Deaf Worship in church. How would you like it done?

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derek7names

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I am going to school and training to be a Youth Pastor for a Deaf Church. I see that many people in Deaf Culture don't like seeing songs just signed and many find it boring. What suggestions would you have for making worship in a Deaf Church fun, exciting, interactive and visual? I know many Deaf Churches use drums to help feel the rhythm. What else do you think would be a good replacement for the singing worship that hearing churches do?
(Please this is not a topic for debate, I just want your opinion on the subject)
 
I am currently in a deaf church that is being held in the common room of my deaf club. The only music we have if any, if videos on a laptop projected to the screen. No instruments. We have a terp who then signs the songs. The lyrics are on screen. That's all I know.

I have never been in another church with a deaf service.
 
Sometimes I am deaf community I attending deaf church on worship good presentation lots of community lots of workshop or interpeter professional :)
 
There is one thing that I love to see and really moves me...and that is a deaf choir!....as long as they sign/sing in union....(like daffodils "swaying in the wind")....With lots of emotion and body-swaying as they sign....getting the "feel" of the song.

I also like to see the deaf audience singing along with the terp or the choir. It gets boring to just have to watch 1 person intrepret the song. At some Churches, they have hearies that are learning to sign, and as much as I do admire that....half of the song is a mumble-jumble, even the sermon at times.

Of course, some musical instruments with their vibrations help a lot also for us deafies.
 
rockin'robin said:
There is one thing that I love to see and really moves me...and that is a deaf choir!....as long as they sign/sing in union....(like daffodils "swaying in the wind")....With lots of emotion and body-swaying as they sign....getting the "feel" of the song.

I also like to see the deaf audience singing along with the terp or the choir. It gets boring to just have to watch 1 person intrepret the song. At some Churches, they have hearies that are learning to sign, and as much as I do admire that....half of the song is a mumble-jumble, even the sermon at times.

Of course, some musical instruments with their vibrations help a lot also for us deafies.
Click to expand...

I agree totally!!
 
rockin'robin said:
There is one thing that I love to see and really moves me...and that is a deaf choir!....as long as they sign/sing in union....(like daffodils "swaying in the wind")....With lots of emotion and body-swaying as they sign....getting the "feel" of the song.

I also like to see the deaf audience singing along with the terp or the choir. It gets boring to just have to watch 1 person intrepret the song. At some Churches, they have hearies that are learning to sign, and as much as I do admire that....half of the song is a mumble-jumble, even the sermon at times.

Of course, some musical instruments with their vibrations help a lot also for us deafies.
Click to expand...

Yeah that is what I was thinking...I have gone to deaf churches where the pastors are hearing and they just interpret songs and use SEE and the people look really bored there! That sounds really cool. I want to try to find ideas that don't involve music too, but I'm not sure what...
 
There are three kinds of churches for deaf people:

1. A true Deaf church doesn't use an interpreter. The pastor will be deaf, and will sign for himself. Deaf members will be the teachers, ushers, and other leaders. Similar to residential Deaf school concept.

2. A hearing church with a deaf ministry will have hearing and deaf workers who will counsel and fellowship with the deaf members. They will use an interpreter for the hearing church services. Sometimes they will have a deaf Sunday school class, or they will interpret hearing classes. They provide special deaf fellowship activities, and reach out to the deaf community. Similar to a mainstream school concept.

3. A hearing church with services interpreted for the deaf will provide interpreters, FM systems, and/or CART services for access. That's all. Similar to colleges that provide accessibility services concept.
 
I would definitely want to work in the first one. Do you think it would ever be possible do have a multicultural hearing and Deaf church? For example, the Pastor would be deaf, but then it would be voiced for the hearing and there could be a hearing and Deaf choir? I mean it seems like an interesting idea, but do you think it is realistic at all?
 
Might be worth a try....Perhaps the deafies families/friends might want to come...something "different" for a change.
 
Yeah that's what I was thinking, but I'm still just 19! So hopefully when I am done with school and have a lot of connections in the Deaf community I can get it worked out. It would be really interesting.
 
derek7names said:
I would definitely want to work in the first one. Do you think it would ever be possible do have a multicultural hearing and Deaf church? For example, the Pastor would be deaf, but then it would be voiced for the hearing and there could be a hearing and Deaf choir? I mean it seems like an interesting idea, but do you think it is realistic at all?
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Derek, it’s now 10 years later. If you get this message, would love to hear how you are viewing things now about Deaf church, etc. Email me at DeafReachPittPA@gmail.com
 
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