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Forums > Communities > UCC 101
Subject: First Communion/Sunday School

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SJA
New User
Posts:1
12/19/2006 11:00 AM  
Can someone please tell me more about why first communion is not a practice and more about religious education for children in general?  Are there any special cermonies for the children, etc.

Thank you!
Andy Lang
New User
Posts:0
12/19/2006 11:06 AM
Dear SJA, thanks for your question!

The UCC is a very decentralized church: each congregation is self-governing, so practices differ from church to church.

You'll find different policies regarding communion throughout the church. You'd want to visit a congregation to find out when they admit children to the sacrament, how that experience is celebrated, how often communion is served in the church, and so on.

The most widely-observed rite of transition for children in the UCC is Confirmation. It normally involves a period of preparation and a ceremony on Sunday in which the entire family participates together with the congregation.

Finally, many congregations practice an "open table" in which anyone, regardless of age, is welcomed to receive communion.

I hope this helps. The bottom line is that there is no single answer to your questions, since each congregation has the freedom to determine its own practices concerning worship.
Jack
51-100 posts

Posts:96
12/19/2006 8:51 PM
At Christian Church Uniting, we practice an open Communion Table, this does in fact mean that children are welciome to partake. Usually, on World Communion Sunday the Childrens' sermon discusses Communion.

Training is usually informal, members or the pastor discuss the meaning and importance of Communion. with the parents. We encourage parents to educate the child with their understanding  of Communion and offer to teach the child if they would prefer the pastor or other teaching member of the  congregation do the training.

Without diminishing the importance of Communion, it really is frequenly practiced and since we have an "Open Table" we avoid doing things like a first Communion that tend to strongly draw a sense of those who are in and those who are out.

On the other hand, the reception of youth after Confirmatio9n Class is a bigger matter, in that the child is making a public profession of faith. Further, the Church of the Brethren practices the Baptism of Believers, so the Confirmants are instructed in the meaning of personal faith and are encouraged to consider baptism as part of the Confirmation Service. There are exchanges of mutual commitment between the new members and "family of Faith".

Here a couple of links for addtional information.

UCC Link:

http://www.ucc.org/worship/communion.htm

Brethren Link:

http://www.brethren.org/anotherway/belief/communion.html

I hope this provides our congregation's point of view in a clear and concise manner.

Your Brother in Christ,

John K.
Jack
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