Welcome to the Christian Signs website!

This website is part of the Sign Me In! Development Project, run by Christian Deaf Link UK in partnership with the training organisation Signs of God. To find out more about the Project see our Project page.

The website is a collection of British Sign Language (BSL) signs and sign phrases that we are currently seeing used in the Deaf Christian Community.

This is the only website of its kind in the UK, combining brand new Internet and video technology with sign language information for use in a wide range of Christian settings.

It is not intended as an exhaustive dictionary, or recommendations for signs that should be used, but as a collection of examples of signs that are already being used and an opportunity to promote discussion about BSL used in churches.

Often, one single sign cannot express a concept adequately. This means that in some of our examples the Deaf people are using a phrase to try to express an idea. However, it should be noted that these signs are mostly still seen out of context. We have provided some written suggestions about when these signs might be used with each clip, but these cannot replace seeing the signs used in context of the whole language by Deaf BSL users themselves.

The website also contains a collection of testimony stories from Deaf people. These show Deaf people describing their experiences of different aspects of their faith, church or Christian training. The Deaf people come from different parts of the UK and from a range of Christian denominations or traditions.

These stories also give you the chance to see some of the individual signs used in context by Deaf people.

Notes:

Throughout this website we use the terms ANGLICAN and CHURCH OF ENGLAND to mean the same type of church.

We also use the term ORDAINED to describe those who have been appointed to recognised Christian leadership ministry in a church denomination (for example clergy, priests, vicars, pastors or church leaders)
We use the term LAY to describe any Christian who may or may not have leadership responsibilities in specific areas - but would not be regarded as having authority over the whole church fellowship or denomination, including members of congregation.