ's Church of the Deaf, among other opportunities.

This training program will be about reproducing preachers and missionaries we have at Deaf Missions. Reproducing "Duane Kings" who will, as a result of their passionate hearts for lost souls, go out and establish Deaf ministries to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ with deaf people locally and globally. Reproducing "Jose Abenchuchans" who will, with a passion for Bible translation, go to different countries and translate the Bible into the signed languages of deaf people. Reproducing "Mark Lowensteins" who will, with a passion for preaching, go and preach the Word of God boldly in Deaf churches. Reproducing "Joseph Josselyns" who will, with a giftedness and creativity in video production, create Bible visuals for deaf people. Reproducing "Jo Kruegers" who will, with their passion for writing, develop and publish devotionals and curriculum for teaching deaf people. All in all, the training program will multiply leaders working among deaf people in different ways and with different God-given abilities.


We have already employed a full-time staff person, Mark Lowenstein, to establish and direct the new training program. It is scheduled to launch in August, 2011. We already have people interested in enrolling. Excitement is growing...we can barely contain it! Now, part of taking The Next Step is to make two investments at this time to prepare us for this training program.


Deaf Missions has already made the first investment by purchasing the house of Founder Duane King and his wife, Peggy. This house, which sits adjacent to Deaf Missions, is the very house where Deaf Missions was founded in 1970 and where the first offices were located. We had planned to purchase the house at a later time; however Peggy has been diagnosed with dementia, and her health has declined much faster than anticipated. Because of this, the Kings had to made a quick, but wise, decision to move into a nearby retirement/assisted living community.

Why would we make such a drastic investment? The most important reason is that we will utilize it as a residence for training program students! In addition, we may use it to house interns, to host visiting ministry partners, short-term international missions teams here for training or international missionaries on furlough, and to provide housing for cast and crew during video productions. What a blessing it will be to provide all of the above at a location within a "stone's throw" of the main building at Deaf Missions! When Deaf Missions made the decision to invest in the purchase of the King's house, Duane said, "It's bittersweet, but I'm very excited for Deaf Missions to buy my house because of the ministry purposes it will be used for!"


The second investment is building a training center in Deaf Missions' facility and equipping it. The training program will host classes, usually all day, Mondays through Fridays, so this meeting space is needed. We have an existing garage that can be converted into the training center and equipped with a large screen LCD television for video and PowerPoint presentations during classes and with tables and chairs for students.

The total cost to make both of these investments is $220,000 ($210,000 for the purchase of Duane and Peggy's house, and $10,000 to convert the garage into a new training center). Will you please join us in making an investment for God's kingdom and the future of deaf souls by helping us pay for this training center and residence?

As proven by the Greatest Step Forward (and throughout all of history!), God has provided. And, we are trusting God to provide again as we make The Next Step, by blessing us with a total of $220,000 through faithful, loving and caring people like you. Deaf Missions is an incredible story of God at work. Through you and your support, God has grown Deaf Missions in outreach and impact (from local to international ministry), ministry programs (from several to 18), number of kingdom laborers (from one to 18 staff members, scores of contract laborers and hundreds of volunteers), and building size (from the basement of founder Duane King's house to our current facility of 11,000+ square feet). Deaf Missions has faithfully, steadily and wisely gone from one step to the next to reach our current level of ministry. We will continue taking steps forward, as God leads and provides.

As Duane also shared in his Greatest Step Forward challenge, please DO NOT subtract from your regular giving to Deaf Missions in order to contribute to The Next Step. And please DO NOT subtract from supporting your local congregation. But please DO something! If it's prayer and $100,000 or more, praise God. If it's prayer and $10 or less, praise God again. When every person gives as much as God leads him or her to give, that's all that is needed...but that much is needed.

I look forward to your response. Just mark your gift The Next Step and mail a check or money order to:

Deaf Missions
21199 Greenview Rd.
Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Or you may give online with your credit card by clicking here.

You, dear friend, are a TREMENDOUS blessing to Deaf Missions. Thank you for loving and caring for the deaf people whom we, TOGETHER, are reaching with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,



Chad Entinger
Executive Director