Tag Archive for: mdhh

Conference offers connections and insights

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Opportunities to connect, share experiences, and grow in Godā€™s Word were just a few of the blessings attendees experienced at the Hands of God conference held this past July.

Sponsored by the WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the conference focused on how to serve the deaf and hard of hearing members of Godā€™s church. Forty peopleā€”including more than 20 deaf or hard of hearing individualsā€”discussed topics like using technology devices in church for the deaf/hard of hearing, welcoming deaf/hard of hearing guests at church, and setting up a deaf Bible study. One workshopā€”led by a panel of deaf membersā€”centered on the Deaf culture, how it is unique, and how congregations can bridge any gaps.

ā€œIn America, about three percent of deaf people regularly attend church,ā€ says Rev. Daniel Frey, pastoral advisor for the WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Committee. ā€œSo we talked a lot about what we can do to really help that number grow.ā€

Eight people from Freyā€™s congregation, Gethsemane, Leeā€™s Summit, Mo., attended the conference, including five who are deaf and two interpreters.

ā€œAs their pastor, IĀ was so happy that they were there and got to talk with other deaf Christians and tell their story to other deaf Christians,ā€ Frey says.

The WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, part of WELS Special Ministries, exists to help congregations share the gospel with members of WELS and others who are deaf or hard of hearing. One of its current initiatives is adding to anĀ online religious sign language dictionaryĀ to help the deaf and interpreters share the gospel more effectively.

Learn more at wels.net/mdhh. Read about one of Freyā€™s members and the Deaf ministry at Gethsemane in Forward in Christ magazine.

 

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Gospel Hands helps for worship

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A new website called Gospel Hands is now available from WELS Special Ministries. This resource, produced by the Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MDHH), aims to share the gospel and better tell the message of Jesus to all who are deaf.

Gospel Hands provides videos of interpreters demonstrating the signs for more than 700 religious words and concepts, including a contextual sentence and a Scripture reference, if applicable. In addition, each sign is demonstrated from the front and the side. The signs are listed alphabetically and searchable by category.

Gospel Hands is the culmination of a three-year project by the committee. Back in 2003, the MDHH produced a book of religious signs for interpreters called Sign to the Lord a New Song. But knowing that a printed book of religious signs is no longer practical, the MDHH utilized the blessings of technology to record sign videos for this new website. Committee members collaborated on choosing the signs and context for each word.

Mrs. Verna Weigand, a religious sign language interpreter and a long-standing member of the MDHH committee, has been involved in Gospel Hands from the beginning. She is thrilled about this new resource and also appreciates that churches have become more open to using interpreters in worship and providing other resources like words on AV screens, hearing loops, and printed sermons for those with hearing loss. ā€œItā€™s really important that [those with hearing loss] know congregations will assist them and not just say, ā€˜We donā€™t offer that here,ā€™ā€ she says.

Weigand, a member at Mt. Calvary, Waukesha, Wis., notes that Gospel Hands is growing as new resources, like videos of signed worship services, continue to be added. Mrs. Susan Willems, a member at Christ the Lord, Brookfield, Wis., is thrilled about this expanding resource because it helps her and her family members share their faith with her one-year-old nephew, Parker, who has been deaf from birth. ā€œWe learn sign language so we can include Parker in every aspect of our family,ā€ she says. ā€œYou also never know when the opportunity will present itself to share Jesus with someone who is deaf or hard of hearing.ā€

Because itā€™s estimated that 85 to 90 percent of those with hearing loss donā€™t attend church because of a lack of religious resources for them, Rev. Joel Gaertner, director of the Commission on Special Ministries, knows what a valuable faith resource Gospel Hands is. ā€œThe work to put together an online religious sign language dictionary demonstrates the dedication of the members of the MDHH committee to provide as many resources as possible to help share the gospel with the deaf and hard of hearing community,ā€ he says. ā€œItā€™s wonderful to see how they are using technology to make this website possible.ā€

Learn more at gospelhands.net and find additional resources at wels.net/deaf-and-hard-of-hearing.

Read more about Gospel Hands in the May issue of Forward in Christ magazine.

 

 

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Something new and exciting is coming!

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You have likely noticed that things which once were in books or in print are now moving to a digital or web-based platform.

Two weeks ago members from the Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MDHH) group were able to bring to reality a project that has been several years in the making ā€“ an online Christian Sign Language Dictionary.Ā  The project is entitled ā€œGospel Handsā€ and can be found at gospelhands.net. The MDHH team members spent significant time over two days signing and recording to video more than 900 religious sign language signs. It was intriguing to hear the discussion about what was the best sign and possible alternatives for a certain words or concepts. While the videos are still being edited and uploaded, it is exciting to see this effort finally coming to fruition.

This initial group of videos is only the beginning. There are plans to record more signs in the future and to keep growing this online resource.

Watch for more news in the coming weeks as the videos of these hundreds of signs are uploaded and we make this resource available publicly.

Joel Gaertner, director, WELS Special Ministries

 

 

 

MDHH ministry in action

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ā€œGive praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoiceā€ (Psalm 105:1-3)

We hear these words of the psalmist and easily imagine their application: loud shouts of praise to God . . . singing beautiful hymns and anthems to Godā€™s glory . . . sharing and telling the whole world the life-changing news of the gospel . . . talking with other Christians as we remember Godā€™s goodness. . . .

But our praises to God are not acceptable because of our voices, or because of a beautiful hymn, or because of a rich blend of musical instruments. Our prayers and praises are the spiritual sacrifices we offer to God that are only ā€œacceptable to God, through Christ Jesus.ā€ (1 Peter 2:5).

Here at Bloomington Living Hope, we are reminded of that truth as our deaf and hard of hearing members and friends grow in Godā€™s Word through worship and Bible study. With hearts and hands they ā€œgive praise to the Lord, and proclaim his name.ā€ They ā€œtell of his wonderful actsā€ as they encourage one another. Their shouts of praise echo loudly through the new hearts and lives that the Holy Spirit has created by faith.

Each week at our Living Hope location, our 10 a.m. weekly worship service always has an interpreter. Our deaf members and the community can always count on having a live church service in which to worship each Sunday. The same service is streamed and archived on our website with a ā€œpicture in pictureā€ view. The interpreter is recorded with a separate camera, so there is always a clear view. It takes work, preparation, and many volunteer hours, but God has richly blessed our efforts!

Another blessing of God is our weekly deaf Bible study. On Tuesday nights our deaf members bring their friends together to study Godā€™s Word. Itā€™s a loose format. Pastor leads the study, with the interpreter close by. We sit close to one another. We pray together. Anyone can ask any question at any time. Itā€™s a bit different from the typical Bible study, but some things are the same. We open the Word and God richly feeds us.

Over the past two years, weā€™ve held our weekly deaf Bible study over ZOOM. Sometimes the screen is so full of people itā€™s hard to pick out the interpreter – what a blessing! The technology allows the deaf community to join us from anywhere. Deaf members in Illinois, Washington, South Dakota, and Arizona are brought together by the Spiritā€™s power to grow in faith week after week.

Starting in fall of 2022, our deaf Bible study is expanding to twice a week. Tuesday at 6 p.m. in person and Thursday 1 p.m. via Zoom. If you would like further information about these Bible studies or to view Sunday services signed by our interpreter, please go to our websiteĀ bllh.org.

Over the past years, it is incredible to recall how God Has grown our DHH ministry. God can do the same for your church too!

 

 

 

 

MDHH to offer grants for hearing loops

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As congregations implemented livestreaming for the first time, many people experience instances of being unable to hear everything in the service. Perhaps your church had issues with the audio for the livestream, and the sound cut out for a portion of the sermon. Maybe the microphones werenā€™t set up to hear people singing.

These isolated problems serve as a good reminder not to take the ability to hear for granted. And while volunteers have likely worked tirelessly to enhance the audio for online services, the struggle to hear continues to be a common occurrence for hard of hearing people.

This, unfortunately, can put up barriers between sinners and the gospel. People with hearing loss may miss a phrase that would have been the exact thing their heart needed that day. Or worse, they may choose to stop coming to church because they are frustrated or discouraged by the amount of effort required to catch the full message.

Thankfully, modern technology has solutions to alleviate this problem. One of these is to install a hearing loop in your church. A hearing loop works with peopleā€™s hearing aids to provide a clearer sound directly into their ears. Watch this brief captioned video where church members describe the difference a hearing loop made for them.

WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MDHH) is encouraging looping projects by offering a grant for such projects. If your congregation is planning or has already begun any kind of building or renovation project, this is an especially great time to consider installing a loop. Or if you are looking for an excuse to suggest replacing the dated flooring in your sanctuary, the opportunity for a grant might be the reason you need.

As part of their mission to provide all people easier access to the gospel, MDHH is offering $500 grants towards the installation of a hearing loop to WELS/ELS congregations that apply for it. MDHH is also able to point congregations towards additional research, contacts, and other resources about hearing loops.

If your congregation might be interested in installing a loop in your sanctuary, please reach out at [email protected] for more information.

Learn more about the Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

 

 

 

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