Different Gifts, Same Care

Since Christ founded his Body, the Church, we have been told that we all have “gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Rom. 12:6a), that there should be “no division in the body” and that all members should “have the same care for one another” (1 Cor. 12:25).

Considering our Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19a), it is vitally important that we invest in the ability to speak the language of all peoples. This mission, this need for the vital Gospel of grace and redemption, is true for all—including those who cannot hear His Word. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they

Same Care Rebecca S. Ahlersmeyer

to hear without someone preaching?” (Rom. 10:13–14). This is why we need well-trained and skilled servants in Christ who can teach the faithful, reach the lost, and care for all.

According to the World Health Organization, “By 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss and at least 700 million will require hearing rehabilitation.” Each one of those people will need to receive the message of salvation in Christ and the care of His servants. This need is why CTSFW has partnered with Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, whose vision is a world in which the Deaf community participates equally and fully in the Body of Christ.

During this past quarter, we had our largest group of students in recent memory involved in the Deaf Ministry course. What a blessing to know that these servants of Christ’s Church will have the skills and abilities to reach even more of its members.

Thanks to the support of the Mill Neck Foundation, and the hard work of Adjunct Instructor of Deaf Ministry Peggy Krueger and the Rev. Thomas Dunseth, not only will we see more sign language in our chapel, but also in congregations across the country and around the world.

To learn more about training and ministry to the Deaf community, including the Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, visit lutheranfriendsofthedeaf.org.

Rebecca S. Ahlersmeyer (Rebecca.Ahlersmeyer @ctsfw.edu) serves as the Communication Specialist at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.