Speaker: Vir Kapur, Director of Innovation & Development, Renew Outreach
How does it feel to be an innovation award winner?
Vir Kapur: Hey guys, hello from Renew Outreach. We just wanted to say thank you so much for supporting this project with the deaf. We are so excited to be working with Monsieur Nexis and receiving the innovation project funding. Yeah, we are just so grateful to have partners who are willing to take risks and try new things with us for the sake of the deaf around the world, experiencing the gospel message. So when this project started, it was just like a dream from God, and we wanted to see and have an impact globally. But now that we actually have people like you getting behind this project, it is so exciting and I personally and our whole team have hope that millions of deaf people all over the world can be impacted for the gospel because of this funding. Thank you so much.
Could you share a few details about the innovative project that was funded?
Vir Kapur: So there are 70 million deaf people around the world, and only 2% of them, probably less than that, follow Jesus. Now, the challenge is, these deaf people speak more than 350 different sign languages, and the full Bible is only available in one of those languages. So how do you reach the deaf? There's an art form created by the deaf called visual vernacular, or VV. It is not a sign language, but it's wordless visual gestural performance. We are working with a world-class deaf actor to create Bible stories for the deaf. Regardless of what language they speak, they can experience the story of God for the first time.
What is the most innovative aspect of this project?
Vir Kapur: So one of the most innovative things about this project is that it communicates the gospel without using words, not like that old Francis of quote, but like, actually, so for years at Renew, we have been dreaming about ways to communicate the story of Jesus without words. And we were really inspired by films like WALL-E and other children's media that would have these very complex stories entirely wordlessly, and so we began. doing some tests, uh, I guess last year, of using this art form to communicate the gospel. And not only did deaf people understand it, but they began giving their lives to Jesus. So this new phase of the project that Miss Unexis is funding, as far as we know, is a full, the first full overview of the story of the gospel and the Bible without using words. Another really innovative aspect of this project is the soundtrack. We're working with the composer to make music that is specifically geared toward the deaf, using frequencies and vibrations that they can feel in their bodies. Even if they can't hear, they can experience and connect. The emotion and the impact of the story to really experience the profound power of the crucifixion, resurrection, and the creation story, it is so amazing to not only see but to to feel the gospel story.
What difference do you hope this project will make?
Vir Kapur: A year ago we produced the gospel story in VV and sent that out to the mission field. Deaf people have been giving their lives to the Lord and sharing Jesus with their friends using this media, but now they're asking, we want more. They're saying they want the rest of the Bible. The hope for me is that we can empower and equip new deaf believers to be evangelists, to share the gospel with their friends, and then to continue discipling them with the word of God. And so what this really looks like is with our first demo media, there have been a few deaf people that have been starting a whole community of faith that started with the media, but we think this next phase of the project can move it from just a few to millions of deaf people all over the world, using this as a tool not just to first experience the gospel, but actually to empower the deaf to reach the deaf through whatever means possible.
