Early Communion for Bethany Children

Dear Saints of Bethany,

This letter will outline the rationale and process for bringing children to the Lord’s Supper in the years prior to confirmation.  This letter is intentionally brief to make it more readable, so a more thorough explanation of our rationale can be provided by asking a Pastor.  This topic has also been elaborated upon in previous Bible Studies.  For parents of not-yet-confirmed children interested in pursuing this opportunity, more questions will arise than we could address in this letter. Again, please direct questions to a Pastor.

 In 1 Corinthians 11, St. Paul instructs Christians to examine themselves prior to receiving the Lord’s Supper, lest they eat and drink unworthily and to their judgment (v.27-29).  What, then, are Christians to look for when examining themselves?  “29 Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (v.29).  Discern the body. That is, divide between that which is life and that which is death.  Is that sacrament on the altar for my good? Is it life-giving? Why?

These questions form the basis for why we instruct both children and adults prior to receiving the Lord’s Supper. But how much instruction is necessary before a Christian can give that confession to discern the body? And how much academic intelligence must be demonstrated in order for a person to receive this Sacrament worthily? 

In relatively recent history in our LCMS, “pre-communion instruction” has been synonymous with “confirmation” and limited typically to those in at least 7th/8th grade, but the history of Christianity has included the instruction and communion of children of much younger ages. While some theological topics might be better taught to older children, does this then mean that the Lord’s Supper should be withheld from the young or restricted to those of a certain age? 

Perhaps the Church shifted to later confirmation more recently in order to allow for more complicated or age-sensitive teachings than younger children could comprehend (e.g., sexuality issues, evolution, etc.).  This had the positive benefit (where the pastor was faithful) of ensuring a solid intellectual grasp of Christian doctrine. However, time has revealed two significant drawbacks: It presented a picture of Christian life as a purely academic exercise; and it prevented younger children from receiving the life-giving gift of the Lord’s Supper until they have jumped through our academic hoops.

The results of this approach are evident across recent generations of Lutherans: many confirmands soon leave the church, and many regard faith as an achievement earned by going to classes, not unlike possessing a diploma from an academic institution. The very thing they were being prepared for—the Lord’s Supper—did not become a meaningful part of their life.

In Luther’s own preface to the Small Catechism, he instructs pastors of basic catechetical instruction for the young. His basic requirements are a brief teaching about the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar. Having made Confession and received instruction in these articles of the faith, the children are admitted to the Lord’s Supper.

Therefore, what we would like to do as your pastors is implement a new standard at Bethany for instruction in the Catechism and admission to the Lord’s Supper. Children will be admitted to pre-communion Catechesis, not on the basis age, but when they have met certain criteria.

Expectations for children desiring catechesis toward receiving the Lord’s Supper:

1)    The child has expressed a desire for the Sacrament to the parents and, according to the parents, the child has an awareness of the significance of the Lord’s Supper.

2)    The child AND parent(s) have demonstrated a regular faithful worship life and Bible Study/Sunday School participation, indicating the continuation of that practice following early communion.

3)    The child can recite the basic parts of the Catechism: the Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the institutional texts for Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. (Parents can request a copy of precisely what is required, and children can come to the pastor at any time to recite a portion. All of these recitations exclude the meanings given in the catechism.)

4)    After meeting these prerequisites, if the pastors agree that the child is ready, the child will be invited to the 6-week Pre-Communion class with Pastor.

The children who are ready will begin coming to an abbreviated session of catechesis along with their parents. The next session will be scheduled according to the availability of the participants.

Upon completion of the catechesis, the child will undergo individual examination with the pastor.  If the pastor is satisfied that the child knows what the Sacrament is and why he needs it, the child will then be admitted to the Lord’s Supper following the Rite of First Communion Prior to Confirmation.[1]

We hope that this will sustain these children, having been fed with Christ’s gifts, especially when they face the assaults of the devil and their own conscience.  Furthermore, we hope this practice might improve the retention of confirmands, strengthening their faith and their joy in receiving the Lord’s gifts.  The Pastors welcome questions or concerns about this practice.

In Christ,

Pastor Clemmer

Pastor Schumacher

Pastor Bartens

[1] Confirmation classes and the rite of Confirmation will still be required for these communicant youth but will be reserved for 7th/8th grade for the reasons described above.