A deaf fellowship worshipped God in the choir practice room of a Jiangsu church.
On January 9, the first Sunday after the Epiphany, a baptism service was hosted in Mochou Lu Church, where Nanjing Vineyard Sign Language Fellowship also studied the words of God.
In the chorus rehearsal room, deaf Christians watched the church’s live service on TV. Based on Luke 3: 21-22, Pastor Jing Lizhi preached a sermon, split into three parts which were "heaven opening", "clouds scattering", and "the appearance of the Son of God".
Depending on the shorthand summaries of the sermons written on a blackboard by a male Christian, a female believer surnamed Zhang with normal hearing interpreted it in sign language, while Chen Lirong, the leader of the fellowship, was responsible for supplementary explanations and the translation of new words.
Chen, a deaf female Christian who had graduated from the special education seminar of Heilongjiang Theological Seminary, said that due to the lack of stable places in the early days, deaf believers once rented houses or used other places to gather, while also hoping to worship God together with normal churchgoers in a church.
"As only in the church can deaf Christians be moved by the Holy Spirit and get more grace, we are grateful for God’s preparation and the church staff’s acceptance and respect," said Chen, who appreciated this hard-won place of worship.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
