1. Some ideas for
exploring communion
with children
Compiled by Jane Tibbs, Children’s Adviser for the Diocese of Bath and Wells

2. The Family meal
We all belong to families with patents, perhaps brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles
and cousins. And when we get together as a family, we often have meals.
Everyday family meals
Sharing food together is a way of expressing closeness. We must eat to live. When
we eat together, we blend our lives together, and we show that we care for each
other by making sure that everybody present has something to eat.
• How many times does your family eat together?
• Are there times when some family members are missing?
• Are the meals different when someone is missing?
Special family meals
Since food is necessary to us, we use it to celebrate special occasions.
• What special occasions does your family celebrate with a big meal?
• What foods are used at those special meals?
The church’s family meal
When we were baptized, we became part of a new family, the church. This is a very
big family. All baptized Christians, all over the world, are our brothers and sisters.
As members of God’s chosen family, the church, we show God’s love to our own
natural families, to friends, and to those we meet at school and in our
neighbourhood. We pray for each other and help each other out when needed. We
worship together. And we join in the church’s family meal, the Eucharist.
In the family meal of the Eucharist, Jesus shares his life with us, and our lives are
drawn into his. As we draw closer to Jesus, we draw closer to each other, because
Jesus loves every one of us.

3. Bread and Wine
The special food of the Eucharist
At your special family meals there are often special foods. For example, does your
family have a turkey at Christmas and at birthdays is there usually a birthday cake?
The Eucharist too has its special food: bread and wine. Through them, Jesus shares
his life with us.
Bread
Bread is a simple basic food. It takes away our hunger and gives us strength to live.
Bread is made from grain. God gives the seed, the sunshine and the rain to make the
grain grow. The farmer grows the grain and harvests it. The grain is ground into
flour. The baker mixes the flour with yeast and water to make loaves of bread. Our
daily bread is the work of many people.
• Have you ever baked a loaf of bread?
• How is it done?
• Make a list of all the people involved in making a loaf of bread and getting it
to your table
Wine
Wine helps to mark a celebration. Wine is made from grapes. God also gives the
seed, the sunshine and the rain to make the grapes grow. Vine growers grow the
grapes, harvest them and press the juice to make wine. Wine, like bread, is the work
of many people.
• Have you ever seen wine being made?
• How is it done?
Why bread and wine?
Why do you think Jesus chose bread and wine as the special foods of the Eucharist?
Take a moment to think of some answers….
Here are some suggested answers. How many of them did you think of? Did you
think of any others?
• Bread and wine were both common in the place where Jesus lived
• Bread is a simple, basic food, needed for nourishment
• Wine is a sign of celebration
• Both bread and wine represent the work of God and the work of human
beings. They represent people working together with God for good
• For many centuries before Jesus, Jewish people had used bread and wine at
their special meals

4. Where it all began: The Last Supper
At the Passover, Jewish people remember how God spared them from a punishment
that was laid on their enemies. At the Passover meal, families and friends give thanks
to God for “passing over them”. The first Eucharist was a Jewish Passover meal
shared by Jesus and his friends on the night before Jesus died. We call this the Last
Supper, and we remember it each year on Maundy Thursday, a few days before
Easter.
What happened at the Last Supper?
On Jesus’ instructions, his friends prepared the Passover meal at a house in
Jerusalem in an upper room on the second floor of the house.
During the meal, Jesus said that one of the disciples would betray him to the Roman
authorities. In the story written by both Matthew and Luke, Jesus told Judas that he
would be the one who would betray him.
As the leader at the meal, Jesus did what the head of a Jewish would do. He took
bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and gave it to the others. But as he did so, he
said a new and startling thing: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do
this in remembrance of me.”
After supper, Jesus again did what the head of a Jewish family would do. He took a
cup of wine, gave thanks to God and gave it to the others. But again he said
something new and surprising: “Drink this, all of you; for this is my blood of the new
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you
drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”
The Last Supper and Jesus’ death
After the meal, Jesus and his friends went out to the Garden of Gethsemane, where
Jesus wanted to pray. In the middle of the night, he was arrested by Roman soldiers
and put on trial. The next day, the day we call Good Friday, Jesus was put to death
on a cross.
Jesus’ life had been spent teaching us that God loves us. If God loves all of us, it
follows that we must love each other. This is what Jesus taught. But the authorities
mistrusted him because his message seemed to undermine their power. Eventually
he was faced with a choice: stop teaching and living his message of love for all, or
face arrest by the jealous authorities. In real life, he willingly gave his body and blood
to show how much he cares for us.
After Jesus rose from the dead at Easter, his followers did as he told them to do.
They continued to share bread and wine, which Jesus had called his body and blood.
In this way they continually remembered Jesus and his generous death, so that he
was always close to them. Christians have done this ever since.

5. In the Bible there are four stories of the Last Supper that are alike. They are in
Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25.
You can read a slightly different version of the story in the gospel of John, chapters
13 to 17.

6. Setting the Table
The Eucharist is the family meal of the Christian church. When your family has a
special meal to celebrate a birthday or Christmas, you prepare by setting the table
with your best tablecloth and china. When we get ready to celebrate the Eucharist,
we also set the table with special dishes and linens.
Before the Eucharist, the altar (the big table at the front of the church) is covered
with a linen cloth. Sometimes we call this the fair linen which means beautiful linen.
On or near the altar are placed the special dishes to hold the bread and wine.
The chalice is a large cup that holds the wine. Sometimes it is made of silver, and
sometimes it is made of pottery.
The paten is a small plate that holds the bread.
On top of the paten rests the pall which is a small square of solid material that is
covered in linen.
A cloth called the purificator is often placed over the chalice. It is used for wiping
the rim of the chalice when people are receiving communion. Another cloth called
the corporal is often placed on the pall. At the altar, the priest first spreads the
corporal, and then sets the chalice and paten on it.
Sometimes, when they are not in use, the chalice and paten are covered with a veil
in the colour of the season. On top of everything is placed the burse, also in the
colour of the season. The burse opens like a book. Inside it, the corporal is kept
carefully folded.
All these dishes are spread out in preparation for receiving the bread and wine.
The bread may be a small loaf or bun, or it may be small individual wafers. The wine
is kept in a bottle called a cruet and poured into the chalice at the offertory.

7. Can you name all the special things used when setting the table
for the Eucharist?

8. These are all the special Eucharistic vessels
Pall
Paten
Host
Purificator
Chalice
Corporal
Burse
Corporal
Veil

9. The Service
This is the shape of the Eucharist in Common Worship
The Gathering
The people are greeted in words that help us to remember our purpose in
gathering. There may be an opening hymn and the Gloria may be sung.
In the Prayers of Penitence we tell God that we are sorry for what we have done
wrong, and we hear the words of the priest who assures us that God forgives our
sins.
The Collect of the Day is a prayer that “collects” up the prayers of the whole
congregation.
The Liturgy of the Word
There may be a reading from the Old Testament about the story of the people of
Israel. There may be a psalm, one of the ancient hymns of Israel, said or sung too.
There will be a reading from one of the Epistles, or letters, sent to the early
Christians. And then everyone stands to hear a story about Jesus from one of the
four Gospels.
In the sermon, or homily, the preacher helps us to explore the readings, to
understand their meaning for our lives today.
We proclaim our Christian faith by saying the creed together, which is a statement
of faith.
Prayers of Intercession
Together, we pray for the church, for the world, for ourselves, for people who are
in need, and for people who have died.
The Liturgy of the Sacrament
In the Peace we greet one another with a handshake or a hug as a sign that we are
all children of God and part of one family, the church.
The altar, or table, are prepared and members of the congregation bring gifts of
bread and wine to the altar, along with gifts of money.
In the Eucharistic prayer, the priest tells the story of the life, death and resurrection
of Jesus, including the story of the Last Supper. We ask God to send his Holy Spirit
upon the bread and wine so that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
We end this part of the service by saying together the prayer that jesus taught us,
the Lord’s Prayer.

10. Breaking the Bread and Communion
The bread is broken so that it can be shared with all. We come to the altar as fellow
Christians to receive God’s gifts of bread and wine.
Prayers after Communion and the Dismissal
After the prayers, we are sent out into the world to love and help other people, and
to tell others the good news of how God loves them.

11. Passing the Peace
The priest says, “The Peace of the Lord be always with you,” and we reply, “And
also with you!”
Passing the peace is a very old custom, one used by the early Christians. We shake
hands or hug those around us, and say to them, “Peace,” or “The Peace of the
Lord”. They reply, “Peace,” or “and also with you.” We are saying to others, “Hello.
I’m glad we’re part of the same family, the church. May God bless you.” They reply
to us, “I wish the same for you.”
Jesus taught us that, since God loves all of us, we must love each other. That means
we must treat each other with respect and generosity. Giving a sign of peace to
others reminds us that we are united in trying to follow Jesus.
God loves us so much that he gave us Jesus, his Son, to die for us. And Jesus was
willing to continue teaching the message about God’s love, even though it meant that
he would be killed. His death shows how much he loves us.

12. The Offertory and the Great Thanksgiving
When we share the bread and wine with others in our church family, we draw
closer to them. To show that we are one with each other, we often use one loaf of
bread. We drink from one cup of wine. This reminds us that we are united with
other Christians in the one body of Christ, which is the church.
We bring the bread and wine to the altar at the offertory. The bread and wine, and
also our gifts of money, represent our daily lives and our daily work. We bring to
God all that we are and all that we do. In receiving them from us, God receives our
whole selves.
Of course, we can give nothing to God that God did not make! In making offerings
to God, we are bringing them back to God with thanksgiving for all that we are and
all that we have.
A prayer used in some churches when the bread and wine are offered says:
Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of all things. Through your goodness we have this bread
to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the
Bread of life.
Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of all things. Through your goodness we have this wine
to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our Spiritual Drink.
What we offer to God, God returns to us with blessing. We receive back from God
the bread and wine, now blessed as the body and blood of God’s Son, to strengthen
us to do God’s work.

13. Coming to Communion
We come quietly to the front of the church to receive the bread and wine.
We usually cup our hands together as if we are making a cradle to receive the bread,
the body of Christ, and raise them to our mouth to eat it. Some people make the
sign of the cross before they receive the bread and wine.
We drink a small sip from the cup of wine, the blood of Christ. Or we dip the piece
of bread into the wine.
After we receive the bread and wine, we can say, “Amen” as a way of thanking God
for this great gift.
We can receive communion either kneeling or standing. When we kneel, it is a sign
of respect for God. When we stand, it is a sign of thanksgiving to God for God’s
great gifts to us. If you are small it is a good idea to stand so that you can receive the
bread and wine easily.
After we receive communion, we go quietly back to our places. We sit or kneel, and
say thank you to God.
Anyone who is baptized may now receive communion in our church. Sometimes
there are classes for children to help them understand what is happening in the
Eucharist. Perhaps you are getting ready to make your first communion. That is a
very special day, when you first share in the family meal of the church.

14. Sending Out
When the Eucharist ends, we are sent back into the world outside the church
building. We are told. “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.” We reply, “In the
name of Christ. Amen!” or “Thanks be to God!”
God sends us out, strengthened by the Eucharist, to tell others about God’s love.
God wants us to try to make things better in our world – to help others, to make
the world a safe place for everyone, to bring justice and fair play, to be peacemakers.
This is not easy to do. We need God’s help. We need the help of other members of
our church family. We come back to church each week to receive strength to do
God’s will.

15. Communion all around the world
Christians all around the world meet together each week to celebrate the Eucharist.
People of all nations, all races, all ages share this family meal. They meet in churches
and in homes and schools. The bread and wine are brought to people who are sick
in hospital or at home when they are not able to attend the church service.
The Eucharist can be a happy celebration, for a birthday or a wedding or a special
event. It can be a more quiet celebration when we are sick or sad. It is a service for
beginnings – a new job, a new year, a new baby. It is a service for endings – saying
goodbye, coming to the end of a year, a funeral at the end of an earthly life.
There may be hundreds of people at a communion service in a big church or hall.
There may be only two or three people in a quiet room. But we know that we are
taking part in something that is bigger than the people gathered there.
When we come to the Eucharist, we are taking part in something Christians have
done for almost 2000 years, as a way of bringing Jesus and the new life close to us.
We are joining with millions of Christians all around the world.

16. The Eucharist is a Sacrament
Jesus was a great teacher. He talked to people about things they could see and hear
– the flowers of the field, the birds in the air – to tell people about God’s love for
them. Once he picked up some mud and put it on a blind man’s eyes to make him
see again. Jesus was very comfortable with ordinary things, and he used to help us
learn to understand ourselves and our relationship to God.
A sacrament uses something quite ordinary – something we can see and touch – to
bring God’s special gifts to us. In baptism, we use water to bring God’s gift of new
life to us. In the Eucharist, we use bread and wine to bring God’s grace and love
among us.
The Catechism defines a sacrament as “an outward and visible sign of an inward and
spiritual grace”. In other words, something we can see and touch changes the way
we live our lives. It makes us value God’s world, and everything and everyone in it.
We are called to prevent suffering and destruction, to care for our world, and to
help others who are in need, as Jesus did.
In the Eucharist we can see the priest take the bread and wine and we can hear the
words of the prayers. But through the bread and wine and the prayers something
happens that we cannot see. The bread and wine are transformed by God’s Spirit
into a way of sharing God’s love for us. They bring the death and resurrection of
Jesus very close to us.
The sacraments invite us to use all our senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell,
movement – in the worship of God. We can see the actions at the altar. We can
smell the candles and the flowers, hear the music and the prayers, touch and taste
the bread and wine. We move about the church, and stand and kneel for worship.
The sacraments remind us that God speaks to us through everyday things.

17. Names for the Family Meal
Christians call this service by many different names. Each name helps us to
understand more about the meaning of this sacrament.
The Eucharist is a Greek word meaning thanksgiving. We give thanks to God for
God’s great gift of new life, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Supper reminds us that this is the Christian family meal. Jesus shared
the Last Supper with his disciples, the night before he died, and asked us to continue
to meet together to share this meal.
The Holy Communion tells us that receiving the bread and wine – the body and
blood of Christ – brings us into communion with God and each other. In other
words, it brings us closer to God and to each other. We share this sacrament with
other people in the Christian community.
The mass is a name that comes from the Latin phrase, Ite, missa est. This means, Go!
You have been sent. When Latin was used in church for several hundred years, these
words were said at the end of each service. We come to the Eucharist to be
strengthened, so that we can go out and help others and tell them the good news
that God loves them. We still use the name mass, particularly at Christmas, which
means Christ mass.

18. Eucharist wordsearch
R E T H A N K S E F P U T C E
O U S V L K L C G C R A R R U
Q C I P E N I W O L A Y T H I
Z H W E R L E M H S Y L Z E G
X A W A A I M C R E E D K E N
Y R P H K U E S R Y R M C C F
A I C T N C G S U U G A N I B
A S M I K L C F T T E S H V F
I T O X O F J H B P C S X R A
D N Y R O T R E F F O N H E H
I A I S F R E P P U S Y A S R
D A E U P B E Y H N M O A S A
R Y T R E K N G L N T G Q M T
Y V Y A B H D Z B A S G S C L
T V D H U V U T R S S L L F A
ALTAR BREAD CHALICE COMMUNION
CREED EUCHARIST GLORIA HYMN
MASS OFFERTORY PATEN PEACE
PRAYER PRIEST SANCTUS SERVICE
SUPPER THANKS WINE

19. Here are some activity ideas
I
If you already receive communion,
find out the date on which
you made your first communion
Draw a picture of your
church family.
Include people of all ages

20. Read the story of the Last Supper
in the Bible.
Imagine you are a child at that Supper
and write a story about what it was like.
Draw a picture of some of the things
you are thankful for

21. Learn a grace to say before a meal and
say it with your family if you can
If you have servers at your Eucharist
service, ask them what they do

22. Tell, or write, about a special meal that
you have shared with others – it could
be for a birthday, anniversary, holiday or
other event
Make an invitation card to ask someone
to come to the Eucharist
Write your own activities in these!

24. Can you make a cross shaped book mark?