International (MNN) — After the turkey comas of Thanksgiving and the shopping sprees of the weekend, today is Giving Tuesday! And you can promote eternal change by sending your Giving Tuesday donation to Deaf Bible Society.
Chantel Pagan with Deaf Bible explains, “Deaf Bible Society is a nonprofit that focuses on sign language Bible work…. We believe that the Bible should be and is a right to all people, and that includes the Deaf community.”
She says, “This Giving Tuesday, we’re asking for all of our friends, family, and partners to come alongside us to get the Deaf Bible app and Deaf Bible online into the hands of every Deaf person.”
(Image courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)
On the Deaf Bible app and Deaf Bible online, there are Scripture passages available in 20 sign languages. Deaf Bible Society’s goal is to have all 20 sign languages fully funded for next year. This includes keeping their Bible content up-to-date and compatible with changing technology platforms.
“What I love about the Deaf Bible app and Deaf Bible online is the Scripture content we get from partnerships. We have translating partners from far and wide who are on the field with indigenous people groups educating, training, and equipping them to get the Gospel into their language. We get the privilege of receiving that content and spreading that throughout the world.”
The Deaf population around the world is often overlooked and ignored. In some cultures, families will even hide away their Deaf children as if they don’t exist. But the message of the Gospel comes from our Heavenly Father who sees, who knows, and who loves.
And, as Pagan points out, too many Deaf people have not heard God’s message of hope.
“We’re looking to get Scripture to the 70 million Deaf people and native signers around the world. A lot of people ask, ‘Why is this important?’ or ‘How is this a valid need?’ What research shows us today is less than two percent [of Deaf people] have actually encountered or experienced Scripture in a way they can understand.”
When a Deaf person’s first language is a sign language, they need to see God’s Word in that sign language for them to fully understand Scripture at a heart level.
If you’d like to support God’s Word in sign languages so that Deaf people can access Scripture, click here to donate to Deaf Bible Society!
(Photo courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)
“A person can say, ‘I want to take ownership of American Sign Language; I want to take ownership of Burundian Sign Language or Kenyan Sign Language’ or one of the other 20 that we currently have available on our app! They take it as their own, they become prayer partners for that people group and they sponsor us financially on a monthly or annual basis to see that that people group would never be without free and unlimited access to Scripture in their heart language.”
You can also adopt a sign language in prayer. Check out Deaf Bible’s list of sign languages with Scripture available and pray for the Deaf individuals experiencing the Bible in that language. Pray that they might take God’s truths to heart and embrace salvation in Jesus Christ.
On behalf of Deaf Bible, Pagan says, “I’d just like to say thank you to our partners, our friends, and our family who are coming alongside us this Giving Tuesday to see that no Deaf person would be without access to the Bible in their heart sign language.”
