Deaf Ministry Outreach

Meet the LWML Deaf Ministry Liaison — Kaye Wolff

Following her four-year tenure serving the LWML as Vice President of Special Focus Ministries, Kaye Wolff continues to challenge herself to serve wherever the Lord has need of her.

Kaye has developed a heart for those in the deaf community and began learning sign language so she could more easily communicate with them. Out of this desire to connect with our deaf sisters came a call to serve as the LWML Deaf Ministry Liaison.

The Liaison’s role is to educate, encourage, and connect members of the LWML with our deaf and hard of hearing sisters so that they might be welcomed as participants at all LWML events. Kaye encourages each district to equip women to communicate through sign language so they can connect through conversations and build relationships with each other. From her experience Kaye writes, “The deaf culture is beautiful, funny, and forgiving!”

The purpose of the LWML’s focus on the deaf community is to:

Intentionally reach out to welcome sisters in the deaf community into fellowship and service with Lutheran Women in Mission.
Encourage and equip hearing, hard of hearing, and deaf women to participate equally as sisters in Christ.
Encourage LWML women to invite and connect with women in the deaf community to grow in relationships as sisters in Christ.

As the LWML Deaf Ministry Liaison, Kaye’s role is to encourage each LWML district to appoint a Deaf Ministry Liaison who will become acquainted with the various deaf ministries in the district, encourage the LWML members to connect with the local deaf community, and inform the women of opportunities to learn American Sign Language (ASL).

Kaye Wolff practices signing with Deaconess Diana Rice.

Guidelines for LWML District Deaf Ministry Liaison

Suggested Guidelines for LWML Districts— also available as a Word doc

Resources for Deaf Outreach

(The following resources were not written by LWML.)

ASL Deafined — subscription service for ASL training — www.asldeafined.com
Ephphatha Lutheran Mission Society — www.elms-deaf.org
Lutheran Deaf Mission Society — www.deafjesus.org
Mill Neck Family of Organizations — lutheranfriendsofthedeaf.org
World Lutheran Deaf Outreach —www.lutherandeafoutreach.org