Couple teaches sign language to help spread Gospel to hearing impaired

The word of the Lord fell on deaf ears Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, but the message of the Gospel was understood by all in attendance thanks to members of the World Lutheran Deaf Outreach.

The sign-language services concluded a weekend-long Jesus Signs workshop led by the Rev. John Reinke, which taught how to share the Gospel on multiple levels with the hearing-impaired and equip local congregations with the necessary skills to reach deaf members of the community.

Beginning Friday with a 4 p.m. social and workshop from 5 to 9 p.m., the ministry taught ABCD, A Bible Curriculum Deaf � which continued Saturday with workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. before concluding Sunday with worship services at 7:45, 9:15 and 10:45 a.m.

Reinke developed the curriculum through a partnership with other deaf Christians and pastors to help lead people into the deaf Catechism through basic Bible knowledge and into advanced studies.

�We get [local faith leaders] started and then they can take it and keep on teaching it,� Reinke said. �All the materials are adapted specifically for a deaf person � we�ve got videos so they can watch the videos and see how to sign concepts.�

Naida Roscovius uses sign language to translate a song during a worship service Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson.BEN MATTHEWS

One of the biggest difficulties for deaf ministries is conveying religious concepts through sign language, according to Reinke.

�A lot of people think signing is just taking English and you sign it, but it�s not,� he said. �One thing is vocabulary � a lot of times you may have one word, but signing it takes a whole sentence because of all the stuff that�s packed into it. So it�s not just word for word. What you have to do is take the whole thing you�re talking about and draw the picture. When you watch somebody sign, they�re painting the picture with the way they�re signing, with their body movement � everything. So that�s where we come in and help equip people to do that.�

Born hearing impaired, Reinke grew up in a small Lutheran church near Gaylord, Minnesota, and always wanted to be a pastor. After attending seminary, his wife, Dacia, suggested they attend a deaf church in St. Louis and �God just took over from there,� John Reinke said.

In fall 2016, the Reinkes sold their house in Wisconsin and gave away their worldly possessions to devote their lives to their deaf outreach full-time.

The Reinkes have taken their deaf ministry to Nebraska, New York, Florida, Texas, Africa, Australia � and now Jackson.

Dacia Reinke, left, rests her head on the shoulder of her husband, the Rev. John Reinke, during a sign language worship service Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson.BEN MATTHEWS

�Our goal is to set up Jesus Signs workshops like this all over the country. I would love it if people who would want to host a workshop contact us,� John Reinke said. �We want to reach the deaf people, because some day we want them all to be in heaven with us.�

Reinke said the ministry is expecting to return to the area April 5, 6 and 7 next year for another workshop.

bmatthews@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652