Christian Outreach: Interpretive Signing

As many Christians know, outreach can be intimidating. Some think it is difficult to speak to others about their beliefs without crossing any boundaries. Some believe that's it is just plain impossible. Well, it can be hard to accomplish at times, but it is not impossible, just look at how many people Billy Graham speaks to at one of his events! This guide, as well as the next few parts to follow, is to help you overcome these doubts and set a foundation for your church to reach out to the community.

We all love music in one shape or form. Period. But many of us don't stop and think about what the song's lyrics are trying to teach us. So many songs today are filled with an abundance of wisdom and insight (talking about Christian music that is!), but it's constantly being overlooked. However, an ingenious way of compensating for the lack of attention is to add interpretive signs that flow right along with the music. Let me say, I am not talking about strictly signing every single part of the song like and interpreter would, but it is important to focus on key words and phrases. Before you can start, however, it is best to learn the basics.

One way to begin would be to visit your local library (or any other one for that matter) and check out some books and possibly some videos on American Sign Language (ASL). Start with one that teaches you the basic hand movements as well as finger spelling, which is the method for spelling out proper nouns, and facial expressions. Then gradually work your way up to something a little more conversational. Eventually you can get the hang of everything and begin to focus on translating what you have learned into a performance.

The next step would be to find a song that everyone would feel comfortable with, usually something that is not too fast or too wordy as people can easily get lost in what is happening. Also it may help to stick with popular songs as it may provoke people to think a little more than usual about what is being said. The biggest factor in song selection is choosing a song that has a distinct message that doesn't require extensive knowledge on any certain subject.