FAMILY WORSHIP | 10.18.15
Parents,
On Sunday, October 18th, we are inviting Pre-K through 5th grade children to join our worship gathering. It will be a fun day for our church family to be together. We wanted you to know so that you were not surprised. Our service will be fairly normal; however, we are making it a shorter to help the children (and their parents) out. We will engage the children in worship throughout the service.
Two things for you to consider:
1. This will be new for many. Your child might act up – that’s okay. We get it. We are family. So don’t freak out or feel embarrassed – it’s really okay. Take a deep breath. Encourage them to sing. Model for them what they should do. Feel free to bring a coloring sheet and crayons, if it helps. You might hold off on beach balls, silly string, and video games, though. Have fun and enjoy time together.
2. Talk with your child about communion beforehand. Communion is for believers in Jesus who have embraced the gospel. If you feel confident that your child understands the gospel, has made a faith commitment to trust Jesus, and has been baptized, your child is invited to take communion with you. If not, explain to your child that they may take communion when they are older. Many children have not yet placed their faith in Jesus; however, they may have questions and want to know more. This is a great opportunity for you to explain who Jesus is and what he has done for us. I’ve included some helpful information for talking to children about communion below.
We look forward to worshiping with you and your kids on the 18th! On October 25th, we will return to our typical Redemption Kids routine. Your children are an important part of our church family!
Love you all,
Pastor Jeff
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TALKING WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT COMMUNION
Here are some simple ways to talk about and explain communion with your children and facilitate discussion for your family.
First, it is important for your child to understand that communion is an act of faith that we are trusting our lives to Jesus Christ who died for our sins. It is something that is supposed to remind us of what Jesus has done for us. When Jesus died on the cross, his body was broken, and his blood was shed. The bread we eat represents Jesus’ broken body. The cup we drink represents the blood of Jesus. This is one way we remember how important Jesus is to us. Jesus died for us so that we could live for him. When we take communion, we are telling Jesus that we love him, trust him, and want to follow him.
If your child expresses a desire to know more, I’d encourage you to do the following:
- Continue to make time for purposeful, ongoing conversations. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#makedisciples”]You are the greatest spiritual mentor for your child.[/inlinetweet]
- Schedule a meeting with a group leader or pastor. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#makedisciples”]We are here to help. We want to partner with you to help you disciple your kids.[/inlinetweet]
- Walk through the Redemption Church Baptism Packet with your child. Baptism comes before communion, and our packet has some great info to guide you in those conversations with your kids.
Bible texts about communion: Matthew 26:26-29, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.