God's Family StoryMore Than a Story
Deaf Belonging and What the Church Has Been Missing
A book for every member of every church
She sat through the whole service. No one knew she was alone.
Dianne Kevelier SmithTaught American Sign Language at the college level for more than a decade
The Church has crossed oceans for far less. Surely we can cross the aisle.
Start with the story. Then build.
This storybook tells your church why. The playbooks tell your leaders how.
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More Than a Story
Deaf Belonging and What the Church Has Been Missing
15 stories about what happens when Deaf people walk through our church doors, and what every one of us can do about it. A stand-alone book, coming Nov. 2026.
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She sat through the whole service. No one knew she was alone.
Regina walked into church hoping someone would see her. An usher handed her a bulletin. The pastor preached for forty minutes. She caught a word here and there. She was allowed in. She was not welcomed. She did not come back.
Around seventy million Deaf people live in our world, and fewer than two in a hundred follow Christ. Many live a few blocks from our churches. Some have already walked through our doors.
More Than a Story gathers the most powerful stories from The Accessible Church Playbook Series into one journey: a woman who grieved alone at her own mother's funeral, a boy called a "behavior problem" when he was only locked out, and a church that learned to listen, welcome, and share real leadership with Deaf believers.
This book isn't for church staff. It's for you, the person in the pew. Inside:
- 15 stories that will change how you see your own church
- Questions for small groups and Sunday school classes
- One simple thing you can do each week
A companion discussion guide (15 sessions) is made for small groups, Sunday school classes, ministry teams, and church-wide reads.
The Deaf Ministry Trilogy
Books 1–3 of The Accessible Church Playbook Series. More Than a Story helps the whole church care. The trilogy shows your staff how.
BOOK1
More Than an Interpreter
Build the foundation
Biblical Foundations and a First-Year Plan for Building a True Deaf Ministry
Introduces the biblical, cultural, leadership, and practical foundation for a true Deaf ministry.
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Providing an interpreter is a beginning, not a ministry. Book 1 lays the foundation every church needs before it builds: what Scripture says about reaching Deaf people, what church leaders should understand about Deaf culture, and what real leadership looks like in this work.
Then it gets practical, with a first-year plan for building a true Deaf ministry one step at a time.
For pastors, church leaders, and anyone ready to start well.
BOOK2
More Than Access
Prepare the church
Preparing Your Congregation, Worship, and Pastoral Care for Deaf Ministry
Helps churches prepare the wider life of the congregation for meaningful Deaf participation.
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Access opens the door. Preparation makes room at the table. Deaf ministry can't live only in the interpreter's corner. It touches the whole congregation.
Book 2 helps churches prepare their people, their worship, and their pastoral care so Deaf members can take part fully, not just watch from the side.
For pastors, worship leaders, care teams, and congregations.
BOOK3
More Than Attendance
Grow belonging and Deaf leadership
Building Community Trust, Belonging, and Deaf Leadership
Moves beyond attendance toward trust, sustainable ministry, meaningful participation, and Deaf leadership.
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Showing up is not the same as belonging. Book 3 moves beyond attendance toward trust with the Deaf community, ministry that lasts, and real participation in the life of the church.
It ends where the trilogy has been heading all along: Deaf believers serving and leading, bringing gifts, perspectives, and experiences the whole church needs.
For churches ready to grow from welcome to shared leadership.
I want to alert—and remind—pastors and church leaders that Deaf people need God too. Too often, churches have not fully acknowledged or put in place the support Deaf people need to live, thrive, serve, and belong in church life. I have spent many years as an interpreter and advocate for the Deaf community, and these books are my way of helping church leaders become more aware, more prepared, and better equipped to minister well. Deaf people are not only people the church should seek to serve. They bring gifts, perspectives, abilities, and experiences that can add something meaningful to the life of the church. That may be the best part of this entire story.— Dianne Kevelier Smith
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