About
About Deaf Kids Connect
Who are we?
Deaf Kids Connect, formerly Silent Blessings Deaf Ministries, has been serving for over 27 years, focusing on connecting Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their families with the love of Jesus. With a dedicated team of employees and volunteers, we offer unique workshops, training, and mentoring programs. We stand out as the only ministry working directly with parents impacted by deafness, supporting them in their journey and guiding them in gospel-centered care by connecting families with Christ-honoring community where they can find a sense of belonging.
Our Mission
Our mission is to equip Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, their families, and churches with resources for a lifelong relationship with Jesus.
Our Vision
Our vision is to bring connection to all Deaf and Hard of Hearing children with the love of Jesus.
Our Core Values
IMMERSE
We are firmly committed to the belief that every Deaf child is a gift, uniquely designed to fulfill a God-given purpose. Embracing God’s blueprint involves acknowledging His role in planning and designing every aspect of our being, encompassing our nature, values, and deafness. We affirm that God is the Creator and Architect of over 300 Sign Languages and Deaf culture. In His capacity as the Creator, God holds the power and takes responsibility for Deaf children and disabilities. Our existence serves as His blueprint, aligning with the purpose of declaring His Gospel, as emphasized in The Great Commission.
INCLUDE
Deaf children should be integrated into the home, community, and the Church through the establishment and maintenance of a visually and linguistically rich environment, primarily through Sign Language. Deaf and Hard of Hearing children possess a voice, emotions, a unique way of thinking, and a distinct perspective. They harbor deep spiritual questions and share a fundamental need for human connection and relationships, much like their hearing counterparts. Their method of language does not negate their inherent need for their Creator, community, and companionship.
We firmly believe that through Sign Language, a Deaf child can experience full inclusion in the world around them, and the Truth of God’s Word can be effectively communicated. Inclusion is paramount in reaching these image-bearing children for God’s kingdom.
INTEGRATE
Harmony in Connecting Deaf and Hearing Worlds for Learning and Sharing. We affirm that integration involves recognizing and respecting the equal importance of two distinct sets of values—those in the Deaf and Hearing worlds. This approach offers a valuable opportunity for mutual engagement, sharing, learning, and exchanging ideas. We hold steadfast to the long-term goal of Gospel transformation and relationships. The parents embody language and cultural flexibility, exemplifying honesty and integrity as a whole, with the aim of displaying a glimpse of God’s glory.
Established in 1996
Silent Blessings was founded on January 13, 1996 by hearing parents of a Deaf girl. Both had education in communications and child development; Marshall Lawrence was a traveling song evangelist and local radio DJ, Terry Lawrence was a college professor.
They searched for faith-building children’s resources in Sign Language, and finding none, contacted Deaf ministries [Deaf Missions and Deaf Video Communications] and formed a partnership to build such resources. Two Finger Food Cafe movies and 65 episodes of the nationally broadcast TV show Dr. Wonder’s Workshop (DWW) are the results of those efforts. DWW is the springboard for more recent projects like the Deaf Kids Connect app (formerly named God Loves Deaf Kids) and SignLab.
Meet Our Team
Our Team
Our Parent Mentor
Rebecca Brown
Tennessee
Amy Ferrell
Tennessee
Elisa Hay
Florida
Mistie Suhr
Texas
Elissa Poe
Texas
Brittany Stacey
Oklahoma
Our Board of Directors
Dr. Jeff McNair
Jim Bittner
John Aukerman
Rebecca Buchan
Bob Edwards
Doug Hall
Karen McTague
Jason Suhr
Michael Hoggatt
Francis Casale
Our Advisory Team
Christopher Hughes
Maryland
Jennifer Hughes
Maryland
Elisa Hay
Florida
Lulu Sorenson
Minnesota
Mistie Suhr
Texas
Elissa Poe
Texas
Amy Ferrell
Tennessee
Ashley Renslow
Colorado
Germaine Graham
Arizona
Belinda McCleese
California
Kevin Hamilton
Kentucky
Our Beliefs
- We believe in the one true triune God who reveals Himself to humankind as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe this God is the creator and the sustainer of the universe. We believe God is sovereign in causing or allowing the experiences of people and that every person’s life has purpose. We believe He is alive, active, and engaged in the lives of men, women and children. We believe He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
- We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God and is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and laid down His own life in sacrifice for the sins of all humankind. He died a biological death, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead. After His resurrection, he revealed Himself to many and then ascended into the heavens. We also believe He will return at the end of earthly time to judge the living and the dead.
- We believe in the Holy Spirit and that He is co-equal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is present in the life of every believer. He seeks to reveal the will of God and to enable the believer to live a life of power and obedience in the constant presence of the Almighty. We believe that the presence of the Holy Spirit makes it possible to have a personal and vibrant relationship with God.
- We believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but we also believe that God has made one way for us to be reconciled to Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is available to all who believe in Christ through the act of repentance and the genuine desire to obey Him and to walk with Him.
- We believe that the greatest honor given to humans is the opportunity to know God and to serve Him. We believe that this opportunity is available to all people, because all people are equally cherished by God. As believers our greatest most sacred trust is to follow the command of the Great Commission and to be ministers of reconciliation and ambassadors of Christ.
Support Our Ministries
Our goal is to bridge the gap by partnering with community, churches, and organizations. Together, we can build up teams of caring Christian adults to walk alongside families of Deaf children between the ages of birth-12 in authentic relationships.