God Made Me for Worship is Scripturally rich, gospel-centered, and accessible for children aged 4-12. My hope is that God Made Me for Worship will encourage Christian parents to see the preciousness, dignity, and necessity of Sunday worship for their families.

Lately, I have been giving thanks to God for the recent influx of biblical and Reformed children’s resources. As a parent of two young children, I am always on the lookout for tools that can help me disciple my son and daughter in their relationship with Jesus. Being a big fan of Kennedy’s The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, I was excited to hear of his shorter work, God Made Me for Worship: Helping Children Understand Church.

In a nutshell, God Made Me for Worship shows children why gathered worship on Sundays is central to the Christian life. More than this, it shows how the gospel transforms the way we view not only the service, but also God’s people, and God Himself.

The book traces a fictional excursion of fourth graders to Pastor Barnabas’ church. The children are all busting to ask Pastor Barnabas questions about why we gather for church, and what each part of the service means. God Made Me for Worship is structured around this dialogue.

What follows are some examples of these comments and questions:

• “I love going to church!…but sometimes it’s confusing.”
• “Why are there so many different parts to a church service?”
•  “When we come to church each week, it’s sometimes hard to pay attention.”

The first section explains how the gospel shapes every element of the worship service, from start to finish. He then explains all the elements from the “Call to Worship,” through to the “Benediction.” This includes a section on why God is worthy of our praise and adoration, why confession and lamentation are necessary for sinners, and why we need a sacrifice for our sins. He also explains the importance of being assured of Christ’s forgiveness through the “Assurance of Pardon.”

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