NORWICH – The Broad Street United Methodist Church will add a new twist to its annual Christmas Eve service this year, for the first time ever interpreting the holiday offering in sign language.

For the past three months, the ministry has been holding a newly formed fellowship meeting for the deaf, said United Methodist Church Associate Pastor Nancy Hale, and the number of people attending the monthly gathering has been growing.

“Out of that came the idea that we should start offering some sign language as part of our service,” she added.

Initially, Hale said she was unaware just how large the county’s deaf population was and called the inclusion of signing as part of church services something that was “long overdue.”