Support for the Deaf Community
Assisting the NZ Deaf community through the production of language-specific resources and professional development for Deaf leadership.
Jesus Film: NZ Sign Language
The Better World Initiative assisted in the production of Deaf Teaching Videotapes, including a landmark project to translate the Jesus Film into NZ Sign Language (NZSL).
Distribution & Access: 1,000 copies were produced and distributed for free. Through our partnership with the JESUS Film Project, this resource is now available for the global community to watch online.
Providing visual language resources for NZ Christian Deaf leaders and translators.
Peter Coxhead's Feedback:
“The conference was fantastic. Through the week, I learned a lot... I was able to ask other leaders for advice about what would be good for our Deaf ministry and how things could work better. I was inspired to think about starting a Deaf church again in the future.”
Adelaide Deaf Christian Conference
In 2012, Better World Initiative funded the travel for Peter Coxhead to attend this vital regional gathering in Australia.
Peter, who leads a Deaf ministry in NZ with his wife Julie, noted that mentoring for Deaf Ministry is often unavailable within New Zealand. Attending the conference allowed him to connect with guest speakers from Melbourne, Sydney, and Scotland.
“It has been important for me to have some Deaf mentoring... this is a wonderful blessing and I pray it will help me as I lead the Deaf ministry here.”
Since returning, Peter has implemented new ideas from his Australian counterparts to strengthen the NZ Deaf community and leadership structures.