Love in Any Language: College Graduate Shares Hope Through ASL
Inspired by the Great Commission, Sarah Kinder, who earned a degree in molecular biology from Cedarville University, has created a groundbreaking resource to share the Gospel with the Deaf community.
How will they come to faith in Jesus if they have not heard the gospel?
In a nation where more than11 million peopleare part of theDeaforhearing-impairedcommunity,less than2% have been introduced to thegospel.Even moreglaring? Fewerthan 1% have accepted Christ.
Despitethis immense need,there are only 187 Deaf churches across the United States. This meansthat each churchwould need to reachnearly 58,000people to bridge the gap. Without greater support andnew resources, the spiritual needs of this vibrant community risk goinglargely unmet.
Inspired bythe Great Commission (Mark 16:15), Sarah Kinder, aTroy, Ohio resident who earned a degree in molecular biology fromCedarville Universitythis past May,hascreated a groundbreaking resource to share the Gospel with theDeaf community.
Kinder hasdeveloped a free, easily accessible series of Gospel videos in American Sign Language (ASL)that includeopen captions. These videos, available on YouTube, are designed to be used by churches and individuals across the country without restriction.
Many outreach efforts overlook the reality that English literacy can be a significant barrier fordeaf individuals. Recognizing this, Kinder made it a priority to present the Gospel clearly in the Deaf community’s heart language, ensuring the message would be accessible and freely available.
With the support of a team of interpreters, editors, Deaf culture advisors and even a loyal cat for moral support, Kinder’s vision becameareality. Overtwo months, the team produced five videos covering essentialgospeltopics, includingexplainingbiblicalterms,biblicalcreation, theeffects ofsin,how tobesaved,baptism andlifeaftersalvation.
"My hope for this project is for it to reach those who have gone largely forgotten with the Gospel message and that many from the Deaf community will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ because of it," saidKinder.
The videos are availableforfree on YouTube and can be found here: [https://www.youtube.com/
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offersundergraduateandgraduateresidential and online programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. With 6,384 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by The Wall StreetJournal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics, and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.