Transforming communion from a traditional ceremony into a community remembrance.

Facilitating communion has actually been a struggle for our church to work through as we’ve been on our revitalization journey.

For many years, it was very Baptistic in structure. The communion table placed front and centre, with a white table cloth and decorative containers for the elements. Two chairs were placed on either side of the table, for the Elders of the church (or Deacons in some Baptist Churches). And as communion was facilitated, it was very formal.

1. Pray for bread (we used crackers).
2. Pastor passes bread plates to Elders (one at a time).
3. Elders pass bread plates to congregants.
4. Elders pass bread plates back to pastor (one at a time).
5. Pastor holds bread plate while Elders take bread from plate (one at a time).
6. Pastor reads bread-centred passage.
7. Everyone eats bread.
   • Rinse and repeat for the cup.

It was a very traditional communion service for a traditional Baptist setting, which worked for many years.

The Impact of Revitalization

As we began our revitalization journey, we started to ask ourselves some important questions.

“What does our communion process communicate to an Unchurched person who has just walked in?”

“What does our communion process communicate to a De-churched person who has been wounded by traditional church, and has chosen to return?”

This has been a work in progress.

Nevertheless, where we’ve landed, was a focus on community instead of tradition. (CAVEAT: What I am about to write is a description of what we decided to do and NOT a prescription for all churches.)

• The Elders no longer moved to the front to sit facing the congregation, as we received Unchurched input that it made them look like a form of royalty ruling over the people.
• We removed the large communion table and of course, the chairs. It was replaced with a small, square coffee table, set on the stage to the side.
• We replaced our wheat crackers with rice crackers for the increasing number of gluten intolerance in our culture.

Our changes to communion set-up led us to ask a still, deeper question.

“How can we facilitate communion with a balance of what it might have looked like in the early church, and yet still functioning within a modern service-style context?”

Here’s what we came up with.

1. Pray for bread (rice crackers).
2. The Greeters / Ushers (men and women) come forward.
3. Pastor takes bread and passes bread plates to Greeters.
4. Church attendees pass plates to one-to-another, then back to Greeters.
5. Plates are collected at back of auditorium and brought forward.
6. Pastor reads bread passage.
7. Everyone eats bread (rice crackers).
   • Again, repeat for cup.

I’m not saying this is the answer for every church. It is where we’ve landed, to scale back tradition, and increase community. While still capturing the authority, reverence and remembrance of the communion moment.