Deaf Young Adults for Christ Conference
Deaf Young Adults for Christ (DYAC) visited Washington D.C. (USA) for its annual camp meeting (conference), hosting a series of workshops and activities. This special event brought together spiritually-hungry DYAC members with key church leaders invested in Deaf Ministry.
As DYAC toured the SDA World Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD, the budding leaders met with President Ted Wilson in his office. Together they prayed for unity and the important work of our church leaders during General Conference and through the Deaf Ministry. After viewing the beautiful souvenirs of intercultural fellowship, they were invited by President Wilson to a preview the Ellen G. White Estate, which is not yet open to public, and provide feedback on the accessibility of this newly expanded museum.
This visit encouraged DYAC members to learn more about the structure and the current issues within our church. The members met with North American Division (NAD) President Jackson, NAD Deaf Ministry Committee Liaison Debra Brill, Associate Director of Stewardship Ministries Larry Evans (recently appointed as the Executive Director of Adventist Deaf Ministries International, ADMI). They shared exciting updates about long-awaited advances to bring access to the Gospel for Deaf and hard of hearing people through our Church.
Another important highlight was the conference guest speaker Alan Meis, a teacher at Battle Creek SDA Academy, who suggested four keys to "Stand Firm" with Christ, the theme for this conference. With 1 Corinthians 15:58 as the starting point for each presentation, he connected continuous private prayer, daily Bible study, regular fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ, and getting up every time we fall, with standing firm in Jesus.
Other highlights of the conference included a guided tour in by a Deaf person at the National Gallery of Art featuring paintings created during the Reformation, a Lord's Supper by Pastor David Trexler with the members of a local Deaf church, and two Bible Questions and Answers panel sessions. Everyone enjoyed their time with each other and went home spiritually high.
Other than our annual camp meeting, DYAC offers weekly interactive group online Bible studies led by regular participants on Friday nights. There are two tracks to accommodate the varying communication needs of the Deaf participants. DYAC also provides a monthly webinars presented by strong students of the Bible and facilitated by young adults. Participants eventually become further involved as committee members, facilitators, and Bible students or teachers. These offerings would not have been possible without the North American Division's Deaf Ministry Committee's support. For more information about our programs, please email us at dyacdeaf@gmail.com or visit our website at www.dyacweb.org.
