Communion in the Lord’s Supper and Children?
4th April, 2022
Reforming Church loves children and seeing children grow to know that the Lord Jesus loved them first. We pray, proclaim, teach, disciple and equip parents as children’s primary disciple-makers to see and saviour Christ.
As we celebrate Christ in the gospel, and proclaim the Lord’s death for us until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26), we love celebrating this with communion in the Lord’s Supper once a month. Now as we remember Christ together in this way, one of those great questions that comes up is: “can my children take the Lord’s Supper?”
Since we love the Bible, and base everything we do on what God says in the Scriptures, we as a church (and the wider denomination of the PCA) have a position on this which is clear and helpful. The longer version of this you can find here in this General Assembly of Australia paper. This article you’re reading is our more succinct version.
There are two sacraments in our church that the Lord Jesus himself instituted, Baptism and Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a sign of God’s grace for entry into God’s covenant community, and the Lord’s Supper is a sign of ongoing new covenant renewal. They are God’s signs to us, and our public submission to Christ to be celebrated in the community of the church.
Only God saves people by his grace to us in Christ, and we know from the Bible and the life of our church that God saves children this way - through faith. Parents are encouraged and equipped by the Scriptures to teach and disciple their children in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4). We teach them from an early age to trust in Jesus, to pray, to obey and live for Jesus as Lord of their life. We love seeing children also contribute to the life of our church in so many ways.
As we consider this, what we believe about Baptism and Lord’s Supper is important as it relates to children.
Since baptism is a sign of God’s grace to us, we believe that even the most helpless and small person can receive such a sign. This is one of the reasons why we are household baptists.
Yet the Lord’s Supper is a sacrament that is only for those who not only have been baptised but who have also made a credible profession of faith. So if your child does have faith in Jesus, they trust and obey Christ as Saviour and Lord, then Session (the Elders of Reforming) would love to see your child voluntarily attend the Profession of Faith Classes offered. These classes are usually for older primary and secondary age children, and are an engaging and enjoyable way of understanding the gospel we believe. Then if your child requests to do so, and with Session’s permission, they may make a public profession of faith by giving their testimony in gathered worship.
We know that some children will be not ready for making public profession in front of the whole church at gather worship (remembering the church loves children and being encouraged by such testimonies), because it could seem daunting for a child. So if your child is too young for this, and they do trust in Jesus and wish to partake of the Lord’s Supper, then their credible faith is to be discerned by parents with at least one of the Elders over a conversation with the the parents, their child and the elder present. Throughout this conversation Session wishes to witness an age appropriate faith and an age appropriate understanding of what the child will be doing by communing in the Lord’s Supper (as required by 1 Corinthians 11:27-29). In this way Session is happy to encourage their participation, and to encourage the parents in the ongoing discipleship of their children in the faith. Of course is the child is not baptised yet, then they will need to be baptised and profess faith publicly.
Our Policy and Process
The children communing in the Lord’s Supper must be baptised. Since the Lord’s Supper is the New Covenant meal for those who are in that covenant by faith in Jesus, then this is for baptised people.
For children to partake in communion in the Lord’s Supper, they must have an age appropriate faith and so be trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. This will mean that like 1 Corinthians 11:28 teaches, they must be able to ‘examine themselves’ to know that they are sinners who need to have faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
The Westminster Confession states in Chapter 29, section 7 states this.
3. It is important that the child partaking in the Lord’s Supper understands what the communing in the Lord’s Supper is about in it’s relationship to ‘discerning the body’ (1 Corinthians 11:29). Those partaking need to understand that the body of the Lord Jesus was broken, his blood shed, for the forgiveness of their sins. Those partaking also ‘discern the body’ by understanding that Jesus died for his body that is His church (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:20-22, 33). This is why we don’t partake in the Lord’s Supper in our own homes in private, but that the Lord’s Supper is a public event undertaken by the body of Christ, the church. The Westminster Confession also speaks to this in Chapter 29, Section 1.
4. If parents have doubts in their minds about their child’s faith and understanding, or parents see that their child’s life is inconsistent with their profession of faith so that they deny Christ is Lord, then the child should not partake in the Lord’s Supper at this time and parents need to inform Session that their child should be suspended from the Supper.
An elder will speak with the parents and the child every 12 months to assess whether the child’s faith and life remains consistent (in their age appropriate way) with their initial profession of faith. Session will also look into whether the child is of the age and stage in their life where they could be encouraged to consider making a public profession of faith at gathered worship. Such events in the life of the church are so encouraging for the rest of the church.
The kinds of questions that the parent/s and child should be prepared to answer at such a visit may include:
What is needed to be understood (about God, sin, Christ’s death and resurrection, salvation, the Supper, and all believers are brothers and sisters in the family of God and body of Christ)?
When does Jesus give this meal?
What does Jesus mean when He says “this is my body”?
What does Jesus mean when He says “this cup is the new covenant in my blood”?
Why do we repeat this meal?
What is its relation to the Passover?
What must we have to participate rightly in this meal? Or when we examine ourselves what must we find to eat and drink properly?
What is involved in discerning the body? (1 Corinthians 11:29)
5. Since Reforming celebrates communion in the Lord’s Supper at the end of gathered worship on the last Sunday of the month, we bring all the Kids Church children and teachers back into the auditorium for communion. So in this way those who could partake can do so.
6. We ask that parents do not prompt nor pressure their child/children to take the Lord’s Supper, as partaking is to be a voluntary choice and may only be granted by Session’s permission.
7. In line with the General Assembly of Australia’s position on the Lord’s Supper (September 2019, Minute 73, Clauses 3-5), we reject the view that children of one or more believing parents are automatically granted access to the Lord’s Supper, irrespective of the faith and understanding they demonstrate. Members of Reforming who may hold this view have freedom of belief to do so by conscience, but not freedom to practise. The Elders of Reforming will also care graciously for those who disagree on such matters.
8. Please remember and be encouraged that it is faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ which saves, and not what we do, nor our participation in the Lord’s Supper. We encourage parents and all our church to regularly pray that the word of the Gospel will cause children to be born again into the living hope found only in Christ. We pray regularly that the Holy Spirit will bear fruit in chdilren’s life in God’s good timing, and that they will know the love of the Father for them.
We pray that this article is helpful for you, and please know that if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to talk with one of our Elders or write to Session here, elders@reformingchurch.org
With love,
Reforming Session (the Elders)
[We have been helped in the writing of this article by the GAA’s position paper of 2019, and Bundoora Presbyterian Church’s Policy on children partaking in the Lord’s Supper.]
