Sermon preparation: it’s a critical part of effective pastoral ministry. And yet, how can a pastor prepare his sermons if he doesn’t have access to God’s Word?
This is the reality one Deaf leader faced in Embu, Kenya.
Pastor Mshindi led the region’s only Deaf congregation. On Sunday mornings, he would attend a nearby hearing church. As long as an interpreter was present, the Deaf leader could absorb the teachings and share them with his congregation at their afternoon service.
However, if an interpreter was not present at the hearing church, Pastor Mshindi would be out of options. Many Sunday services were cancelled at the Deaf church, simply because Pastor Mshindi had no way to develop a sermon.
“When we came, we introduced him to the Bible in Kenyan sign language and all the other biblical resources we’ve developed at DOOR,” signs Peter Maina, one of the Deaf 2-by-2 team members working in Embu.
“After a few weeks of watching the Bible, he feels so much more equipped to teach the Deaf.”
Watch a Kenyan Sign Language Bible here.
Thanks to Maina and his Deaf teammate, Simeon Mwita, Pastor Mshindi now has access to God’s Word in his heart sign language. He also has access to supplemental resources like Translator’s Notes that are being developed by DOOR’s Deaf translation teams.
Since Pastor Mshindi doesn’t have to rely on the hearing church for sermon preparation, his congregation can meet on Sunday mornings.
“I learn so much from watching the Bible in sign language,” Pastor Mshindi shared recently.
“I feel prepared to teach God’s Word to the Deaf every week. I am so thankful for the Bible in Kenyan Sign Language!”