Deaf Ministry
At Southeast SDA Church we have a very active Deaf Ministry Department. This department utilizes the skills of deaf and hearing members to glorify God. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” II Corinthians 4:3. It is our prayer that no one is lost, and that includes our deaf brothers and sisters.
It is for this reason that we teach sign language to our members as well as to those in the community. We offer sign language classes at the beginners, intermediate and advance level. Our current class, which is held on Tuesday evening has 18 students.
Our Deaf Ministry also has a sign choir, Hands-In-Ministry (H.I.M.). This is a choir that exists for the purpose of knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known to others. Our choir is a family. The music that we select has deep meaning to us. It reflects our commitment to the Lord and hopefully it gives inspiration to those who watch us sign.
We are a 15-member choir who are at its best when Sister Betty Craft, one of our deaf members, joins us. We are often invited to fellowship with other churches in the community and most recently we have been on programs at Lee Memorial A.M.E. Church, Mt. Gillion Baptist Church, Affinity Baptist Church, Holy Trinity Baptist Church and Progressive Baptist Church.
We are always looking for new choir members and you don’t have to know sign language. We will teach you!
LINKS:
National Association For The Deaf
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more. For more information, please visit our website.
ASL University (Learn the American Sign Language)
ASL University is an online curriculum resource for American Sign Language students, instructors, interpreters, and parents of deaf children.
Feel free to use the various lessons and resources for self-study at no cost. There is no need to register or pay. These resources are free for your personal study.
Hand-In-Ministry (H.I.M)