How To Conduct Holy Communion Service

For thousands of years, the Church has continued a practise chosen communion, or depending on different church building traditions, the Lord'south Supper or the Eucharist. Communion uses staff of life as a symbol for Jesus' body and vino every bit a symbol for His blood. Jesus himself started the tradition of communion. He instructed His followers to utilize bread and wine to call up the sacrifice He was going to make when He died for our sins on the cross (1 Corinthians eleven:23-26).

Facilitating communion at your church seems simple enough, but becomes increasingly difficult as the size of your congregation grows. It'southward important to have a solid programme for distributing the communion elements and for conducting this portion of the worship service. In doing so, nosotros award the sacrifice of Christ and create a sacred moment to be enjoyed by all who participate. Here are a few guidelines and tips for facilitating communion in a church service:

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Options For Bread & Drink

At that place are several options available for the bread used for communion. Many ministers choose to use manufactured wafers specifically designed for use in the Lord'southward Supper. Other churches choose to utilize fresh unleavened bread or leavened bread that is cut into minor pieces before service begins. Some ministries even provide a gluten-complimentary staff of life or wafer in an effort to make communion available for those with food allergies.

Most often, red wine or grape juice is used in remembrance of Jesus' claret during communion. The pick between the two largely depends on the tradition of the church and its denomination.

Quick Tip: Regardless of the elements y'all choose for bread or wine, it'due south of import that they are fresh and in-date to provide the best experience. It too goes a long fashion to ensure that the congregation doesn't see a brand affiliated with the materials (such as Welches juice or Panera Bread).

Distributing The Elements

Because communion has been practiced in the church for so long, in that location are countless methods for how to partake. In the modernistic, Western church where the elements must be distributed to a big number of participants, there are iii popular methods. Some churches cull to serve breadstuff and vino from the front of the auditorium where church building members approach the front at a designated time to consume the bread and drink. In contrast, many other ministries take participants remain in their seats and utilize minor cups and plates to distribute the materials. Lastly, some churches choose to requite their participants their bread and drink to hold as they enter the auditorium or have it waiting for them at their seats. No matter how the elements are distributed, information technology's important that information technology is washed with care and reverence.

Quick Tip: When passing out communion elements to seated participants, it works all-time to have two ushers for each cluster of rows—one for each stop of the row. The plate should brainstorm by being passed by Usher 1 on one end of the row, then be received by Usher 2 at the opposite end of the row. Conductor 2 then moves onto the adjacent row in that cluster by passing the plate in the opposite direction to be received by Usher 1. If passing bread and juice on split up plates, completely pass the first element to a cluster of rows earlier kickoff to pass the second.

Options For Cups, Trays & Plates

Modest cups are the easiest way to quickly distribute communion wine or juice to a large auditorium of seated people. Some traditional ministries choose to use clear, drinking glass cups for this. These create a more meaningful experience, but are pricey and require washing, drying, and careful storage subsequently each use. It's more common to use clear plastic cups that are specifically designed for 1-time communion utilise. Near recently introduced are pre-filled plastic cups of juice that too include a small wafer in the lid. These have a more than manufactured vibe, but are without a doubt the easiest method for taking communion with a large group of people.

No matter which cup yous decide to use, you'll need a tray to be able to easily laissez passer it to crowds of people. Additionally, you lot'll need a plate to pass the bread to each row. To make this process easier, there are even trays available that tin can agree both cups and bread. These combined trays are great for enabling you lot to just take to pass downwards a row in one case.

Quick Tip: If you're filling cups yourself, it's much easier and faster when you utilize a cup filler designed for this purpose. Once you use take used this in one case, you'll never want to go back to pouring any other mode.

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Leading A Congregation

Just as there are many options to serve communion, there are many ways to atomic number 82 a congregation in the taking of communion. The important thing to remember is that this is a time of worship. It'due south a time of remembrance, celebration, and reflection.

One of the nigh pop methods for leading a church building in communion is done as follows:

Begin with the reading of Scripture that will remind of the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection. Examples of this are Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Mark 15:21-29, John 19, 1 Corinthians 15:ane-viii, and Galatians 2:16-21.
Country that communion is for any person who has believed in or trusted the Lord Jesus Christ solitary for his or her salvation. Remind that is it too good for a person to examine themselves earlier the Lord in this moment. (Because of this, some people in the audition may choose not to partake.)
At this time, have your ushers or deacons come forward to pass the bread and juice to everyone in the congregation, request everyone to wait before consuming either.
At this time, read 1 Corinthians xi:23-26 from scripture telling of how Jesus led his disciples in the commencement communion.
And so, lead the congregation in prayer thanking God for the bread, which represents His body broken for u.s.a.. (Many ministers choose to have the audience collectively break the staff of life or wafer together in this moment.) State how Jesus said, "Practice this in remembrance of me," and proclaim, "let u.s.a. consume together." Then eat the bread as a group.
Ask everyone to prepare their loving cup of juice. And so, lead the congregation in prayer thanking God for the cup, which represents His blood shed for the states. Land how Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me," and proclaim, "let u.s.a. potable together." Then potable the juice or wine every bit a group.

Music & Screen Imagery

Some churches cull to create a somber, reverent moment for communion by having a silent environment. Other ministries use this as anopportunity to take their band play and sing softly to create a more than worshipful atmosphere. Some other option for music is to use a CD or other prerecorded track so that everyone in the room has their hands free to participate in the Lord's Supper. No matter the background noise that y'all adopt, it'southward important that it not have away from this holy moment.

Since most churches now have screens available in their sanctuaries and auditoriums, whether projection, LCD idiot box, or LED panels, information technology makes sense to include them in these moments. By displaying imagery such equally crosses, communion elements, depictions of Jesus, or simply meaningful words, y'all tin set apart this special moment in the service. Want something more than simple? Try using a subtle motion background that provides a popular of color and texture on your screens without taking away from what's happening in the room.

Church building Motion Graphics has yous covered for everything you demand to make your screens look neat during communion. Our growing library of motion and still backgrounds, also as sermon and announcement templates make it easy to fill your screens with meaningful content in the times it means the most. Many are even available to download for free!