Communicants Class Parent Form
One of the greatest privileges and highest callings a parent has is to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It would be difficult to overestimate the joy of the Christian parent who hears his/her child say: “I love Jesus because he took the wrath of God that I deserve and God loves me as his child.”
Knowing that children ultimately must accept the realities of God’s promises of salvation for themselves, what does it look like, in Christ, for parents and the church to move forward in God’s process of making disciples of covenant children?
Our communicants’ class is designed to help.
The communicants’ class is designed to assist parents and children who believe that children have reached/are reaching a point of spiritual maturity that warrants the family to consider whether or not the child is ready to stand before Christ as a communing member of His church. Communing members are those who have made a profession of faith in Christ, have been baptized, and have been admitted by the Session to the Lord’s Table (Book of Church Order 6-2).
This class, which is 5 weeks long, taught by the teaching and ruling elders of the church, will seek to explore the foundations of the Christian faith and church through a Biblical examination of our membership questions.
Parents (particularly parents of younger children or parents who believe that their children may need assistance in studying for the class or understanding the material) are encouraged to attend the class with their child. If parents and children and pastoral staff agree, children may attend the classes alone.
While there are no mandatory age limits for the children who take this class, it is important that the child have sufficient maturity to consider the issues and to make vows before God and the church. We count on parents – who live with and observe their children every day - to help their children think through the issues and to help us judge the readiness of the children to answer the membership questions in the affirmative.
This class is not intended simply to rubber stamp a young person’s formality in joining the church. Rather, it is intended to help parents and children examine the Biblical gospel in order to decide if the Holy Spirit has prepared the child for communing membership. This communing membership would include the privileges of access to the Lord’s Table, nominating and electing officers, voting in congregational meetings, and assuming the role of a responsible disciple in the worship and ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church.
At the end of the classes, two or three elders will meet with the children privately to discuss the gospel, seeking to understand the spiritual condition of the children, and answer any questions that the children and/or parents may have. Though attendance is not mandatory, parents certainly are invited to these meetings. One purpose of these meetings will be to discern if the young man or woman is ready to assume the privileges and responsibilities that the grace of Christ brings to a changed heart and life. Those children who are ready to assume the responsibilities of communing church membership will be accepted as communing members and admitted to the Lord’s Table. Some of the sweetest moments in the life of the church are when young people speak of their understanding of the mercies of God in Jesus Christ to them.
An important reminder for balance.
Parents should remind their children and be reminded themselves that not all children are ready to become communing members of the church. As a result, parents must ready themselves to discern with the elders and pastoral staff that their child may not yet be ready for communing membership.
Please know that we will work hard to not allow peer pressure or the momentum of the class make students who are not ready feel excluded or somehow a failure. No young person should ever feel the pressure or need to join the church because their parents expect them to or because their friends or siblings have done so. Rather, children joining the church should know with confidence, in an age appropriate way, the love of God in Christ for them before joining.
How can one tell if a young man or woman is ready? Help in answering this essential question may be found in 1 Corinthians 11:17-29. Please read this passage together with your children. There, the Apostle Paul gives guidelines for coming to the Lord’s Table. Several things should be noted.
First, persons coming to the Lord’s Table must be genuine believers in Jesus Christ. A “believer” according to Scripture is a person whose life is marked by faith and repentance to any degree. Faith will include knowledge of who Jesus is and what He came to do, assent to what the Bible has to say about Jesus’ life and work, and trust at some level in His person and work alone for salvation. Repentance will include recognition of sin, godly sorrow for sin, desire to turn from sin to the Lord in obedience, and fruits of repentance.
Second, persons coming to the Table must understand at some level why we take the Lord’s Supper. What does it signify? What actually are we doing when we come to the Table? To what do the juice and bread point and why is that important?
Third and finally, persons coming to the Table must have sufficient maturity to “examine themselves” before coming. While this passage does not set forth all of the circumstances to which this caution might apply, it does require some minimum level of ability to examine oneself before coming.
Materials for the Class: Materials for the class, which will be handed out at the first class include (1) the Presbyterian Church in America membership questions (with Scripture supporting and explaining those questions); (2) the Westminster Shorter Catechism or the First Catechism (depending upon the child’s age); (3) parts of the PCA Book of Church Order; and (4) an outline of CPC life and ministries. Homework assignments will be printed in the class pamphlet.
What if I still have questions? Whatever your situation, please know that children and parents are welcome to use the classes themselves to clarify what God is doing in the life of the children. Let us pray that our Lord Jesus will use this class to glorify Himself in the eternal well-being of our young ones. Of course, parents and children are always welcome at any time to visit with any of the pastoral staff or elders to discuss any questions or concerns about the class or process for children joining the church.
Knowing that children ultimately must accept the realities of God’s promises of salvation for themselves, what does it look like, in Christ, for parents and the church to move forward in God’s process of making disciples of covenant children?
Our communicants’ class is designed to help.
The communicants’ class is designed to assist parents and children who believe that children have reached/are reaching a point of spiritual maturity that warrants the family to consider whether or not the child is ready to stand before Christ as a communing member of His church. Communing members are those who have made a profession of faith in Christ, have been baptized, and have been admitted by the Session to the Lord’s Table (Book of Church Order 6-2).
This class, which is 5 weeks long, taught by the teaching and ruling elders of the church, will seek to explore the foundations of the Christian faith and church through a Biblical examination of our membership questions.
Parents (particularly parents of younger children or parents who believe that their children may need assistance in studying for the class or understanding the material) are encouraged to attend the class with their child. If parents and children and pastoral staff agree, children may attend the classes alone.
While there are no mandatory age limits for the children who take this class, it is important that the child have sufficient maturity to consider the issues and to make vows before God and the church. We count on parents – who live with and observe their children every day - to help their children think through the issues and to help us judge the readiness of the children to answer the membership questions in the affirmative.
This class is not intended simply to rubber stamp a young person’s formality in joining the church. Rather, it is intended to help parents and children examine the Biblical gospel in order to decide if the Holy Spirit has prepared the child for communing membership. This communing membership would include the privileges of access to the Lord’s Table, nominating and electing officers, voting in congregational meetings, and assuming the role of a responsible disciple in the worship and ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church.
At the end of the classes, two or three elders will meet with the children privately to discuss the gospel, seeking to understand the spiritual condition of the children, and answer any questions that the children and/or parents may have. Though attendance is not mandatory, parents certainly are invited to these meetings. One purpose of these meetings will be to discern if the young man or woman is ready to assume the privileges and responsibilities that the grace of Christ brings to a changed heart and life. Those children who are ready to assume the responsibilities of communing church membership will be accepted as communing members and admitted to the Lord’s Table. Some of the sweetest moments in the life of the church are when young people speak of their understanding of the mercies of God in Jesus Christ to them.
An important reminder for balance.
Parents should remind their children and be reminded themselves that not all children are ready to become communing members of the church. As a result, parents must ready themselves to discern with the elders and pastoral staff that their child may not yet be ready for communing membership.
Please know that we will work hard to not allow peer pressure or the momentum of the class make students who are not ready feel excluded or somehow a failure. No young person should ever feel the pressure or need to join the church because their parents expect them to or because their friends or siblings have done so. Rather, children joining the church should know with confidence, in an age appropriate way, the love of God in Christ for them before joining.
How can one tell if a young man or woman is ready? Help in answering this essential question may be found in 1 Corinthians 11:17-29. Please read this passage together with your children. There, the Apostle Paul gives guidelines for coming to the Lord’s Table. Several things should be noted.
First, persons coming to the Lord’s Table must be genuine believers in Jesus Christ. A “believer” according to Scripture is a person whose life is marked by faith and repentance to any degree. Faith will include knowledge of who Jesus is and what He came to do, assent to what the Bible has to say about Jesus’ life and work, and trust at some level in His person and work alone for salvation. Repentance will include recognition of sin, godly sorrow for sin, desire to turn from sin to the Lord in obedience, and fruits of repentance.
Second, persons coming to the Table must understand at some level why we take the Lord’s Supper. What does it signify? What actually are we doing when we come to the Table? To what do the juice and bread point and why is that important?
Third and finally, persons coming to the Table must have sufficient maturity to “examine themselves” before coming. While this passage does not set forth all of the circumstances to which this caution might apply, it does require some minimum level of ability to examine oneself before coming.
Materials for the Class: Materials for the class, which will be handed out at the first class include (1) the Presbyterian Church in America membership questions (with Scripture supporting and explaining those questions); (2) the Westminster Shorter Catechism or the First Catechism (depending upon the child’s age); (3) parts of the PCA Book of Church Order; and (4) an outline of CPC life and ministries. Homework assignments will be printed in the class pamphlet.
What if I still have questions? Whatever your situation, please know that children and parents are welcome to use the classes themselves to clarify what God is doing in the life of the children. Let us pray that our Lord Jesus will use this class to glorify Himself in the eternal well-being of our young ones. Of course, parents and children are always welcome at any time to visit with any of the pastoral staff or elders to discuss any questions or concerns about the class or process for children joining the church.
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