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Florida Baptist Witness: Publishing Good News since 1884
Gales of laughter and shouts of enthusiasm fill the air as a group of jovial youngsters exit the Hillsborough County school bus at Brandon's First Baptist Church.
Yet the sounds of jubilation fall on deaf ears.
"Whoever said deaf children don't make noise?" rhetorically asked Ron Smith, Brandon's minister to the Deaf.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Smith coordinates an after-school program for community children who navigate the world in their own silence.
The program was developed as a ministry of the church to provide deaf children with learning experiences, social interaction and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a language they can understand.
Smith was introduced into the world of the Deaf after the birth of his first child, Ryan, now 11, who was born deaf.
The Brandon after-school program evolved after the Smiths became involved with the teachers at their son's school. "They kept telling us the children needed a place where they could be tutored and feel comfortable," said Christa Smith. "So we began to think and pray about that and decided it would be a wonderful outreach for the kids and our church in the community."
Deaf children live in a "language void," said Ron Smith. After attending specially designed classes or having assigned sign language interpreters, most deaf children return home to an environment where few of their parents or playmates can communicate with them.
Learning sign language is a time-consuming and often costly endeavor for families of deaf children, Smith explained, especially for single parents who work and solely care for their children. "Single parents of deaf children really struggle."
The church's ministry is designed to help both children and parents. "Ninety percent of deaf children today are born to two hearing parents," said Smith, who "are bewildered at having this child that is communication deficit."
But the after-school program that now includes 13 children and functions in cooperation with the church and school, is helping to relieve some of that anxiety.
"I think this will absolutely change the lives of these children," observed Tessa Ward, a deaf interpreter at the Colson Elementary School where the children attend. "Deaf children miss out on incidental and random learning."
As the nanny for one of the girls involved in the program, Ward added, "In just a few short months, I have seen her develop in social and leadership skills. It has been a real blessing."
On Wednesday nights, Christa Smith leads a sign language class for the parents of the after-school program, a time that serves as Christian outreach and to teach parenting skills. The parents have developed a much-needed support group.
"We were looking for a class where we could learn sign language," said Dewayne McGuire, stepfather of five-year-old Brianna Garmello. "Although we could communicate with her, we couldn't carry on long conversations."
Although the family are not members of the church, they now attend regularly. "This church is awesome, said McGuire." Everybody is so nice. And it's the best environment you can have."
Although he is younger than most of the children in the program, Reese Garcia, almost three, begs his mother to take him to church, said Mary Semler. After learning her son was deaf, the single mother pursued community services for help, but still could not communicate with him. Nor did he have interaction with other children. "Being alone, this program is great emotional support especially knowing families in the same situation. This church has a calling for deaf kids."
Less than two percent of the deaf adult population in North America considers themselves to be born-again Christians, said Smith, "which is a staggering number. And while some have been reared in the church, their recollections of worship are moving mouths of pastors and worship leaders."
"That combined with the dynamic that most people make a decision for Christ before the age of 17 makes it imperative that we minister to these children at a young age and give them a biblical concept."
Smith, who also serves as minister of evangelism at the Tampa Bay-area church, does this by telling Bible studies, teaching Biblically based core values and using the EvangeCube witnessing tool to share the Gospel story.
More than a year ago, Smith baptized the "first fruit of this ministry"—his son Ryan.
"God does not make mistakes," Smith said. "Psalms 139 clearly tells us that He created every person and He knows their inmost parts and in that, if He created your child deaf, He has a reason and purpose for that. He has a plan for that child."
Through the after school program and parent's mentoring emphasis, Smith and First Brandon are committed to helping deaf children and their parents find God's love and His purpose for their young, silent lives.
Gales of laughter and shouts of enthusiasm fill the air as a group of jovial youngsters exit the Hillsborough County school bus at Brandon's First Baptist Church.
Yet the sounds of jubilation fall on deaf ears.
"Whoever said deaf children don't make noise?" rhetorically asked Ron Smith, Brandon's minister to the Deaf.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Smith coordinates an after-school program for community children who navigate the world in their own silence.
The program was developed as a ministry of the church to provide deaf children with learning experiences, social interaction and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a language they can understand.
Smith was introduced into the world of the Deaf after the birth of his first child, Ryan, now 11, who was born deaf.
The Brandon after-school program evolved after the Smiths became involved with the teachers at their son's school. "They kept telling us the children needed a place where they could be tutored and feel comfortable," said Christa Smith. "So we began to think and pray about that and decided it would be a wonderful outreach for the kids and our church in the community."
Deaf children live in a "language void," said Ron Smith. After attending specially designed classes or having assigned sign language interpreters, most deaf children return home to an environment where few of their parents or playmates can communicate with them.
Learning sign language is a time-consuming and often costly endeavor for families of deaf children, Smith explained, especially for single parents who work and solely care for their children. "Single parents of deaf children really struggle."
The church's ministry is designed to help both children and parents. "Ninety percent of deaf children today are born to two hearing parents," said Smith, who "are bewildered at having this child that is communication deficit."
But the after-school program that now includes 13 children and functions in cooperation with the church and school, is helping to relieve some of that anxiety.
"I think this will absolutely change the lives of these children," observed Tessa Ward, a deaf interpreter at the Colson Elementary School where the children attend. "Deaf children miss out on incidental and random learning."
As the nanny for one of the girls involved in the program, Ward added, "In just a few short months, I have seen her develop in social and leadership skills. It has been a real blessing."
On Wednesday nights, Christa Smith leads a sign language class for the parents of the after-school program, a time that serves as Christian outreach and to teach parenting skills. The parents have developed a much-needed support group.
"We were looking for a class where we could learn sign language," said Dewayne McGuire, stepfather of five-year-old Brianna Garmello. "Although we could communicate with her, we couldn't carry on long conversations."
Although the family are not members of the church, they now attend regularly. "This church is awesome, said McGuire." Everybody is so nice. And it's the best environment you can have."
Although he is younger than most of the children in the program, Reese Garcia, almost three, begs his mother to take him to church, said Mary Semler. After learning her son was deaf, the single mother pursued community services for help, but still could not communicate with him. Nor did he have interaction with other children. "Being alone, this program is great emotional support especially knowing families in the same situation. This church has a calling for deaf kids."
Less than two percent of the deaf adult population in North America considers themselves to be born-again Christians, said Smith, "which is a staggering number. And while some have been reared in the church, their recollections of worship are moving mouths of pastors and worship leaders."
"That combined with the dynamic that most people make a decision for Christ before the age of 17 makes it imperative that we minister to these children at a young age and give them a biblical concept."
Smith, who also serves as minister of evangelism at the Tampa Bay-area church, does this by telling Bible studies, teaching Biblically based core values and using the EvangeCube witnessing tool to share the Gospel story.
More than a year ago, Smith baptized the "first fruit of this ministry"—his son Ryan.
"God does not make mistakes," Smith said. "Psalms 139 clearly tells us that He created every person and He knows their inmost parts and in that, if He created your child deaf, He has a reason and purpose for that. He has a plan for that child."
Through the after school program and parent's mentoring emphasis, Smith and First Brandon are committed to helping deaf children and their parents find God's love and His purpose for their young, silent lives.
