Instructions for Serving Seated Communion

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SERVING SEATED COMMUNION

Meet in the Staff Conference Room 20 minutes before the Service for instructions and prayer. You may sit with your families through the sermon.

At the end of the sermon hymn or at thebeginning of the Offertory go to the narthex to process following the ushers bringing the offering. Do not wait for a signal from the pastors. Process in this order:

Element Bearers proceed up steps to communion table to deliver the elements to the Pastors while the rest of each line enters the first pew on each side to sit. Element Bearers then follow to first pew and sit on the center aisle seats. (Outside Wine bearers are seated closer to the side aisles). (If chairs are set up in front of the first row of pews, please sit there.)

After theBreaking of the Bread and the Pouring of the Cup (ending with “the gifts of God for the people of God, Alleluia, Amen”), the Pastors will serve the Servers the bread and then the wine in their seats. The Pastors will return to the Communion Table.

Element bearers and Bread Servers ONLY approach the Communion table when a Pastor nods:

At the table, the Element Bearers will stand at their respective ends of the Table and the Bread Servers will stand in front of the Table facing the Pastors. The Pastors will hand the bread plates to the Element Bearers and the Servers, and the center aisle bread servers will also each hold a bowl of gluten-free crackers for those in the pews who indicate they want gluten-free.

The Element Bearers will serve the Pastors the bread, saying, “This is the body of Christ which was broken for you” or “the bread of life in Jesus Christ”. The Element Bearers will start serving the choir and then immediately return for the wine trays and pass them to the choir.

Bread Servers begin to serve the Congregation when the Element Bearers turn to serve the choir: saying either: “This is the body of Christ which was broken for you” or “the bread of life in Jesus Christ”.

Wine Servers approach the Communion table when a Pastor signals: After receiving the trays, the wine servers will start at the first pew. Serve the congregation saying either: “This is the blood of Christ which was shed for you”, or “the cup of the new covenant in Jesus Christ”.

After the Element Bearers have served the musicians, they will return to the Communion Table and serve the wine to the Pastors.

Element bearers will replace wine trays: when a server nods to indicate they need more.

All servers process into the Sanctuary together: after the wine servers finish serving the congregation, ushers, and sound techs (do not wait for the pastors to signal)

After handing all the Elements to the pastors, return to the first pew with element bearers on the center aisle seats.

Recess with the Elements either after the Choir recesses or after the 1st verse of the closing hymn:the Element Bearers will approach the Communion table and pick up the pitcher of wine and one of the bread plates, turn and start down the center aisle. The other servers will walk down the aisle after them in the order they are seated.

After the Postlude, Servers will collect the communion cups from the pews and choir loft, and dispose of them in the Flower/Communion Room. Please wait to clean up until after the postlude.

Revised 08/05/2016

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