Dear Prayer Partners and Supporters,
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Community Calls
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
When we hear the Lord’s voice in our heart and we respond to Him, God is not only calling us to Him. God is also calling us into the Church. God is calling us into community. Once we accept Christ, it is important that we join in with a community of believers. A community of believers comprise a full spectrum people of ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, education, and disabilities.
Acts 2:42–47 says that discipleship, fellowship, worship, ministry, and evangelism all are to take place within the context of community. We are called together so we can do the things God wants us to do together. Every one of us is part of this community to minister to one another.
This message urges you to encourage, strengthen, comfort, instruct, teach, and admonish Deaf in your community. Don’t stay silent and feel sorry for them. Don’t say that there is a communication barrier and there is nothing you can do. The communication barrier exists because folks are not willing to find alternatives to communicate. Deaf have been known for using many alternatives including lipreading, writing notes, gestures, unclear speaking, and using interpreters to communicate because they want to overcome the barrier. A Deaf person is very eager to communicate with you and wants to be involved in a ministry within your church.
My local church has a deaf church employee who serves as an administration assistant and does janitorial work. It is a blessing to give opportunities to the Deaf so they can be a part of the community rather than being an outcast. Matthew 25:35-40 tells us to help one another regardless of their backgrounds and cultures.
We should be trying to motivate everyone in our church to take that next step forward in the faith. This means working with deaf members. We need to encourage Deaf members to grow in the faith by being close enough to notice when they got discouraged. As a community of faith, we should be there, just to offer a shoulder, or just to listen. We should cheer up and comfort those who need it.
Every one of us have real problems, spiritually and emotionally. Deaf need to know that there are people who will help them through these times of difficulties. The community of faith should be a place where Deaf know people love them and will help them.
Working with the deaf ministry requires a lot of patience. Not everyone moves at the same pace. Everybody, every single person, will do things different than the way they should, or we think that they should. We need to be patient and calmly minister to each other, wherever we are.
Fields Reports:
Kenya: I was scheduled to go to Kenya and visit several churches on the summer of 2022. I was asked by our national worker to reschedule to April 2023 due to election related unrest.
Ivory Coast: Our national worker, Leonce Ekeni led a deaf team to do the outreach in the rural areas and conducted a feasibility study to see if there is a need to start a new deaf ministry.
Prayer Requests:
- For my son, Luke to pass his driving test so he can get his own license.
- For Luke and Laura, they are working with their new jobs at the retirement community.
- For increased support, new meetings, new opportunities.
- Encourage churches to start a deaf ministry
Please select International Partnership Ministries Inc. your supported charity if you are shopping at the smile.amazon.com, AmazonSmile will make a donation to IPM. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all your support, whether financial, or through prayer and encouragement. Without you, this would not be possible. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing.
Would you consider partnering with me to reach the Deaf for Christ?
Your partner in the Gospel,
James and Joy Campbell