An Adventist church in Queensland is reaching an often overlooked demographic with a range of initiatives.
It’s great to see a church investing so heavily in this demographic . . . For our part, we’re glad to assist-to provide a quality evangelistic resource for the deaf after years of focus on the blind only.
For some years Logan Reserve church, in outer south-western Brisbane, has used AUSLAN signers in its services and special programs. Now it’s planning a dedicated camp for the deaf in October 2015. The camp, open to deaf people from across the South Pacific Division, will be held at Log Cabin lodge at Natural Bridge, near the Queensland/NSW border.
Logan Reserve has been consistent in its provision of services to the deaf over a number of years, in 2014 providing AUSLAN interpreters for its worship services as well as for all 24 programs of The Last Empire evangelistic series. The seminars were held in the Butterbox Theatre, Kingston Butter Factory and Logan Reserve church, where a baptism was held at the end of the program.
“We concluded the seminar [series] with a screening of the Jesus film with English-language subtitles,” said Mark Davey, the church’s Personal Ministries coordinator. “We had up to four deaf people at each presentation, including the screening.”
Most recently, Logan Reserve received the first Adventist Media Network-produced Beyond series close-captioned for the deaf.
“We put them into the church library and restrict them to people who really need closed captions,” Mr Davey said. “As well, we have a number of non-Adventist contacts whom we will approach to see if they would like to borrow them.”
Christian Services for the Blind and Hearing Impaired (CSFBHI) provided the funding for the closed-captioning of the series.
“It’s great to see a church investing so heavily in this demographic,” said CSFBHI manager Lee Dunstan. “Congratulations to Logan Reserve for taking the initiative. For our part, we’re glad to assist—to provide a quality evangelistic resource for the deaf after years of focus on the blind only.”
CSFBHI has a number of close-captioned Beyond sets for churches interested in reaching the deaf. Please contact CSFBHI manager Lee Dunstan at <LeeDunstan [at] adventistmedia [dot] org [dot] au> for more information.
By Mark Davey/CSFBHI Logan, Queensland