Our Ministry with Deaf People Team serves the Deaf community in the areas around Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Ripon, and the Yorkshire Dales.
The Minister with Deaf People in the Diocese of Leeds is the Revd Dr Tracey Raistrick, currently based in Keighley. We have a small team of clergy and lay people who together lead this ministry.
Contents:
Upcoming Sign Language Services
There are groups meeting across the Diocese who worship using British Sign Language (BSL). Some of these worship services are led by Deaf people and hearing friends fluent in BSL. We are often joined by friends who don’t sign but wherever possible we still provide access as our services are interpreted into spoken English.
There are several mainstream churches where groups of Deaf people attend and qualified, registered Sign Language interpreters make sure Deaf people can access everything.
May Services
Sunday 3rd May, 10:30am at Christ Church, Pellon, Halifax- Interpreted Service
Sunday 10th May, 10:30am at St Paul's Ireland Wood, Leeds - Interpreted service
Sunday 10th May, 1pm at St John's, Rastrick- BSL led service by Revd Tracey Raistrick (12.15pm for tea, coffee and biscuits)
Sunday 17th May, 4.30pm at Fountains Church, Bradford - Interpreted Service (4pm for tea, coffee and cake)
June Services
Sunday 7th June, 10:30am at Christ Church, Pellon, Halifax- Interpreted Service
Sunday 14th June, 10:30am at St Paul's Ireland Wood, Leeds - Interpreted service
Sunday 14th June, 1pm at St John's, Rastrick- BSL led service by Revd Tracey Raistrick (12.15pm for tea, coffee and biscuits)
Sunday 14th June, 4.30pm at Fountains Church, Bradford - Interpreted Service (4pm for tea, coffee and cake)
Sunday 21st June, 4.30pm at Fountains Church, Bradford - Interpreted Service (4pm for tea, coffee and cake)
Sunday 28th June, 10:30am at Christ Church, Pellon, Halifax- Interpreted Service
July Services
Sunday 12th July, 10:30am at St Paul's Ireland Wood, Leeds - Interpreted service
Sunday 12th July, 1pm at St John's, Rastrick- BSL led service by Revd Tracey Raistrick (12.15pm for tea, coffee and biscuits)
Sunday 19th July, 4.30pm at Fountains Church, Bradford - Interpreted Service (4pm for tea, coffee and cake)
Recorded Services
Sign Language Services by area
Bradford:
- A BSL Interpreted Service at Fountains Church on the third Sunday of the month at 4.30 pm. Fountains Church is located in the city centre between Little Horton Lane and Chester street, just next to the Alhambra Theatre. The church is easy to get to via public transport and is a 15min walk from Bradford Interchange.
Keighley:
- Coffee and Conversation Group. 10.30am-11.30am on alternate Mondays at Keighley Parish Office, 8-10 North Street, Keighley, BD21 3SE. Contact the Revd Tracey Raistrick for details.
Halifax:
- Christ Church, Church Lane, Pellon, HX2 0EF provides 2 services a month. The first Sunday of each month at 10.30am is an interpreted service.
Leeds:
- A BSL Interpreted Service at St Paul's, Ireland Wood on the second Sunday of the month at 11am.
Wakefield
News
Deaf Awareness Week 2026
D/deaf people come to our churches each week; some of them are users of British Sign Language and others use hearing aids, lip-reading and spoken English. Approx. 1 in 1,000 people use BSL and 1 in 7 have some form of hearing loss (D/deaf = both communities). As God’s church we want to welcome everyone to be part of our worshipping, learning communities of faith. Below are a few things for us all to consider.
- Good lighting - so that the face of the person speaking is easily seen, having a well-trimmed moustache/beard, and making efforts to make eye-contact with the congregation all help. Don’t be surprised if people pray with their eyes open so that they can follow the content of the prayers;
- Seating – It can be helpful to be nearer the front so that the leader isn’t obscured by people in front of them, e.g. when we stand for the creed, eucharistic prayer or other parts of the liturgy;
- Line of sight – How can people be assisted to follow the reading when the Gospel has processed into the body of the church and the person reading has their back to the deaf person? Someone near to the D/deaf person holding the reading and indicating the progress through the passage can be helpful. Are there other simple ways to help people to follow the structure of our worship?;
- We can only look at one thing at once! This seems obvious but we can’t look at the powerpoint or service sheet AND look at the preacher/leader at the same time. Give a few seconds for people to look at and absorb content before beginning to speak (every time there’s a new slide). Images can convey a lot and simple bullet points are often more helpful than lots of prose.
- Sound – Not all hearing aids come with a loop setting, so good amplification is better than an intermittent loop system. Ensure that everyone uses a microphone. Don’t let people get away with ‘I’ve got a loud voice!’;
- Room Acoustics – Our buildings can be harsh environments. Chatting over coffee in a busy room with many voices can be extremely difficult and tiring. Can you offer a quieter corner where the D/deaf person doesn’t have to work so hard to follow the conversation?;
- Words – Printed copies of the whole service are helpful (minimum 14 font Arial, so that people can see the text easily as they try to keep their place and lip-read those leading the service). A simple outline of the ‘destination’ or general theme of your sermon can be really helpful.
- Don’t look scared, make direct eye-contact, and SMILE; be welcoming, even if you’ve no idea about hearing loss, Deaf culture or British Sign Language. Heart attitude comes across, regardless of the words. Speak clearly (but not in an exaggerated way). Use pen and paper (words & pictures) if that is helpful. Offer to sit with D/deaf visitors and introduce them to others;
British Sign Language for Beginners
This online course focuses on basic 'how to greet people and have a simple coversation in Sign Language' skills which may be useful for welcome teams, Churchwardens, Clergy and Lay Leaders, or anyone who wants to learn some beginner-friendly Sign Language. Click this link to find out more and to sign up.
Sign Language Week 2026
Sign languages are visual languages that use hand shapes
, facial expression, gestures and body language. They have their own vocabulary, construction and grammar. About 150,00 people in the UK use British Sign Language.
Each year in March, the British Deaf Association and other organisations run by and for Deaf people, celebrate Sign Language Week.
Use this video to have a go at learning some signs from British Sign Language. These may come in handy for welcoming Deaf people into your church.
Diocese of Bristol appoints new Chaplain with the Deaf Community
Rev Esther Rose has been appointed as half-time Chaplain with the Deaf Community for the diocese of Bristol. She will start in Spring 2026.
Deaf Anglicans Together
To read the latest Signs Magazine from Deaf Anglicans Together, the National Church of England group for Deaf Ministry, click here.
Weddings , Funerals and Baptisms
We are keen to ensure Deaf people have access to Church of England Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms in our Diocese. To secure an interpreter, please contact deafminister@leeds.anglican.org.
We regret we cannot provide or fund interpreters for funerals or weddings etc. not led by licenced clergy in the Diocese of Leeds.
Your Local Church & School
We want to make sure every Church is inclusive. Not only does it open the riches of the Christian Faith to Deaf people, but the use of Sign Language enhances worship, and the presence of the Deaf community enriches the Church. We are keen to establish ‘centres of excellence’ in parish churches which are interested in building links with Deaf people. We can also help schools explore the Bible and faith in Sign Language.
Volunteers
We welcome volunteers with and without Sign Language skills. If you can assist with helping Deaf people to travel to Church events or can offer your communication skills we'd love to hear from you. Please see the contact information below.
Contact
For more information about Deaf ministries in the Diocese of Leeds, please contact: deafminister@leeds.anglican.org