Trinity Church

When is my child old enough to receive communion?

All Baptized Christians Are Welcome to Receive Communion in the Episcopal Church.

The Book of Common Prayer teaches that Holy Baptism is the only requirement for full membership in the Church.  One of the chief expressions of “full membership” is partaking of Holy Communion.  So the short answer is “any baptized person is welcome to receive communion in the Episcopal Church.”  That includes children and even infants.

Trinity Church welcomes young children to receive Holy Communion.  The Eucharist is Christ’s way of uniting us to Himself, which is all the more reason that children, to whom Jesus said the Kingdom of God belongs, should have it.

Communion Reflects A Living, Growing Relationship to God in Christ

The other (slightly longer) answer has to do with the notion of full membership and what communion means.

In our culture we tend to think in terms of “what we are able to do” in terms of entitlements and less and less in terms of responsibility.  When one is baptized in Christ, that person, as the Apostle Paul writes, is a new creation.  The old has passed away, and the new has come.  He describes us as “putting on Christ” and becoming apart of a wider whole he likens to a body, wherein all parts work as a part of a whole.  In this light, then, Communion is not just something we “get” but mostly something we “do”.

In our Baptismal Covenant, we promised to “continue in the Apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.”  (BCP page 304, Acts —)  When we baptize our children, we promise to help them do this.

So membership in the Church is more than showing up or even paying dues, it is participation in the continuing work of Jesus Christ.  That means we take to heart and mind the teaching of the Apostles, we share in the fellowship and community of the Church (by our participation, and our generosity), we break bread (both Holy Communion and shared community) and we pray with each other and for each other.

If we want our children to really understand what “receiving” Communion means, then we must help them experience what “living” Communion means.

Since children learn far more about values and beliefs by observing how we live—and then test us to see if our actions and our words are congruent—how we live, and help our children live, our faith is very important.

It is Easy to “Connect the Dots” Between Communion and Daily Life

So here is my advice on how to bring children to Communion.

Help them understand the Eucharist at an age-appropriate level. Use resources available at Church such as the book “Alleluia! Amen! The Sunday Paper’s Communion Book for Children” by Gretchen Wolf Pritchard, the weekly Sunday Paper or Sunday Paper Junior and participation in The Church School to help kids understand not only Holy Communion but the heart of the Christian faith.

When your child reaches the age of between 6 and 9, have them take part in First Communion Class held every Lent. Call the Parish Office for information.

Help them to pray at home. Use the Daily Devotions section of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP pp. 136-140) or available in both small and large print form from the Church. There are many other resources available. Speak to the Rector or the Church School.

Older children and teens who use the computer may enjoy using the Daily Office and Forward Movement link from this web site.

Talk with them about your own spiritual journey. You do not have to know everything or even believe everything to be a wholesome Christian example to your kids. In fact, knowing that you do not have all the answers but are just like them, someone learning to pray and learning to follow Jesus, can be a mighty encouragement.

“All baptized persons are welcome to receive communion in the Episcopal Church.” The sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood propels us into the world as people being changed by and for God every day. The most important thing we can do for our children (and our selves!) is to connect the sacrament we receive in Church to the living we do at home, school, work and play.