A Place to Belong
Photos by Marie Dufour.
After spending nearly a lifetime searching for a faith community, what Haley and Collin Reeder have found in CCC’s Deaf Ministry feels exceptionally precious. Though they grew up in different parts of the country, their stories are painfully similar and echo what many in their circumstances encounter daily—the struggle to find a place to belong. Collin moved numerous times growing up, and though he loved his family deeply, he often felt alone. There simply weren’t many people who understood what it was like to live in a silent world. Then Collin attended a high school for the Deaf and Blind in Florida. Suddenly he was surrounded by those with whom he could relate to in an academic environment he could readily understand. His world expanded considerably. After high school he went to college. Upon graduation, he immersed himself into the local Deaf community, taking on numerous different roles in an attempt to find his fit.
Collin experienced depression and his faith slowly starved. He went to church with his parents, but without an interpreter, the sermons had no effect. Hungry for God, he tried a different church. This one had an interpreter, but no Deaf individuals, so it offered no real sense of community. It felt as if there wasn’t a place for him in the evangelical world.
Not only was Collin struggling spiritually, he also was having a difficult time finding employment. This only added to his feelings of isolation and depression. “I started talking with my sister about moving to Omaha [where she lived],” he said. “And she kept telling me to pray about [moving here].” So he did. Then one day, she texted him with good news. “She said she’d met a lady through vocational rehab,” a service that helps those with various disabilities or injuries find work, “who could help me look [for a job] if I came to Omaha.”
After talking with his parents, Collin made a scouting trip to the Midwest, during which he learned about the Deaf community at Christ Community Church. Anxious to find the faith community he’d been longing for, he went and felt blessed by what he encountered. “I could understand what the pastor was saying!” he said. Not only that, but he found his people, those who understood him on an emotional and spiritual level. Through this experience, God ignited a two-part passion within him. Collin became excited to grow in his faith and experience Christ on an ever-deepening level, and he longed to give others in the Deaf community the same opportunity.
CCC is representative of so many languages and cultures—African, Spanish, Chinese, and the Deaf.
“We’re an unreached people group,” he said. “Christ Community Church is representative of so many languages—African, Spanish, Chinese, and the Deaf.”
Now, Collin knows that he belongs both to God and to CCC. This brings him great joy!
In bringing him to Omaha, God did so much more. Two years ago, he led Collin’s heart to his forever love, Haley Reeder, a woman to not only do life with, but to serve with as well.
Like Collin, Haley had experienced significant loneliness. Though surrounded by support and love, her soul hadn’t yet connected to Christ or his family. She first learned about God in college, where she joined a campus ministry. Once she graduated and began searching for a career, she found herself disconnected once again. She moved out of state and away from family to pursue her dreams, but this became a major struggle that led to days of sadness, hurt, and low self-esteem. “I was depressed and crying all the time,” she said. “Plus, work was really stressful. I had no community whatsoever.”
During this time, she happened to go to a Deaf event where she met Collin. “He told me about the Deaf ministry at Christ Community Church and invited me to come.” She did, and her experience mirrored his. She was surrounded by the interconnected community for which she’d been longing.
Collin and Haley are both growing in their faith and leadership within CCC’s Deaf Ministry. They help with events and outreach. Collin teaches the group. Both advocate for the Deaf community, something they feel is very important. The more involved they become and the more they use their gifts to serve, the more they come alive.
They’re amazed with all God has done in and through the Deaf Ministry in the past thirty-three years. “It started with one woman named Mary Kay,” Collin said. “God touched her heart to bring one Deaf kid, and this is what it’s grown to.” Today, the ministry has fifteen to twenty leaders who serve fifty to sixty individuals. Collin and Haley are committed to seeing the growth of the community.
When asked what their experience has shown them about God, Haley replied, “His love. When we’re in community, our love for one another grows, and we can see God’s love in one another. It’s all about reaching one more.”
Jennifer Slattery is a published author and a member at Christ Community Church.
