Kids, Baptism, Communion and Celebrating Jesus Christ!

This Sunday night we have our monthly IMPACT service.  
I (Pastor Dave) have the opportunity and privilege of sharing the devotional before communion.

With that being said I want to encourage families with children to come out Sunday night for this meeting which includes baptisms, communion and some important church business matters.

For children kindergarten and under - there will be child care.
For older children - It would be great to have them see the baptism, hear the testimonies and learn more about and possibly take communion with the church.   

I want to use the rest of this blog to explain the "learn more about and possibly celebrate communion."
During the devotional time I am planning to share about the seriousness and the symbolism of baptism and communion.  
My goal is to prayerfully plan the teaching to help you have Gospel talking points with your child.
I also am going to share how God used communion to save me.  You will have to come and here about that.  It is not what you think!

Here is a video that explains communion using Passover, which was last week's lesson.

 

The information below is taken directly from www.thevillagechurch.net/the-village-blog/should-my-child-take-communion/

Some thoughts to remember

• In the Bible, there is no age of accountability or prescribed requirement.  The only prerequisite is that the participant be a follower of Jesus Christ.
• Never rush communion.  It's not magical so taking it sooner than later will not keep your kids from sin or earn them extra favor with God.
• Communion requires proper mental understanding and meaning spiritual reflection to hold significance.
• No one knows your child better than you and when it comes to a decision like this, trust the Lord's guidance and your discernment as a parent.
• Be prayerful about the matter.

Some questions to ask yourself

• Have they given a convincing profession of faith in Jesus?
• Are they showing fruit and evidence of conversion through obedience to and love for Jesus?
• Do they understand and can they articulate the significance of communion?

Some questions to talk with your child about

What is Communion?

Make sure they understand what communion is and what communion isn’t. I recommend starting with Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22. Talk about what Jesus was teaching when He spoke to His disciples and how we continue to remember Jesus broken body and shed blood. Be sure to explain that what we are doing is symbolic and not literal. We are not literally drinking Jesus’ blood and eating His body. Communion is not magical.

Why Do We Take Communion?

Teach your child that we take communion because Jesus instructed us to and as a way of remembering and celebrating what He did for us. 1 Corinthians 11:26 tells us that as often as we eat of the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again. 

How Do We Take Communion?

Coach your child through the logistics and the spirit of taking communion. Communion is done differently at every church, so coach them on the proper way to receive and the proper time to partake of the bread and juice. Also, help and encourage them to be in the right mindset. 1 Corinthians 11 gives personal instructions for taking communion and tells a believer to “examine himself” before eating and drinking.