Intergenerational worship and I go way back. As a little girl, I would put my dolls and teddy bears in any empty seats while my grandfather, a retired Rabbi, offered Shabbat services from his living room. I would sit with my parents and eat big handfuls of challah bread throughout the service. No wonder I love teaching children today about the sacrament of Holy Communion in celebratory and welcoming ways.
Including children in the traditions of our faith is so important. It teaches them the stories of our faith and welcomes them into the significance of worship. The sacrament of Holy Communion is a lovely way to include children in worship. This Worship Workshop includes several stations which invite children into the story of Holy Communion. They can be done individually as lessons or children’s messages before you practice Holy Communion. Or, as we did, set up a space for families to explore together. Have a short time for a lesson and time for families to explore the stations at their own pace.
Communion Station Ideas:
Breads from all over the World: Bread is a staple of almost every culture and a great symbol of unity among different cultures. Make a station of all different kinds of bread. This station is perfect for World Communion Sunday.
Grape Juice Tasting Station: Make a station for tasting and voting on your favorite kind of grape juice. Use purple grape juice, white grape juice , and concord grape juice varieties and some method for marking your favorite kind. Individual communion cups are great for this station.
Decorate Your Own Communion Cup: Plastic wine glasses (the kind with the removable bottom) are not just for parties anymore. Cut up some tissue paper squares and have the kids glue them to the inside of the cup. Or, color the outside of the cup with permanent markers or paint.
The Last Supper: Setup a low three-sided table similar to the one used when Jesus celebrated the Passover with the disciples. Preschool tables are great for this. Put pillows around the table to sit on. Set the table with name cards for Jesus and each of the disciples. Put out a seder plate and foods they might have eaten such as matza, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and Swedish fish!
Read the Bible: Mark Bibles with the different references to Holy Communion. Let families read the stories together.
Make Your Own Grape Juice: Put some grapes in plastic sandwich bags and let the kids squish their own grape juice. Have a volunteer cut the corner of their baggies and squish out the juice into a cup. (They usually say it’s gross. But, it’s fun to make it!)
Suggestions for Talking With Children about Holy Communion:
- Talk about the different names for Holy Communion such as The Lord’s Supper, The Last Supper, and The Eucharist and where they come from in scripture.
- Introduce the different ways your church practices the sacrament and model how you dip the bread in the cup without sticking your fingers in or how to take a little cup and piece of bread and wait for others before you eat. Each church is different. So, share what your kids will need to know to feel welcome when they receive the sacrament in worship.
- If your practice includes coming up to receive the elements, remind children to hold their hands open for the bread rather than taking it with their fingers. Communion is a gift to be received.
- Connect the celebration of Holy Communion with the Passover Seder- the meal Jesus was celebrating with the disciples on Maundy Thursday.
- Remind children that Holy Communion is a time for asking for forgiveness from God and one another and accepting God’s gift of grace for all people.
- Talk to your communion servers about what to say when a child comes forward for Holy Communion. Suggest phrases such as “This is because Jesus Loves You” or “The Cup of Jesus.” Words such as “body and blood” might be confusing to a young child and not developmentally appropriate. The theological explanation can come later…
- Encourage families to come up together for Holy Communion and remind them that Communion is not about what we know or understand, but about God’s gift of love for us. Everyone-even kids- are welcome at the Lord’s table.
- Do what you need to be sure the kids are present when your congregation receives Holy Communion. We have what we call a Sit Together Sunday every first Sunday of the month so the children can be present when we receive Holy Communion. I’ve even served in churches when someone in the service sends me a text when the sermon is almost over so that we can bring the kids over to receive the sacrament together. Whatever you need to do, it is worth it to share this special practice of faith with our children.
- When worship is over, invite the children up to eat up the leftover bread. Nothing says intergenerational worship like children leaving the service with a big handful of communion bread.