Deaf Bible Society

Thanks to widespread video and Internet access, we can provide sign language Bible resources like never before. To fulfill our mission, vision and pillars, Deaf Bible Society follows a careful process in six phases outlined below. We ensure that the truth of God’s Word is clearly communicated in sign language videos with the Deaf community and culture in mind.

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE

OUR VISION

Motivated by the Great Commission, we seek to reveal the hope of the gospel in Jesus Christ, so that every Deaf person has the opportunity to receive, experience, and share it.

OUR PILLARS

We focus on:
Deaf Awareness,
Education,
Access and
Funding

to advance sign language Bible translations and to engage Deaf people groups with the gospel.

Phase 1: Identifying the mission potential

By surveying the global Deaf community, we identify sign language groups with the greatest need and opportunity for gospel reach. We begin with the largest Deaf populations. Our plans through 2020 include projects in Africa, India, Asia and North America.

Phase 2: Developing the project framework

With our partners, we then determine the best way to produce a sign language Bible translation for each group. A common framework of ownership, partnership, stewardship and relationship helps to establish our goals and methods.

For example, it’s important how the books of the Bible are sequenced. Because of the way sign language expresses time, some Deaf groups relate best to chronological Bible stories. Each project varies; some are chronological, while others follow the traditional book-by-book order.

Phase 3: Funding the bible translation

We collaborate with partners, churches, foundations and donors to establish a funding strategy for each sign language Bible translation. All money raised for this purpose goes directly to fund translation work.

Gifts and grants of $15,000 or more can significantly advance the Deaf Bible movement in an entire country or sign language group. Not even one of the world’s 400 sign languages has a complete Bible translation. Only American Sign Language has the full New Testament.

Phase 4: leveraging teamwork and technology

Our partners form and equip each translation team to include Deaf community members in each project region. The team works with translation consultants that have studied the Bible in the Greek and Hebrew languages.

The community’s best sign language storytellers are trained to present the translations for video recording. Team members and consultants review each recording to ensure accuracy and clarity. Sometimes a passage will be recorded several times over, until it meets approval.

Technology becomes crucial during this phase. Video recording, animation and editing capture and package the Bible translation.

Deaf Bible Society works hand-in-hand with translation teams. We manage reporting and ensure that projects move forward on schedule. From start to finish, it can take up to 3 years to translate and record several books of the Bible.

Phase 5: providing the deaf bible — free

After approval of the sign language Bible content, it’s ready for delivery in sign language videos on our Deaf Bible App and Deaf Bible Online. In some regions, we also package the content on DVDs, SD cards and flash drives.

Phase 6: Connecting the deaf community with the gospel

The Deaf Bible movement is on the frontier of taking the gospel to some of the most unreached people in the world. As Deaf Bible users engage with the Deaf Bible App and Deaf Bible Online, we are joining with Deaf churches, evangelists and missionaries to spread God’s Word.

We provide training in best practices for Bible use and community engagement in Deaf Bible Together groups. Our Deaf Church Where tool points the way to Christian services and ministries for the Deaf.

In projects where sign language translations already exist, the efforts of Deaf Bible Society are focused on phases 5 and 6 to accelerate distribution and engagement.

HOW

WHO

WHERE

BIBLES

STORIES

HOW: Providing the Bible in Sign Language Videos

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE

OUR VISION

Motivated by the Great Commission, we seek to reveal the hope of the gospel in Jesus Christ, so that every Deaf person has the opportunity to receive, experience, and share it.

OUR PILLARS

We focus on:
Deaf Awareness,
Education,
Access and
Funding

to advance sign language Bible translations and to engage Deaf people groups with the gospel.

Phase 1: Identifying the mission potential

By surveying the global Deaf community, we identify sign language groups with the greatest need and opportunity for gospel reach. We begin with the largest Deaf populations. Our plans through 2020 include projects in Africa, India, Asia and North America.

Phase 2: Developing the project framework

With our partners, we then determine the best way to produce a sign language Bible translation for each group. A common framework of ownership, partnership, stewardship and relationship helps to establish our goals and methods.

For example, it’s important how the books of the Bible are sequenced. Because of the way sign language expresses time, some Deaf groups relate best to chronological Bible stories. Each project varies; some are chronological, while others follow the traditional book-by-book order.

Phase 3: Funding the bible translation

We collaborate with partners, churches, foundations and donors to establish a funding strategy for each sign language Bible translation. All money raised for this purpose goes directly to fund translation work.

Gifts and grants of $15,000 or more can significantly advance the Deaf Bible movement in an entire country or sign language group. Not even one of the world’s 400 sign languages has a complete Bible translation. Only American Sign Language has the full New Testament.

Phase 4: leveraging teamwork and technology

Our partners form and equip each translation team to include Deaf community members in each project region. The team works with translation consultants that have studied the Bible in the Greek and Hebrew languages.

The community’s best sign language storytellers are trained to present the translations for video recording. Team members and consultants review each recording to ensure accuracy and clarity. Sometimes a passage will be recorded several times over, until it meets approval.

Technology becomes crucial during this phase. Video recording, animation and editing capture and package the Bible translation.

Deaf Bible Society works hand-in-hand with translation teams. We manage reporting and ensure that projects move forward on schedule. From start to finish, it can take up to 3 years to translate and record several books of the Bible.

Phase 5: providing the deaf bible — free

After approval of the sign language Bible content, it’s ready for delivery in sign language videos on our Deaf Bible App and Deaf Bible Online. In some regions, we also package the content on DVDs, SD cards and flash drives.

Phase 6: Connecting the deaf community with the gospel

The Deaf Bible movement is on the frontier of taking the gospel to some of the most unreached people in the world. As Deaf Bible users engage with the Deaf Bible App and Deaf Bible Online, we are joining with Deaf churches, evangelists and missionaries to spread God’s Word.

We provide training in best practices for Bible use and community engagement in Deaf Bible Together groups. Our Deaf Church Where tool points the way to Christian services and ministries for the Deaf.

In projects where sign language translations already exist, the efforts of Deaf Bible Society are focused on phases 5 and 6 to accelerate distribution and engagement.

HOW

WHO

WHERE

BIBLES

STORIES

HOW: Providing the Bible in Sign Language Videos

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE

OUR VISION

Motivated by the Great Commission, we seek to reveal the hope of the gospel in Jesus Christ, so that every Deaf person has the opportunity to receive, experience, and share it.

OUR PILLARS

We focus on:Deaf Awareness,Education,Access and Funding

to advance sign language Bible translations and to engage Deaf people groups with the gospel.

Phase 1: Identifying the mission potential

By surveying the global Deaf community, we identify sign language groups with the greatest need and opportunity for gospel reach. We begin with the largest Deaf populations. Our plans through 2020 include projects in Africa, India, Asia and North America.

Phase 2: Developing the project framework

With our partners, we then determine the best way to produce a sign language Bible translation for each group. A common framework of ownership, partnership, stewardship and relationship helps to establish our goals and methods.

For example, it’s important how the books of the Bible are sequenced. Because of the way sign language expresses time, some Deaf groups relate best to chronological Bible stories. Each project varies; some are chronological, while others follow the traditional book-by-book order.

Phase 3: Funding the bible translation

We collaborate with partners, churches, foundations and donors to establish a funding strategy for each sign language Bible translation. All money raised for this purpose goes directly to fund translation work.

Gifts and grants of $15,000 or more can significantly advance the Deaf Bible movement in an entire country or sign language group. Not even one of the world’s 400 sign languages has a complete Bible translation. Only American Sign Language has the full New Testament.

Phase 4: leveraging teamwork and technology

Our partners form and equip each translation team to include Deaf community members in each project region. The team works with translation consultants that have studied the Bible in the Greek and Hebrew languages.

The community’s best sign language storytellers are trained to present the translations for video recording. Team members and consultants review each recording to ensure accuracy and clarity. Sometimes a passage will be recorded several times over, until it meets approval.

Technology becomes crucial during this phase. Video recording, animation and editing capture and package the Bible translation.

Deaf Bible Society works hand-in-hand with translation teams. We manage reporting and ensure that projects move forward on schedule. From start to finish, it can take up to 3 years to translate and record several books of the Bible.

Phase 5: providing the deaf bible — free

After approval of the sign language Bible content, it’s ready for delivery in sign language videos on our Deaf Bible App and Deaf Bible Online. In some regions, we also package the content on DVDs, SD cards and flash drives.

Phase 6: Connecting the deaf community with the gospel

The Deaf Bible movement is on the frontier of taking the gospel to some of the most unreached people in the world. As Deaf Bible users engage with the Deaf Bible App and Deaf Bible Online, we are joining with Deaf churches, evangelists and missionaries to spread God’s Word.

We provide training in best practices for Bible use and community engagement in Deaf Bible Together groups. Our Deaf Church Where tool points the way to Christian services and ministries for the Deaf.

In projects where sign language translations already exist, the efforts of Deaf Bible Society are focused on phases 5 and 6 to accelerate distribution and engagement.

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We focus on:
Deaf Awareness,
Education,
Access and
Funding