Training for Church & Ministry Leaders

Real-life scenario: A family with a Deaf and Hard of Hearing child moved to a new town and looked for a local Deaf church. They found that the nearest Deaf Church is 5 hours away from where they live. The next best option was a hearing church that provides accessibility, such as sign language interpreters. When they found one, they discovered that the children’s ministry at the Church was not equipped for their Deaf child.

Their Deaf child uses a Cochlear Implant (CI) and communicates primarily in American Sign Language. The family asked for a Deaf adult to pair with the children’s Sunday School teacher. The Church’s response was heartbreaking. They told the family that since there was only one Deaf child, they felt they did not need to accommodate. After continuous efforts and suggestions on including the child in the Church, the family gave up and stopped going to Church altogether. They concluded that this Church, whose mission was “reaching the community for Christ,” did not consider their family part of the community.

This scenario happens frequently in the United States (U.S.) and worldwide. Families with Deaf and Hard of Hearing children struggle to plug into a faith-based church or community. The result is that many Deaf and Hard of Hearing children grow up without learning about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They don’t connect with God. They don’t connect with other kids, and they don’t connect with adult leaders who could be role models.

Well-meaning churches exclude these children and their families from Gospel ministry without even realizing it. Was it not the Church’s cornerstone, Jesus Himself, who corrected His disciples, saying, “Let the children come to me”? How can these Deaf and Hard of Hearing children come to Him if they are either intentionally or unintentionally excluded by their local Church? What change is needed in the local Church to love, teach, and disciple these children, too, for God’s Glory and purposes?

This training is designed to answer those questions for church leaders, ministries groups, and other outreach organizations. Participants will gain a paradigm-shifting process and tools to facilitate the evaluation of our thoughts, attitudes, and actions toward Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their families. Participants will have the opportunity to realign their thinking and attitude with God’s heart and recognize the dignity, value, and purpose of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children in their communities and a place of inclusion and service in the Body of Christ.

This training will cover these essential topics:

• An Introduction to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ethnic Group
• A Biblical View of Deafness.
• Building Relationships with Families
• Model of Accessibility: immersion, inclusion, and integration.

The training is two days long. The cost of this workshop is $150 per person.

If you are interested in hosting your local in-person workshop, please contact us for more information. If you wish to host this workshop online (Zoom), don’t hesitate to contact us for more details. Our email is adminteam@deafkidsconnect.com.