Signing 4 God

Every day deaf Christians live their life not knowing how powerful their testimony is. In your world there are no words, only actions,signs so to speak, that reveal to those how watch and see, what it really means to be a Christian. We all know the phrase, “words are cheap”,  but to the non hearing world that is far from true. Every word, every meaning is sent with motion, with feeling, with a purpose and it delivers more than just a word. It delivers the impact of life  and all of its emotions. Signing 4 God is here just for that reason.

God knows how alone you often feel being in a hearing world. He knows how much it takes to not become angry at those who ignore you, those who pass you off as another “one of those people”. Know in your heart that Jesus is always there for you, always ready to stand for you and He never, ever, forgets you.

Of all the deaf in this country alone, only about 2 percent are Christians, and more than 80% have never heard the name of Jesus, or anything about Him.  So in the next few weeks, be watching, as we begin an outreach series; “Preaching to Deaf Ears with Signs and Wonders”

There will be videos to watch, tracts to download and print and much much more.

NOW AIRING ACROSS THE NATION! Created especially for Deaf kids! Click HERE to visit the website.
New TV series for Deaf kids begins in September
September 12, 2007
Dr. Wonders Workshop is the first weekly TV series created especially for Deaf kids.

Photo Caption
Dr. Wonders Workshop is the first weekly TV series created especially for Deaf kids.

“There’s a special place I know, where I always love to go. Come with me, I’ll take you there—Dr. Wonder’s
Workshop!”

What is Dr. Wonder’s Workshop? It is the first weekly 30-minute Christian television series ever created in American Sign Language especially for Deaf children. The program is a joint effort of Silent Blessings in Indianapolis, IN, Deaf Video Communications (DVC) near Chicago, IL, and Deaf Missions.

After several years of planning and production, the first season of 13 episodes is ready and starts airing on six national Christian networks and their affiliates this fall. These networks include: NRB Network, TLN, iLifeTV, Smile of a Child Network (part of TBN), Global Christian Network and the Miracle Channel Christian Network in Canada. According to network estimates, this series should reach into around 300 million homes worldwide by the end of 2007. Several other Christian networks and independent stations are interested in the program and may add it to their schedule in 2008.

The goal of Dr. Wonder’s Workshop is to teach positive values and life skills to children, both deaf and hearing, and to show them how the Bible is relevant for their lives. Each episode has a theme, such as being fair, respecting others, trusting God, obedience, honesty and learning to share. The program is set in the small inventor’s lab of Dr. Leward Wonder, a Christian Deaf engineer. The lab is just down the street from The Finger Food Cafe. Dr. Wonder and his team of highly creative deaf friends, including Pops (the animatronic puppet), create amazing inventions and, in the process, learn more about God and each other. In addition to the scenes in the lab, each episode also has a Bible story, an object lesson, a segment called “Real Kids,” where children answer questions related to the theme, and an original song written and produced by Marshall Lawrence of Silent Blessings and performed in ASL by the Ameslan Kids.

Deaf Missions produced the Real Kids segments and some special features for the series, as well as many of the program transitions and graphics. A full stereo audio track complete with English voice-overs, sound effects and background music makes it easy forhearing kids to understand and even to learn some sign language. The program is also closed captioned in both English and Spanish for hard-of-hearing kids or kids who are learning English as a second language.

An important feature of the program will be a new website (www.drwonder.com) that is being created and maintained by Deaf Missions. The website will have fun activities and games for children, helpful resources and links for parents, broadcast information and an online store. Plans include releasing the first season on DVD and possibly for download on iPod and MP3 players. The songs from season one will also be released on DVD and CD. The DVD will include the ASL performances. Check the website for these and other resources as they become available.

Production has already begun on the second season of Dr. Wonder’s Workshop. Chad Entinger contributed three scripts for the new season. The lab segments were taped the first two weeks of June at the DVC studio in Illinois. Deaf Missions plans to tape the Real Kids segments in September.

Is this program needed? YES!

Deaf children are perhaps the most spiritually neglected kids in the world. Of the estimated 1.2 million deaf children in the U.S., 8 out of 10 grow up with parents who sign very little or not at all. Very few churches have effective outreach programs for deaf kids. Many children (deaf and hearing) can’t read or understand the captioned programs on Christian television.

As Executive Producer Marshall Lawrence states, “As a parent of a Deaf child myself, I know how hard it is to plug your child into spiritual thought when you have no tools or resources to help.…I really don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we’re standing on the brink of something that has the potential to make a fundamental change in the way Christians view Deaf people, and the way Deaf families view the Christian faith.…

“How many people will be touched by this ministry? How many hearing children will learn to sign and will learn to see Deaf people as fun and cool? How many Deaf people will come to a new understanding of the relevance of the Christian faith in their daily lives? I don’t know. But I do know that it’s very possible we might just be seeing the beginning of a parting of the waters. So please pray!”

 

 Dr.Wonders - Childrens TV Show: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

* There are over 23 million Americans with hearing loss. Over 750,000 are considered severely to profoundly deaf.
* Hearing loss affects one out of every four families in America.
* Deaf people are members of a unique socio-linguistic group, complete with their own culture and language.
* Only about 8 in 100 Deaf people attend church. Perhaps 4% of Deaf people in the U.S. know Jesus Christ as Savior.

That last number is particularly alarming! Considering the size of the Deaf population in this country, it is astounding there are so few effective outreach programs. This great need must be shared with the church!

No Deaf people in your congregation now?
That’s not surprising. Most Deaf people don’t go to church. But that is all the more reason why your people need to hear what Jesus has to say! WHY don’t they go to church? HOW do Deaf people see the world differently? WHERE are the missionaries to go into this culture? WHAT can we as a church do to support their efforts?

Click HERE for a great website and resource center….. it is a place that believes God ministers to the deaf as well as the hearing.

Over 23 million Americans have some form of hearing loss. As many as one million can be considered severely to profoundly deaf. How does the church minister to the special needs of these people and their families? Is the ability to hear a prerequisite for salvation? Should it be? In this remarkable little book deaf and hard-of-hearing Christians and their families share their personal stories and, in the process, challenge the way we view those who “hear with their eyes” or “speak with their hands.” It is time to rethink the way we communicate Christ. It is time to Shatter the Silence!