Deaf Ministry

Offering the deaf community an opportunity to learn about the gospel and to worship along with the church,  The POA's Deaf Ministry provides interpreting services for the hearing impaired.  Members of the Deaf Ministry interpret all POA services and special events.  However, this ministry goes beyond mere interpreting–the Deaf Ministry also provides Sunday School, Bible teaching, and fellowship.

Learning sign language is more than memorizing signs.  It includes deaf culture, conveying concepts, and non-manual markers.  Although the amount of effort and interaction with the deaf community affect how quickly sign language can be learned, it takes an average of three years to learn the language.

While several sign language books are available, learning sign language from a book is much like learning a spoken language from a book:  a flat picture cannot show the movement, hand shapes, and non-manuals clearly.  To learn the sign for a specific word, it is necessary to know the concept one wishes to convey.  The POA offers sign language classes for those interested in learning how to sign.

The POA's Deaf Ministry Coordinator, Mary Young, is a National Association of the Deaf (NAD) certified interpreter and is a duel member of NAD and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

The Louisiana District UPC Deaf Ministry holds an annual conference in October (visit www.ladistupc.com for information).  The National UPCI Deaf Ministry holds annual conferences in July (visit www.upci.org for information).  Deaf evangelists include Ernie Murillo, Curtis Nolen, Meloy Richmond, David Rouleau, and Wesley Swanson.  Resources that are useful as learning tools include Elaine Costello's Religious Signing, the UPCI's "Breaking the Sound Barrier," and the following:

• Dawn Sign Press, 9080 Activity Road, San Diego, CA 92126, (619) 549-5330

• Gallaudet Bookstore, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695, (800) 451-1073

• Sign Enhancers, 1320 Edgewater NW, Salem, OR 97304 (800) 767-4461

• Sign Media, Inc., Burtonsville Commerce Center, 4020 Blackburn Lane, Bustonsville, MD 20866-1167 (800) 475-4756

• T.J. Publishers, Inc., 817 Silver Spring  Ave. #206, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 585-4440

• World Bible Translation Center, Inc., P.O. Box 820648, Fort Worth, TX 76182