CAPTION: Some children who receive Holy Communion say it helps them to feel closer to God and part of the church service
Children in Holy Communion ‘Part of the Church Family’
The Church of England Children and Youth Advisor, Rev’d Mary Hawes is passionate about baptised children being able to receive the bread and wine at Communion.
She said, “I think if we truly believe that children are part of the church family (and in our baptism services we talk about welcoming them into the whole family of God), then they need to be able to receive the sacraments alongside us as part of that spiritual nourishment for their journey.”
In 1996 the Church of England’s General Synod agreed that churches could allow children to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.
While it happens regularly in some churches, the practice is still not widespread.
In Roborough, in Plymouth, children are invited to receive Communion at school
Mary added, “Apart from anything else, we have been talking about this in the Church of England for over 50 years. It’s a long journey and not everyone has made it there yet, but I am passionate about helping children coming as close to God as they possibly can.”
The Diocese of Exeter’s new Communion resources webpage has been curated by The Rev’d Paul Kingdom, diocesan Liturgical Advisor and vicar of St Mary-the-Virgin, Silverton.
He said “There is a need for good preparation, joyful celebration and affirmation but also a requirement to follow the procedures laid down by General Synod.
“Therefore it is important to have access to the right resources and we hope that the Exeter Diocese have now gone some way to offering these to Mission Communities in an accessible way.”
Whether or not to admit children to Communion is a decision made locally by PCCs or Joint Councils, which churches then need to inform the Diocese about.
The children at St Andrew’s Church, Ashburton, celebrated their first Communion on Christmas Day 2021
Sebastian, 10, said taking Communion made him feel welcome at his church, St Andrews Ashburton, right from the start.
He said, “Holy Communion helps me feel fully part of the church family. I like it that the vicar invites us [the children] up to stand with him round the altar while preparing the gifts, so perhaps other churches might do that as well.”
Sebastian said he thought the prayers used in preparing the bread and wine could be worded more for children to help them understand what is going on.
Alannah, 12, from Holne, said of receiving Communion, “I think it’s worth it – it makes you feel closer to God and I like the service. It’s a fun one. It’s nice to take part properly in a service.”
Father Simon Rundell is Team Rector for Roborough Team Ministry in Plymouth, and says he delights in admitting children to Communion.
He said, “Not only do we prepare children for Holy Communion in Church but I run a fresh expression of the Church in school each Friday lunchtime where up to 30 children receive Holy Communion in their own time.
“We at Bickleigh and Shaugh Prior are immensely proud of our inclusivity in this area, where the whole liturgy is set to the tune of well-loved nursery rhymes. More information about Roborough Team Ministry and the liturgy can be found at www.nurseryrhymemass.org.uk”
If you are a church leader considering admitting children to Holy Communion in your church, Mary Hawes says, “Go ahead and consider it wider in your church. This isn’t a decision a clergy person can make on their own. It has to be something that is discussed with the whole church, and then put forward to the bishop and the bishop still has to give permission.
“But I think if we are serious about accompanying children on their spiritual journey then we should look at every possibility.”
Mary has some useful experience to share about admitting children to Communion within her own church, St Alban’s with St Mary’s Teddington, where she is the assistant priest:
“It’s about eight years now since we made the decision, but it wasn’t as straightforward a road as we had hoped. The vicar and I were both passionate about wanting to admit children to Communion, but we knew this was about the whole church, thinking about the implications and what needed to happen.
“We held some open meetings so that people could talk about their concerns, particularly with the PCC, and at that point the PCC were very reluctant to go forwards.
“It was probably about 2 years later when we talked to the PCC again and then they were much more keen to go forward. We talked with families about what it would mean. We let people know that if we took the decision to admit children to communion it didn’t mean that the families had to have their children receiving communion.
“It is still very much a decision made by the children and their families alongside the clergy.”
