TAKING COMMUNION AS A SMALL GROUP

Celebrating Communion in Your Small Group

We believe the context of a small group is a great place for communion to happen. The following paragraphs are meant to give you some guidelines to make this a meaningful celebration within your group.

What is communion? (The Lord's Supper)

It is the 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).

What is the purpose of communion?

The primary purpose of communion is to take time to remember all that the Lord did for us and is still doing for us. It is a time to worship and give thanks for the forgiveness of our sins and the new life and relationship that we have in Jesus Christ. This time of remembrance was initiated by Jesus just before His death. Because we tend to be forgetful people, in the Old Testament, believers were called to remember the faithfulness of God through various memorials. In the New Testament, this is the way Jesus wanted us to remember His love and forgiveness of our sins (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

These verses also explain that communion is a time of personal examination. It is a time to examine our relationship with the Lord and others (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).

Where and how often should we celebrate it?

We believe that it is a good thing for believers to celebrate not only "at church" or in the "church building" but also in homes and appropriate places all around the city. In Acts 2:42-47, we read that believers met on a regular basis in their homes to celebrate communion. We can celebrate regularly and often. God invites us to celebrate as often as we feel is appropriate.

Who can take communion?

  • Any person who has believed in or trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone for his or her salvation. This means it is possible that some members of your group may not want to participate. Invite everyone to participate but don’t be alarmed if some choose not to participate (that’s okay).

Who can serve communion?

Biblically speaking, anyone can serve or facilitate communion. Strategically, we think that the small group leader or apprentice would be the one to serve. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate servant leadership in the same way that Jesus served His disciples. However, there may be other members who are equally able to lead and serve in this celebration. It is at the leader's discernment and discretion.

Is there a "best" time to serve communion in the life cycle of the group?

No. We believe that it is helpful to get to know one another first, but not necessary. You may desire to celebrate sooner than later, especially if your group is only a certain number of weeks. Groups that have been together longer tend to want to celebrate communion together more.

How can we serve communion?

There are many ways to serve communion. The Bible does not dictate a certain method. Feel free to be creative. You could celebrate communion after a meal together as often modeled by the early church (Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 11:20-26). You could make this the centerpiece of your time together or you could partake in it before or after you complete a study and discussion time. The important thing to remember is that this is a time of worship. This is a time of celebration. This is a time of remembrance and reflection. Enjoy it and you will see you and your group members grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Here’s one timeline for serving Communion in your small group:

1. Make sure everyone has their communion elements: the bread and the cup.

2. (a) Begin your time of celebration by reading some selected passages of Scripture that remind us of the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

  • Galatians 2:16-21

  • Ephesians 2:1-10

  • Philippians 2:1-11

  • Isaiah 53

  • Mark 15:21-29

  • John 19

  • Psalm 22

(b) Or you can reflect on your own personal experience. Say something brief about God’s love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, commitment, tenderheartedness, or faithfulness. Connect your words with the personal stories of the group. For example, “These past few weeks I’ve experienced God’s mercy in the way he untangled the situation with my son….” If you prefer, you can write down ahead of time what you want to say.

3. After reading the Scriptures or sharing, instruct the individuals to open up their communion elements.

4. Then read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26:

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

5. Say: “Take the bread. The bread represents the body of Jesus which was broken for you and me. Take the bread.” Wait for people to eat the bread.

6. Say: “Take the cup. The cup represents the blood of Christ, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Take the cup.” Wait for people to drink.

7. Conclude your celebration by (a) singing a song, (b) listening to a praise song, or (c) or praying in thanks to God.

There are many ways to serve communion. The Bible does not dictate a certain method. The important thing to remember is that this is a time of worship and celebration. It's a time of remembrance and reflection. Enjoy it and you will see you and your group members grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.