People group profile · PG047796
The Deaf New Zealanders of New Zealand
The Deaf New Zealanders of New Zealand, numbering about 22,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of individuals who are culturally Deaf and actively participate in Deaf culture, often using sign language as their primary means of communication.
They are an indigenous people in the Deaf people cluster of the Deaf Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak New Zealand Sign Language.
Fast facts
- Country
- New Zealand
- Population
- 22,000
- Affinity group
- Deaf Peoples
- People cluster
- Deaf
- Primary language
- New Zealand Sign Language (nzs)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Australia and New Zealand, Oceania
- Location
- Scattered
Where they live
Gospel status
The Deaf New Zealanders are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Deaf New Zealanders
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Primary language
New Zealand Sign Language · Sign Language family
18% speak New Zealand Sign Language
Gospel resources in New Zealand Sign Language
- Bible available, published 2001
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings not available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories available
Films
- JESUS (New Zealand Sign Language)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Deaf New Zealanders
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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