International (MNN) — With the advance of technology and global community, finishing the task of the Great Commission doesn’t seem as daunting as it did 50 years ago. According to the aptly named group Finishing the Task (FTT), 1,347 people groups (41 million people) are still waiting to hear the Good News.
For one global community, the Gospel needs to be seen – not heard.
(Photo courtesy of DOOR International)
“The Deaf are the largest unreached people group on the planet, and we need resourcing to help get God’s Word to these people,” says Brad Wiechertjes of DOOR International.
FTT is an “association of mission agencies and churches who want to see reproducing churches planted among every people group in the world.” At the group’s annual conference, presenters like Paul Eshleman and Rick Warren inform and mobilize believers to engage in the Great Commission.
This year, FTT revealed an updated list of UUPGs – people groups that are “unreached” (they’ve never encountered the Gospel) and “unengaged” (no one is trying to reach them). Nearly 100 of the groups are Deaf.
You might be asking, “If Deaf people are on the list, why not blind or mentally challenged people?” Wiechertjes has an answer.
“Deafness is the one disability group that leads to a minority language group. The Deaf, by and large, do not read…sign language is their first language.”
This 30-second video helps explain why most Deaf people don’t know God.
It’s not enough to just hand Deaf people a Bible. That’s why DOOR International takes a different approach. They translate Scripture into sign languages and teach Deaf believers how to reach their neighbors for Christ. Visit DOOR’s website to learn more about their ministry.
“Now is the time for the Deaf, in part because of technology and awareness, that we can bring translated Scripture and a church planting movement to as many sign languages as possible.”
It’s a big task – there are more than 350 sign languages worldwide. However, the same factors advancing the Great Commission are helping Deaf reach Deaf for Christ. Technology and global connectivity are eradicating barriers between Deaf people and the Gospel.
