More Downloads Available

Dewey's message from last Sunday is now available online, as well as a couple new music recordings: Glorious Day (from Easter Sunday) and Sparrow (from March 28th). Check them out!

Ministering to the Deaf

I just read a fascinating article about ministry to the deaf entitled Do You Hear What I Hear? by Jeremy Weber. It highlights a video ministry to the deaf (Deaf Video Communications), but it also gives some very interesting information about this virtually unreached group of people. Some quotes include:

Language and cultural barriers have left the deaf a veritable unreached people group right in America's midst. Christian deaf ministries estimate that only 1 percent of American deaf children will attend church as adults. Less than 7 percent will ever have the gospel presented to them in a way they can understand.

"Ninety-five percent of deaf children are born into hearing families, but only 10 percent of parents learn enough ASL to have a conversation beyond 'pass the salt' and 'be quiet,'" said Marshall Lawrence [founder of Silent Blessings Deaf Ministries]. "When parents have limited signing skills, it's daunting for them to teach their children about Jesus or Moses." Lawrence tells of a 6-year-old deaf girl who long refused to participate in dinnertime prayers despite her mother's ASL translation. After the girl saw a deaf boy signing his prayers on a deaf ministry video, she excitedly signed to her mother, "Mommy, Jesus knows sign language!" Now she insists on praying at every meal.

Sermons online

Now that the busy Easter season is over, I've finally uploaded Dewey's sermons from March 21 and 28 to our website's downloads page. These are both great messages, and both got a terrific response from those who heard them live--give them a listen!