Why We Gather
Book Description
I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ – Psalm 122:1
Gathering with God’s church is the most important thing we do each week. In Why We Gather, Joey Tomlinson emphasizes the beauty and priority of corporate worship for young children. Through memorable rhymes and vivid illustrations this book tells children of God’s wonderful plan to nurture his people in the faith. It introduces theological concepts and words in a way that is easy for kids to understand and will foster good conversations about public worship. There are also pastoral encouragements for parents and pastors to consider the beauty of multi-generational worship.
Author and Illustrator
Joey Tomlinson is the pastor of Deer Park Fellowship (dpfellowship.org) — a confessionally Reformed (1689) church in Newport News, VA. He holds a BS in Religion from Liberty University, an MDiv from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and a DMin in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Joey is the author of The Day of Trouble: Depression, Scripture, and the God who is Near. He regularly writes articles and records podcasts at broadoakpiety.org. Joey is married to Brayden, and together they have 3 boys — Henry, Owen and Ames.
Paul Cox and his wife Stephanie reside in southern Wisconsin with their four children, three noisy chickens, and a few thousand honey bees. Paul is a full time freelance cartoonist and works on RefToons in his down time. When Stephanie is not teaching the kids, she manages the RefToons mailings and is the voice behind the camera in the live videos. They enjoy working together to develop content that points people to Christ.
Endorsements
"In a world full of distractions, Why We Gather helps children learn the joy and beauty of the Lord’s Day. With cheerful illustrations and simple rhymes, this book shows how ordinary worship is truly extraordinary. As you read together, your little ones will begin to see why the local church is such a treasure to God’s people.
--Alex Kocman, Director of Communication and Engagement | ABWE
"We read that children were brought to Jesus (Matt. 19:13). In this little book, girls and boys learn about the importance of meeting Jesus in church. They learn about the means of grace and how each one calls children to believe in Jesus. What a helpful tool to assist parents as they teach their children the importance of church attendance."
--Dr. James Renihan, President | IRBS
"Why We Gather by Joey Tomlinson is a helpful resource for helping children and families understand the immense importance of the Lord’s Day gathering of Christ’s people. Carefully crafted, and accessibly written, Tomlinson has done families and churches a favor in providing a new resource that can aid in training the next generation on the importance of worship. I recommend it!"
--J. Ryan Davidson, Ph.D., Pastor | Grace Baptist Chapel; Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology | IRBS
Additional Information
Cover: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 48
Publisher: Founders Press
Publication Date: November 2025