ORLANDO — Mark Jones says he feels like he is going into ministry backward. Normally, a ministry starts when a church sees a need and finds a way to fill that need. But Jones has been working for more than a year to develop a ministry, “and now we’re waiting for people to show up so we have people to minister to.”

Jones is a member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church here and leading efforts to develop deaf ministry at the 4,000-member church. The church already has beginning and advanced sign language classes and a signing choir. It also provides interpretation of services once each month, but there is not a consistent need in the church for those ministries.

“Not a lot of deaf folks live in the southwest part of town,” he said, adding he knows of higher concentrations of deaf people in areas north, south and east of town. “They would have to make an effort to drive to St. Luke’s.”

The people who attend the classes and participate in the choir are hearing people who are enjoying learning sign language and growing into a community, Jones said. The ministry also includes a signing small group that meets outside the church and offers members a chance to practice sign language and meet other signers.

Jones said he wanted to start deaf ministry at St. Luke’s because of his own background and commitment to ministry. Jones’ parents and brother are deaf, and his family was very active in the Southern Baptist church. When he joined St. Luke’s two years ago, he wanted to do something “beneficial for the community and the church,” he said.

The ministry started with sign language classes that are taught three times a year for 13 weeks each. The classes draw between 10 and 15 people each, and Jones said there was enough interest to start an advanced class. Nearly 60 people from the church, other churches and the community have learned sign language.

“As a result of the classes, a signing choir formed,” Jones said, adding the choir began with hearing people who wanted to combine their signing with a love of music. The choir performs in conjunction with the church’s voice choir one Sunday each month.

It also performs at St. Luke’s special events. Jones said these are good opportunities to let people who do not normally attend St. Luke’s know about the emerging ministry. “We get mostly hearing people at these events, but they may have deaf friends or co-workers…and will tell them about what we’re doing,” he said.

The deaf ministry team is also working with the church’s communications staff to find other ways to get the news out about the ministry, including the church’s newsletter and Web site. They are also looking for additional people to help with worship interpretation so they can expand the schedule from one service each month. “Folks may want a more consistent thing,” Jones said.