On these pages you’ll find ideas for enhancing the participation of children/young teens (and all ages!) in the Lord’s Supper through understandable language, meaningful visuals and

active engagement. We’ve also included brochures developed by CRC's for worshippers as introduction to their Lord’s Supper practices. How does your congregation welcome children to the table? Tell us at [email protected].

Children’s Messages and Blessings

• Guess How Much God Loves You
• Family Celebrations
• The Lord's Supper Helps Us to Remember
• The Good, the Bad, and the Smelly: Communion Blessings for Children

Ideas and Approaches

• A Single Sentence Elevator Speech about the Lord's Supper – A reminder that the meal is about more than “remembering” and an invitation to consider how to convey to all ages the richness of this sacrament.
• Finding Your Focus: Planning a Varied Meal at the Lord's Table – Practical ideas on engaging all of the senses during a celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
• Inclusive Communion – An article considering the unique needs of worshippers of all ages who have disabilities. Includes helpful ideas for worship planning. (For more ideas on creating inclusive communities of worship consider the book Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship by Barbara J. Newman.)
• Knock Knock, Communion Calling provides ideas for making meaningful transitions when children’s programs are interrupted in order that children can participate in the Lord’s Supper.
• On Communion Table Kitsch and Advent Wreaths – An article considering how the communion table in your church might visually communicate the meaning of the table.  
• Ways to Enhance the Participation of Children/Young Teens During the Lord's Supper – A list of suggestions for enhancing the participation of children and young teens in the Lord’s Supper.
• A member and the worship planners of Georgetown (ON) CRC invited the congregation to prepare itself for the following week's celebration of communion by staging a "human video" production using the song Come to the Table. During the performance, members of the congregation that were not part of the production came forward spontaneously in response. The result was a moving, participatory, intergenerational expression of faith. Download a video of the event and read organizer Mike Barrera's reflections.

Brochures from CRCs

Communion at Evergreen Ministries – A brochure that both explains the process at this church to worshippers and encourages families as they talk about communion with their children at home.

The Lord’s Supper – A brochure from Eastern Avenue CRC that provides helpful information for worshippers of all ages and includes answers to practical questions such as: “What is the Lord’s Supper?” “What happens during the Lord’s Supper?” “What could I tell a child during the Lord’s Supper, to make the feast more meaningful for him or her?” and more.

What Does Harderwyk Say About The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper? – A brochure describing the practices at this church regarding welcoming children to the table.