Sarah and Dami Aderemi

Vision and Mission

Sarah and Dami often have kids from the community in their home for weekend sleepovers and play dates. The kids plan and co-prepare the menu during their stay. For most of the kids, this is a first time experience in the kitchen. One time, Sarah asked a "brilliant" 7-year-old to help get a knife from the drawer. He cut himself! The school, the church, and the home has placed too much emphasis on the development of the "head" to the detriment of the heart and the hands. But the first great commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk 12:30-31). The hands, heart, and head are all vital for living out our identity in Christ and fulfilling the purpose God has for us. Sarah’s mission is to partner with parents in the holistic formation of their children through play. 

Dami’s calling is to the arts and entertainment scene, particularly the comedy industry where doors have been opened to share the gospel with many de-churched and former Christians. He leads A Billion Laughs, an organization which he started in order to create opportunities for young comedians to earn decent wages. A Billion Laughs also produces thematic comedy shows that use humor to address social ills like police brutality, internet fraud, etc. Dami also serves on the leadership and preaching team of City Church Lagos whose vision is to catalyze a gospel-centered movement that renews the city of Lagos spiritually, socially and culturally.

Mission Work

Many of the current trends in raising children, one of which is the little or no emphasis on play, do not serve the formation of the heart-hands-head. Researcher on child development and play, Mariana Brussoni, mentions: “We all want our children to thrive. The problem is in the decisions we’ve made to support this noble goal. We’ve prioritized safety over freedom, achievement over play, and screen time over outdoor time. The results are predictable: compromised mental and physical health, cognitive development and emotional competence.” When it comes to the holistic formation of a child, play is the most essential means. Sarah’s primary responsibility is to create play based experiences for children. Her secondary responsibility is to equip parents and primary caregivers (nannies and teachers) with tools to help them raise children who love God and others with their whole beings.  

Laughter may not the best medicine, but laughter can be the honey that sweetens the bitter medicine. In Dami’s work with A Billion Laughs, he constantly asks the question: "How can we create comedy shows that spark conversations about the most pressing problems in our society?" It is not unusual to find guests at these shows burst into tears of conviction and compassion because they’ve been moved to see themselves and others in refreshing ways. That part of his work is second only to the work of guiding and sponsoring young comedians without the ability to self-promote or the desire to live in perpetual enslavement to industry gatekeepers. This work is impossible without forming genuine relationships with the comedians and this presents Dami with many opportunities to share the gospel with them. He also continues to serve at City Church Lagos through preaching, leadership, community-building, and spiritual direction.