When Should Children Participate In the Lord’s Supper?

Dads, this Sunday we will be having the Lord’s Supper during the service.  You will be with your children, so this is a wonderful opportunity to teach your children about the Lord’s Supper as we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  I challenge you as fathers to take the leadership in this.  I wanted to share a few things to keep in mind as you consider whether your children or any that you are responsible for should participate.

They must be believers

1 Cor 10:16  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

When we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we remember the sacrifice of Christ that we have participated in.  If your children have not accepted Christ and do not yet understand the cross and the Gospel, then use this as a teaching opportunity for salvation, but do not allow them to partake in communion.  Taking the Lord’s Supper does not save our children or make them more spiritual. It is an act of remembrance by those who are saved.  If you are not sure, it is better for them not to participate than to partake in an unworthy manner.

Make sure they can tell you what Christ did on the cross

And by this, I don’t mean just that He died!  Do they understand in an age appropriate way that Jesus died in our place taking the punishment for our sins?  This will help discern whether they are believers as well as whether they understand the meaning of the bread and juice.

Make sure they understand the elements

Take some time to explain that the bread symbolizes that Christ offered His life, His body on the cross as our sacrifice.  The breaking of the bread helps us understand that His death was real and brutal.  The juice represents Christ’s blood that was shed in my place for my sins allowing me to be forgiven and adopted into His family!  With children, focus on the payment for sins and forgiveness.  Sometimes I will ask one of my kids if they want their brother or sister to get disciplined for something they did or if they want to be disciplined for something their sibling did.  Then I explain what Christ did on the cross.

Do you as their parent know that your child has taken care of any sin in their lives?

I Cor 11:27-28             Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

It is important to start teaching early that we are to examine ourselves before taking the Lord’s Supper and make sure we are right with God.  If they are struggling with attitude and obedience that morning and have not repented and confessed, do not have them take communion.  This will be a powerful lesson.  (You might want to deal with this before the service rather than as we are taking communion to cut down on the crying!)

Can they take it seriously?

They need to be old enough to realize that this is not just a snack and has meaning.  They also need to be able to take the time surrounding the Lord’s Supper seriously and quietly as well just as we should be doing with the offering time.  Neither are times for talking, but rather times for prayer and worship.

The Lord’s Supper can be a powerful time of teaching and helping our children think through the work of Christ.  I encourage you to be intentional and not be afraid to say no to your child.  If they are upset because everyone else is having it and they are being left out, that’s ok!  In fact, that probably means they are not ready.  When they are ready, sharing this time together will have a much deeper impact.  I look forward to remembering Christ with you as a church family!