being deaf is not a disability
For years, being deaf was labeled a disability. What if we started seeing it as a language barrier instead?
This perspective is indeed changing in San Antonio, Texas, where the first solely deaf Young Life club since the ’90s is thriving.
Emma Faye Rudkin lost her hearing at age 3, and she questioned throughout her childhood if God could understand and love her. At 16 she went to Young Life camp with an understanding of Jesus, but no knowledge of Young Life. On the bus Morgan, her leader whom she’d just met that week, looked at her and said, “You’re going to start Deaf Young Life here. I just know that about you.” Morgan planted a seed in Emma’s mind.
In 2015, three years after the bus conversation, Emma joined Young Life staff at 19, following God’s leading to start Deaf Young Life in San Antonio. For an entire semester, however, she showed up at kids’ events, but had little to show for it. Growing frustrated, Emma told her roommates she was going to quit. Maybe Morgan was wrong. Maybe Emma misunderstood God’s leading.
That night she mustered up enough hope to attend one final football game. As she was leaving, she saw a group of wrestlers communicating in American Sign Language (ASL). She walked up to them and began signing back.
After months of trying to meet kids, Emma’s persistence meant Deaf Young Life was about to take off.
FACING DOWN EACH CHALLENGE
The foundation of Young Life work is going where kids are and building relationships on their turf. Yet, unless they have a friend involved, deaf teens don’t usually attend pep rallies or football games. Leaders must know where to find them or create opportunities where deaf kids feel comfortable.
But once leaders find these teens, the connection is instant. When deafness excludes, it does so because there isn’t common language. Imagine being an English speaker dropped into a culture where no one knew your language. This language barrier follows deaf teens wherever they go, even their own homes.1 Studies show that 90% of deaf kids are born into hearing homes. Of these homes more than 70% of parents do not sign with their children regularly, leaving the kids to learn the language at school.2 Emma explains, “When a Young Life leader shows up and signs their language, it’s an instant connection and bond, because (often for the first time) a loving adult who cares about them can sign their language — getting to know important details about their life and how they’re doing emotionally and spiritually.”
Young people who are deaf not only face communication challenges at home, but they are often excluded from social events. Many hearing parents have concerns with teaching their deaf teens to drive. So, each Thursday, Emma and her team pick kids up after school from all over San Antonio, to bring them to club. The leaders help them with their homework, eat dinner together, and experience clubs and events made just for their needs — deemphasizing musical elements, while emphasizing the visual, and creating places for deaf teens to connect.
The deaf community is estimated as the third-largest unreached people group for the gospel in the world.3 In fact, 98% of deaf people do not have a relationship with Jesus.4 Again, the language barrier creates challenges. Deaf ministry is one of the most expensive ministries because it can require three to four different communication styles. “Each kid has a unique need and understanding of language, especially at camp where we provide all avenues of communication.”
In 2019, Emma was delighted to see the interpreters dressing up in costume and being a part of the program at Crooked Creek Ranch, one of Young Life’s camps in Colorado. No longer were the interpreters dressed all in black, standing out on stage. Now they blended in, which allowed the kids to know they’re truly a part of the camp experience. The ministry applies to service as well. For example, last summer Emma took the first group of deaf teenagers since the ’90s to go serve as work crew at Young Life’s Trail West camp in Colorado.
SMALL BUT GROWING
Deaf Young Life club in San Antonio is one of only 11 ministries solely for deaf teenagers across the entire United States.5 They embody Pentecost in Acts 2, men and women going out filled with the Holy Spirit, breaking down language barriers. Deaf teenagers can stand in awe: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11b, NIV).
What began as a club with interpreter volunteer leaders four years ago has grown into a ministry where the graduates are ready to give back and tell their deaf community about Jesus. Furthermore, a second deaf staff person was recently hired in Austin, Texas, to start Young Life at the Texas School of the Deaf, with future plans to continue into the central United States and expand from there.
*Historically, Young Life has had ministries in various locations for deaf kids over the decades.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Identifying infants with hearing loss – United States, 1999-2007; 2. Sullivan, Vernon, & Scanlan, 1987; 3. The International Mission Board – Global Research, April 2016, www.peoplegroups.org; 4. Deaf Missions: Published in Missions Frontiers Magazine; 5. Sonshine Interpreters Study, 2021
“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere.”
1 Thessalonians 1:8 (NIV)
why cities?
by john wagner, senior vice president, global cities
Why do we in Young Life go to cities? Let’s face it — it’s hard, expensive, and crowded. It feels unsafe. Risky. Dirty. Intense. Burnout is far too common. The schools are often a mess. Chaos is the norm.
We find it difficult to raise money and find leaders. We often don’t have a long history; people don’t know us. Even churches aren’t familiar and are often suspicious. Spiritually, it’s warfare.
So, why do we do it?!? I’d like to suggest three good reasons.
Population
• Tokyo – 37 million • Delhi – 33 million • Mexico City – 22 million *
China has eight cities with over 10 million people. The cities of Africa are among the fastest growing in the world. There are ≈600,000 college students in New York City, making it the largest college town in America.
The late Tim Keller liked to say, “God loves the city, because he loves humans, and there are a lot of them in cities.” God’s imprint, likeness, and image are stamped on every one of them, so there’s a lot of God’s likeness walking around.
If you want to reach a lot of people, especially young people, think of it like fishing and go where they are. Fish in the cities.
Diversity
In Acts 2, “the whole world” was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. There Peter and the disciples, in one afternoon, had the opportunity to preach the gospel to people from the whole world.
If we want to reach Asians, people from India or Pakistan or China — if we want to reach people from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Ghana, Somalia, or Russia, people from the Caribbean, Latin America, or Mexico — we can do it in the cities.
If we reach the city, we reach the world.
Influence
When Paul was blinded on his way to Damascus Jesus appeared to him and said, “I want you to go and preach the gospel to the Gentiles.” You know what Paul said? “I will go to the cities.”
So, Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Philippi, Athens, Colossae, Antioch, and eventually Rome. Paul knew if he could influence these cities, these cities would influence the world. The world had literally come to these cities.
Why did Paul spend two years in Ephesus, every day, preaching the gospel? Because Ephesus is one of the largest and most influential cities in the world and he knew eventually everyone in Asia would pass through there.
Romans 1:8 says, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported ALL OVER THE WORLD” (caps mine, NIV). Why was their faith being reported, “all over the world"? Because Rome was the capital of the world at that time. Any significant happening there was exported everywhere, and Paul knew it.
The names have changed, but the idea is the same. Places like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Toronto, London, Nairobi, New York, Beijing, Berlin, and Buenos Aires — not only influence their states and provinces, but their country and the world. They’re the centers of culture, media, business, health care, banking, education, art, music, fashion, human and financial capital. They present the greatest opportunity we have to make the largest impact.
*Statistics taken from worldpopulationreview.com
