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.