How to Lead Communion in Your Home

What is communion?

Communion is a symbolic way to show we belong to Jesus and to remember what He did for us. It’s a regular remembrance and celebration of the Lord's sacrificial death. The breaking and eating of bread has to do with Christ's body being broken on the cross. The drinking from the cup has to do with the shedding of Christ's blood whereby we are forgiven. (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-24) 

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Luke 22:19-20 

Jesus promised to spare us eternal death and cover our sins by His own blood. He broke His body and poured Himself out so that, if we believe, we can have a relationship with Him forever. 

Communion is for those who have made the decision to accept Jesus as the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.

We would like to invite you to take communion in your home—by yourself or with your family! We will break it down for you below. You just have to…prepare, pause, pray, partake, and praise! 

If you have kids, this is a great time to introduce them to communion and take time to really explain why we do this. At the bottom of this, you will find some helpful questions and conversation starters. 

Prepare 

Get your communion elements and plan ready. There should be some type of bread element and some type of juice element. You probably already have these things in your house! Think about what you are going to say or read during this time (look to the next section for some ideas). Know how you’ll pass out the elements. Prepare the atmosphere. Communion may need a little explanation—don’t expect everyone in your home to know what to do. Communion is meant to be a personal, yet shared experience. If it works for you, you may want to sing a song together.

Pause

A big part of communion is remembering and reflecting. Remember the sacrifice and promise that Jesus made. You may want to read a Scripture passage - here are some ideas:

• Psalm 22 
• Isaiah 53 
• Mark 15:21-29 
• John 19 
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 
• Galatians 2:16-21 
• Ephesians 2:1-10 
• Philippians 2:1-11 

Communion should also involve personal reflection. It’s a time to examine our relationship with the Lord and with others. 

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 
1 Corinthians 11:27-32

Pray

Thank God for what He has done and His promises to us with prayers of gratefulness, joy, and hope. It’s great to pray individually, but there is something special about praying aloud with the group.

Partake

Give instructions on what to do and when. Don’t leave people guessing. Following the example in Scripture, we eat the bread, followed by the cup. Feel free to offer prayers or praise in between. 

Praise 

Communion should lead to praise. Jesus has made a way for us to receive forgiveness and life! Often communion is a joyous celebration - a fun reminder of our great God. We don’t have communion because of obligation. We have communion as a proclamation of Jesus’ promise of salvation!

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Talk About Communion With Your Kids

Communion was Jesus’s idea!

• Jesus had this idea when He was having a special dinner with His disciples. The dinner was to remember something called Passover which had happened a long time before Jesus was born. It was a miraculous event where an angel of the Lord passed over the land and protected the Israelites from being killed by a mean king. Every year, the people would celebrate the Passover to remember how God had saved them. That’s what Jesus and the disciples were celebrating at the time of the first communion. 
• This meal was important for another reason. It was the last meal Jesus would have with His disciples. Jesus knew what was about to happen to Him. He was going to go to the cross to die for the sins of the people. But the disciples didn’t know that yet. So, Jesus used this last supper to explain what He was about to do for them.

Communion is a way to remember what Jesus did on the cross.

• That’s why Christians still take communion to this day. It’s about being reminded of what Jesus did for us on the cross and it’s a time to celebrate how He has saved us. When you do communion, the bread and juice symbolize what Jesus did for us. The bread is a symbol of His body that was broken for us. The juice symbolizes His blood that was spilled to pay for our sins.

Communion is for anyone who has asked Jesus into their hearts!

• This is important. Communion is for people who have put their trust in Jesus. So, you shouldn’t take communion if you haven’t asked Jesus to live in your heart.
• Have you asked Jesus into your heart?