Take kids on an exciting journey to discover that they are part of the amazing worldwide church.
Take kids on an exciting adventure exploring the global church!
Kids will gain enthusiasm for going to church on Sundays as they discover that they and their local fellowship are part of something much bigger: a family of people worshiping God all around the world!
Join Tim Challies as he guides you on this illustrated journey through 10 countries. Your children will be delighted to meet fictionalized kids just like themselves as they discoverâŚ
Each positive, eye-opening visit to another country is based on Challiesâ own travel experience and conversations with local church leaders.
Use the included prompts to start conversations about the global church as a family or Sunday-school class.
Welcome
Fiji
South Korea
Cambodia
India
Zambia
Poland
Morocco
Brazil
Chile
Alaska
The Best-Ever Worship Service
| Age range: | 4+ |
|---|---|
| Contributors | Tim Challies, Sian James |
| ISBN | 9781802544213 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | May 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
âI canât think of a better way to introduce children to the beauty of Godâs global people than through these delightful vignettes that highlight the history of mission, the variety of worship around the world, and the ways God is at work in every culture.â
âWhat a wonderful resource to help kids and their parents get excited about Godâs great big family around the world! When children catch a robust vision of Godâs global church, it changes their perspectives and priorities for the rest of their lives.â
âOur children need to know how God is reaching out to touch the lives of children in other regions of the world, together with the adult population. This book is excellent for teaching kids about the Great Commission and its ongoing impact today. Iâm thankful for Tim Challiesâ excellent work to help us understand Godâs work among the nations!â
I loved the concept of this book! I first heard about Tim Challies' journey around the world via a sermon and was excited to see there was a kids' book about it! Our kids' worlds are so small and they (and we adults) forget that there are Christians all over the world doing church together! I love to be able to show them different locations and cultures and how God's Church is full of all nations and tribes and that there are lots of ways to worship the One True God!
We had this book on our list for ages after reading the adult book From the Rising of the Sun. We thought it would be excellent to help our children have a global view of the church and see how God's love is for everyone in all places at all times.
We used this book in our church during global mission month and also plan to return to it many times at home, particularly as a prayer tool during family Bible times to help us pray for brothers & sisters throughout the world.
My son (4) and I LOVED this book! He so enjoyed learning about other countries and cultures and how other people worship Jesus like us yet differently. We read one church a day and try to do something like the kids in that church did each day. Whether it is all praying out loud at once or sharing a meal off one giant plate, he feels connected to other believers around the world. I think it also opened his eyes to the potential suffering of others in a way that wasnât scary or harmful. I would recommend this book to every Christian family out there as a beautiful reminder that our church is not limited to the people we worship with in a building down the street but to Godâs people everywhere.
We read this during breakfast as a family with our 4 1/2 year old and 14 month old. It's better suited for older children, but it still felt like a great way to start exposing our kids to the global church and celebrate how God is at work across the world. The illustrations are engaging and so lovely to look at, and the format with a child from each of the 10 countries sharing about their experiences made it extra fun for our oldest. This will be a book we revisit time and time again. We already bought it as a gift for another family. Great book to inspire meaningful conversation and connection with your kids!
This colorfully illustrated book will help your kids gain an understanding that Christianâs all around the world are part of Gods family. This book will spark great discussions and give you an opportunity to pray for Christians in other countries with your kids. We used this sweet book for 2 weeks during our homeschool âmorning basketâ time, during which we read about one country per day. My girls absolutely loved learning about the different countries, but even more fascinating to them was how the church services differed from ours. This book is a very dear way to introduce your children to the global church. My girls were so sad to know that some Christians around the world have to meet and worship in secret.
This book would be extra fun to read as part of studying world geography. Weâve been learning about US geography this year and it was fun that our learning about Alaska and reading about the church in Alaska happened to fall on the same day.
Each country includes information about:
đ Facts about life in each location
đ Unique ways worship services are conducted
đ Bible verses about worship
đ Discussion questions
My kids thoughts đđđź
âď¸ âI liked that we got to learn about different countries and what they do. I think it would be fun to experience it one day. I really liked the Chile one, it was my favorite.â (9 year old)
âď¸ âI liked learning about how people worship God in different countries. My favorites were India and Chile. Learning about how they worship God is fun!â - (7 year old)
âď¸ âI liked the parts where people walk around and talk and the kid parts.â - Hadley (4 year old)
I definitely recommend this book for your home or church library!
đ Kidâs Friday Favorite
⨠If youâre building a meaningful kidsâ bookshelf⌠start with a book about the global church!
This book shows kids how beautiful it is to be part of the body of Christ and how believers worship all around the world. (I promise you 100% want this book.)
Best for:
⢠Ages 3+
⢠Bigger kids will find the stories valuable and fun, while littler ones can enjoy the practical side of it too.
Why we love it:
⢠The body of Christ is bigger than America, and this book takes our kids outside our walls to see what church looks like in other countries through the eyes of children there.
⢠I also love that it teaches kids how to say hello in different languages. My son especially loved that part! And the fun facts, because what kid doesnât love those?
What it teaches:
Worship happens all over the world. This book invites kids to visit 10 children and their churches across different countries around the globe.
Thank you to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for a complimentary book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own
It is far too easy to grow up thinking everyone sees and experiences the world as you do. Without intentional thought, our children will grow up thinking everyone lives and acts like them, or they won't even think much about how other people experience the world.
This is why I really appreciated this new resource. Not only is it extremely helpful to get my sons interested in other places around the world, but it also introduces them to Christians around the world. It shows them that the body of Christ is larger than their local church. My boys asked me questions specific to each story as they learned about the events some Christians face and how they worship God differently. I know this will be a treasured resource for them as they continue to grow older. Thank you!
I received a complimentary copy as a reviewer, and all thoughts are my own.
If youâre looking for a beautiful, faith-filled book that introduces your children to the global Church in a way they can actually understand and enjoy, this one is such a gem.
My kids were immediately drawn in by the colorful illustrations, maps, animals, and fun facts from each country, but what I loved most was the heart behind it. Godâs Great Big Global Church gently teaches children that believers all around the world may look different, live differently, and worship differentlyâbut we all belong to the same family in Christ.
Each section feels like a little journey around the world, introducing real places, cultures, and church communities while keeping everything age-appropriate and engaging. I especially appreciated the conversation prompts, Bible verses, and how naturally it encourages compassion, curiosity, and a bigger understanding of Godâs people.
This would be such a wonderful addition to a homeschool morning basket, family read-aloud time, or church library. It sparked so many sweet conversations in our home and made my kids excited to learn about other countries and cultures through a biblical lens.
Thoughtfully written, visually beautiful, and full of truth and wonder. We absolutely loved it.
The shift from thinking the church is just your local building to experiencing Godâs great big global church. đâ¨
It is so easy for our kids (and letâs be honest, us too!) to look around on a Sunday morning and think *this* is all the church is.
In âGod's Great Big Global Church," Tim Challies beautifully shatters that box. He takes children on a beautifully illustrated journey as travels across the globe to show them how the family of God is wonderfully diverse, yet perfectly unified in Christ.
What makes this book so fantastic for family discipleship is how each chapter is structured. As you journey through 10 different destinations -including Fiji, South Korea, Cambodia, India, Zambia, Poland, Morocco, Brazil, Chile, and Alaska- every single stop features:
đşď¸ Fascinating Culture & Geography Facts:Learn about local food, customs, and landmarks, alongside regional Christian population statistics.
đ Native Greetings: A welcoming introduction to each country in its own native tongue.
đ Connected Scripture: A curated Bible passage focused directly on worship.
*đŹ Discussion Prompts: Easy, conversational questions to help your family process the unique ways our global brothers and sisters live, worship, and gather.
It is the ultimate resource to help expand your childâs view of the kingdom, teach real church history, and spark a deep love for the worldwide body of Christ.
This is such a unique and valuable resource for helping children understand the beauty of the global church. The book introduces kids to believers from different countries and gives a fascinating glimpse into daily life, worship practices, foods, traditions, and cultures around the world. Iâm always grateful to find books that help broaden my kidsâ understanding of the world while still keeping a strong biblical foundation, and this does that so well.
I loved the format of the book. Each country feels personal and engaging because children are introduced through the perspective of a child living there. The fact files, discussion questions, and included Bible verses make this especially useful for homeschool families, family devotions, or classroom settings. It really feels like a blend of educational resource, devotional with interactive questions, and picture book all in one, which makes it such a versatile book to keep coming back to.
This is not really a book you would sit down and read straight through in one sitting, but more of a âone country a dayâ kind of book. It could work well as a bedtime read where you explore a new country each night, almost like a mini devotional over 10 days. It could also easily be stretched into a longer homeschool unit study: taking a week per country, learning more, and pairing it with other books or activities to really build out each place.
The overall message is excellent: while believers around the world may look different and live differently, we all worship the same God and belong to the same global Church. I especially loved the ending pointing toward the day when people from every nation will worship Jesus together... it beautifully ties the whole book together and gives such a meaningful reminder of the unity believers share in Christ.
*I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
