International (MNN) — Think of the times you’ve grown in your faith. Chances are you didn’t get there alone.
You likely had a teacher or mentor, or you grew by experience. But imagine if you were cut off from those things. Sometimes, Deaf people feel that way in a Hearing church.
DOOR International’s Rob Myers describes a conversation he once had with a Deaf friend:
“I asked about their experience, and they said, ‘Yes, I get a lot of information out of a hearing church that provides an interpreter. But the biggest frustration is that I’m the object of ministry. I don’t get to be a minister. There’s no opportunity to serve and use the gifts that God’s given me in the church.’”
(Photo courtesy DOOR International via Facebook)
DOOR International empowers Deaf Christians to reach other Deaf people for Christ. Learn more here.
Hearing people like Rob help with some things, but 85-percent of the staff is Deaf. They’re changing perceptions and drawing Deaf people closer to Christ worldwide.
“When you bring a Deaf leader into the life of another Deaf person, suddenly they can picture themselves in that position; thinking, wow, if God can use that Deaf leader, God could use me in that way, too,” Myers says.
Learn more about Deaf-led churches here. Use buttons at the bottom of this page to help DOOR spread the word.
“If you have that, ‘Wow, I didn’t know!’ moment, share this information with somebody else. The fact that you weren’t aware means many people around you also aren’t aware,” Myers says.
“The number one challenge in the Deaf community and Deaf ministry is lack of awareness in the Hearing Church.”
Header and story images courtesy of DOOR International.
