As Andrew preached on the importance of families this past Sunday, we wanted to take this opportunity to get to know Cayleigh Rogers, who is Grace London's deacon of children and part of Grace's staff team as the Children's Ministry & Welcome Coordinator. Cayleigh not only plays an integral role in getting newcomers situated into church life but also in serving the needs of Grace's families.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from, family background, how you ended up at Grace London, what you enjoy doing during your spare time.
Sure thing! I'm from Johannesburg, South Africa and have now lived in London for 6 years. I arrived in London on a Thursday and that Sunday, I went to Grace for the first time. The church I attended back in SA is part of the Advance Movement and I knew in moving here I wanted to attend a church that was part of that movement.
I am a trained musical theatre performer and have another job as a singing waitress. In my spare time I love trips to the theatre, exploring new places, heading to a museum or gallery and just generally being out and about with friends!
You are the deacon of children for Grace London. Can you share with us a bit more about your role and what you do on a day to day basis/Sunday?
In the Autumn of last year I joined the staff team as Children's Ministry & Welcome Coordinator. Before that I had been heading up Tots & Kids for about a year as a volunteer. My role as Children's Ministry Coordinator has a few parts. It involves recruiting and training people to serve the children and families, sourcing and putting together the curriculum and then on Sundays leading in either Kids or Tots (with lots of singing, dancing and crafts).
What are some changes you have seen since you first began working with the children of Grace until now?
So much has changed! We now have more age groups, more volunteers and, of course, more children. I think as the church has grown we've had to adapt and change many things with regards to the Children's Ministry. For the first time ever, we even put on a small mini-production for Christmas last year!
What are you excited for Grace kids/tots in upcoming years?
I'm most excited to see how the children would grow in their understanding of God and His Truth. I also look forward to seeing many more volunteers join the team - each volunteer brings something so special and unique to the team so I am excited to see who God would bring to the teams and what that would mean for our growing church!
What's been your favourite thing about leading the children’s ministry?
Two things. First, I love seeing volunteers who have a passion and gift for teaching and loving the children! It is such a joy to be part of a team of people who genuinely love God and love the families of Grace. The second and probably my most favourite are moments with the children - there is something so beautiful about being able to share the gospel with young children and seeing them respond! It is such a privilege to have time with the children every Sunday - to see their joy, receive hugs and to be reminded that even a two-year-old can be changed and impacted by God and know His love for them.
Can you share any specific stories during your years of serving that have stuck out in your mind?
There have been a few over the years but one that stands out is a story of how one day a parent was praying and their toddler knelt beside them and started praying with them. If I recall correctly, they were praying about what we had learnt that Sunday during our Tots session. Stories like that are just such a beautiful encouragement that even though we may think that at two, a child does not retain loads, they are still listening, observing and taking it all in.
How can we pray for you and the ministry?
I would love prayer for the volunteer teams (Tots, Kids & Juniors) - that God would continue to give us passion, joy and expectancy for what He is doing in the lives of these children. That He would also bring more people our way who are passionate about serving the families at Grace. And then for the children - that they would grow up to love God, to know their value and identity in Him and that He would use them to be powerful instruments for the Gospel in this world.
We're grateful for the work that Cayleigh and the Tots, Kids & Juniors teams are doing for Grace London's families and we hope that as we continue studying Ephesians 6 these next few weeks, we'll be able to receive more wisdom on how all the various branches of a healthy, thriving church - the preaching, the renewal of hearts, the serving - will all come together to foster an environment where a new generation will be raised up loving, obeying and serving the Lord.