Are you part of a Deaf ministry or Deaf
church that partners with or meets within a hearing congregation? Then, consider conducting a Deaf
Awareness Day with the hearing congregation! Deaf Awareness Day can be a great opportunity to bring deaf
and hearing people together, celebrate what God is doing, educate members about
Deaf culture, and remind them of the importance of reaching deaf people with
the Gospel. Make it meaningful,
encouraging and fun.
Bring
hearing and deaf people together for your worship service(s). Have a deaf preacher, whether one from
your own congregation or an outside person, present the sermon in sign language
for this worship service with someone providing voice interpretation. For worship songs, have a combined deaf
and hearing worship team lead the singing and signing. Arrange for your Deaf ministry group to
present a drama, perhaps one that is more “mime” or gestures, and can be
followed and understood by hearing people, even those who may not know sign
language. Any time Scripture is
shared during the service, project these verses from The Bible: American Sign Language Translation (available from Deaf
Missions) on the screen.
After
church, host a fellowship lunch and encourage deaf and hearing people to
mingle. Challenge deaf and hearing
people to find ways to communicate with one another while eating and
fellowshipping. Put some sign
language cards (with alphabet, numbers, basic phrases in sign language) and/or
pads of paper and pencils on the tables to facilitate communication.
Throughout
the Sunday morning and lunch experience, set up a table with information about
Deaf culture and sign language on it.
Show videos in sign language to give hearing people some additional
exposure and information.
Don’t
limit yourselves to only Sunday morning and lunchtime. Consider hosting additional activities,
perhaps on Sunday evening or another time of the week. Some churches that have done Deaf
Awareness have hosted this on Saturday and Sunday, with workshops and seminars
on Deaf culture and ministry on Saturday and special worship service and lunch
on Sunday.
Additionally,
whether during the worship, lunch or other Deaf Awareness Day activities, take
opportunities to teach basic signs.
Show video and/or photo slideshows. Ask people, both deaf and hearing, to share testimonies of
how God has impacted them through the Deaf ministry. Ask your leader, a preacher or elder of the church, to
affirm the Deaf ministry and share what this ministry means to the whole
church.
In
the book of Nehemiah, chapter 12, the Israelites in Jerusalem came together to
celebrate what God had done through them – rebuilding the walls around
Jerusalem. Your Deaf ministry or church
can do the same. Come together and
celebrate what God is doing through you, the Deaf ministry and your church!
