On the evening of July 22, 2025, the sanctuary of Parramatta City Church was filled with a quiet sense of anticipation — and then, with the expressive beauty of Auslan (Australian Sign Language). The launch of the Alpha Film Series Australian Edition in Auslan marked a historic moment for the Deaf community and for those who are hard of hearing in Australia. For the first time, the Alpha series was made accessible in their language.
The launch began with a heartfelt prayer by Pastor Stanley, whose vision helped spark the entire project. Pastor Stanley had shared a simple but powerful desire with his daughter, Rebecca Thurrowgood of Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia: to see Alpha not just with English captions, but truly translated into Auslan, so that the material would be more accessible to the Deaf community.
The idea of having Alpha in Auslan started to really take shape when Amy Cruickshanks from Bible Society Australia (BSA) and Rebecca, who are both part of the Auslan Bible Project, were discussing the potential development of new Christian resources for the Deaf community.
As part of that conversation, Rebecca mentioned her father’s desire to have the Alpha course in Auslan. Amy then reached out to Alpha Australia and through conversations what formed was a powerful partnership between Bible Society Australia, Alpha Australia and Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia to bring Alpha to life in Auslan.
When Rebecca first stepped into this project, she had no idea how big of a task it would be. “It was only in the unpacking of the tasks that I realised how much would be involved but it was amazing how it all unfolded and worked out. God brought all the organisations together and led me to find the interpreters we needed.” Rebecca recalls.
But this wasn’t just about interpreting spoken English. As the team shared, “We need to have something that all church communities can use to help disciple those who are Deaf and who want to reach Deaf people.”
Skip Smith from Alpha Australia interviews Anne Horton, Rebecca Thurrowgood, and Amy Cruickshanks
Due to its history, Auslan is a language with a lot of variation. Typically, the way a Deaf person signs is shaped by when and where they grow up, go to school and learn Auslan, and who they are in community with. Because of this, the team intentionally invited a diverse group of Auslan interpreters to be involved in the Alpha in Auslan project.
Because there is so much variety in how people sign within the Deaf community, Rebecca shared, “We didn’t want to just focus on one group. We thought it would be good to have different interpreters — fast, slow, young, Melbourne dialect, Sydney dialect, etc. — so that everybody could connect to someone.”
The result is a beautifully inclusive series that reflects the diversity of the language of the Deaf community and invites everyone into the conversation.
Also present during the launch is Anne Horton — a seasoned Auslan interpreter with years of experience in Deaf ministry and a committee member of the Auslan Bible Project. Anne was asked by Rebecca to interpret the “Nicky Gumbel” parts of the Alpha series in Auslan. Anne has been an Alpha facilitator for many years and has even met Nicky Gumbel and his wife, Pippa.
For Anne, the invitation was more than an interpreting job; it was a calling she embraced with joy.
Anne described the filming of Alpha in Auslan as a deeply spiritual experience. “The whole process was soaked in prayer and many of us were fasting as well,” she recalled. “I felt extremely close to God at this time.”
Anne recounted, “On the first day of filming, we prayed and the presence of God in the studio was palpable. I moved into position ready to film. As I began to sign, to my surprise it seemed effortless — so smooth and clear and relaxed, defying the fast pace of the spoken words. That evening I slid into bed feeling extremely relieved and grateful the day had gone so well. As I was drifting off to sleep, I unexpectedly felt God scoop me up into His arms and hold me in a restful, blissful embrace. It was a remarkable, tangible experience of God’s love. The next morning, I was back signing for Nicky, and he said, ‘God wants you to know His love … that’s what the Holy Spirit does with us, we feel hugged by God.’ As I signed these words, I could still feel God’s hug from the previous night and I marvelled at His timing of that hug! I was experiencing the very thing Nicky was talking about and I could feel God’s love coming through my signing. ‘All glory to Jesus who is powerfully at work within us (Ephesians 3:20)’.”
Afterwards an observer commented: “That’s more than interpreting, that’s ministry.”
Anne Horton interprets Nicky Gumbel’s talks on the Alpha course into Auslan
Having facilitated Alpha groups with Deaf participants, Anne has witnessed the transformative impact firsthand. She shares that many had never understood the Bible in English or felt included in church life. Now, they’re engaging with faith in ways they never imagined. One Deaf guest shared, “I went to church and didn’t understand any of it … But this? This is GREAT! I UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD!”
Alpha in Auslan has also made facilitating groups easier. Previously, Anne had to interpret live as well as facilitate. Now, with Alpha in Auslan, she can focus her energy and attention on guiding the discussions and group dynamics.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Every Deaf person Anne has invited to Alpha in Auslan has said, “Thank you for thinking of me — I’d love to come,” and most have completed the Alpha in Auslan series.
Among those who thanked Anne was Jitka, who also attended the launch. Jitka’s story truly reflects the heart of Alpha in Auslan. Born to Czechoslovakian parents, Jitka moved to Australia with her family at the age of one — the same age she became deaf due to illness. Her family brought her to a Czechoslovakian Catholic church every Sunday, but growing up with English as her first language, she struggled to understand the sermons. Church was familiar — but not accessible.
When Anne invited Jitka to join an Alpha in Auslan group, Jitka was intrigued by the idea of a faith discussion group in Auslan. “I thought that sounds good. I never had the opportunity for that kind of discussion before. So I said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to go.’”
She described the experience warmly: “One night after work, we got together, had dinner, chatted over dinner. Then we watched the Alpha video, paused halfway, and Anne would ask a question. We’d have a discussion — agree, disagree, share ideas. I thought, ‘Wow.’ I was learning so much from different people … from younger people, older people, men, women. It was a different way of thinking. I really loved that, and it really helped build my faith.”
For Jitka, Alpha in Auslan came at just the right time. “Alpha repeatedly says, ‘God loves you.’ That really impacted me because I’d kind of forgotten. I’d been so busy with my life, and I thought, hang on, I need to put the handbrake on and think about my time and relationship with God. I need that.”
To all who supported Alpha in Auslan, Anne offers this message:
“Thank you! Alpha in Auslan is making a difference in Australia’s Deaf Community. People who were not reading the Bible are reading the Bible now. People who were not praying, are praying now. People who didn’t know Jesus, know Jesus now.”
With around 16,000 people who reportedly use Auslan at home, the launch of Alpha in Auslan is a vital step in making the gospel accessible to the Deaf community. Alpha has been translated into over 100 languages worldwide and this is the first time it has been made available in Auslan. “We believe the approach we’ve taken will inspire other sign language editions globally,” says Skip Smith from Alpha Australia.
Currently, only half the episodes have been translated into Auslan. The vision is to finish the series and develop training to help churches and individuals run Alpha in Auslan. To make this possible, Alpha is seeking volunteers — especially those willing to host Alpha in Auslan or experienced Alpha leaders fluent in the language — both Deaf and hearing.
Skip adds, “Thank you for your commitment to making Christian resources available to as many people as you can. It’s because of your partnership that we were able to bring this project to fulfilment.”
You can now access the Alpha Course in Auslan and invite Deaf or hard of hearing friends or family members to explore the basics of Christianity and spark meaningful conversations about faith.
Alpha Australia is looking for Deaf and hearing leaders fluent in Auslan to host Alpha in their community, whether through your local church, workplace or even at home. Alpha in Auslan is free to run, and it can happen anywhere! If that’s you, visit alpha.org.au/auslan — we’d love for you to be part of this!
Would you like to support BSA and its partners with the development of Scripture and Scripture engagement resources in Auslan for the Deaf community?
