Holy Communion has sometimes been described as the Christian Church’s family meal. It may be much more than that, but it is certainly nothing less. Exceptionally, receiving Communion may be a private act, but for most of us, most of the time, it is something we do gathered together as a whole congregation, adults and children worshipping God in the same place and time. None of us understands it fully, whilst even a primary school aged child can appreciate that in the sacrament we are somehow drawn closer to Jesus, encountering him not only through the words we hear, but in the very taste of bread and wine, and the bodily acts of eating and drinking.

As a Church committed to growing younger, it is right that we seek to include, as much as we possibly can, our younger members in our worship. No parish is required to have a policy to admit children to Communion at an age before that at which they can make their baptismal promises for themselves in public at Confirmation. However, for those parishes that wish to do so, the below guidance sets out the necessary processes and information. Hopefully, this will be useful both to those parishes with long experience of admitting children, and those for whom this is a fresh venture in mission.

Bishop David Walker