Children & Communion and Our Communion Class

Pastor Rich offers a class for the fourth graders (as well as older youth who have not been in this class before) designed to provide an understanding of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This class enables our young people to approach the Lord’s Table with reverence and understanding. The class will be held on Sat. Nov. 4, time to be determined.  Our young people will be receiving Communion the following Sun. Nov. 5. Please sign up by contacting the church office.

Although our Communion class is for fourth graders, any child, regardless of age, may receive Communion, whether they have taken the class or not. This is a decision that the child’s parents may make. Just as we would not turn three-year-old “Anna” away from the dinner table because she doesn’t understand the nutritional qualities of the food, we do not turn away three-year-old “Sam” from the Communion table just because he doesn’t understand the theological basis for Communion. If your child happens to be in worship when Communion is served, you could explain to him or her that this food and drink helps us remember and be closer to Jesus and also brings us closer to others who seek to know and follow him. Deeper understanding will come later.

Confirmation is a seven-month program (usually Oct. – early May) for anyone in the eighth grade or above who has not already been confirmed. Pastor Rich and Bonnie McGrath lead the classes. “Mentors” are also part of our program. Confirmation is an important time for exploring the Christian faith. Confirmands are expected to participate in all classes and field-trips. If an absence is unavoidable, confirmands will be given a worksheet to makeup the lesson. Besides participating in class, Confirmands are expected to take part in service projects, attend God Squad Sunday morning classes, and attend Sunday worship whenever their Sunday School class is not meeting.

Please contact Pastor Rich (Pastor-Rich@cccchelmsford.org) if you’d like your child to be part of this year’s class. This year’s class begins on Sun. Oct. 1.