Attendees at Sunday services take Communion.
Holy Communion is the precious and holy food of eternal life, given by God for the spiritual nourishment and healing of God’s beloved people. All baptized persons are invited to share the Lord’s hospitality in receiving the Holy Communion as the Holy Spirit may prompt. Lutherans believe, teach and confess that in receiving the Holy Communion we receive the true body and blood of Jesus, given in with and under the elements of bread and wine, according to Christ’s promise. Wheat bread and grape wine are used at Trinity Lutheran Church. Those who, for whatever reason, cannot receive one or the other are assured that in receiving either element, they receive the whole Christ.
First Holy Communion
In the early church, and in Eastern Orthodox churches today, infants were confirmed and communed at baptism, and were given communion ever afterwards. However, in Western (Roman Catholic) Christianity, it has for many centuries been the custom to withhold confirmation and communion from the very young, and to offer these rites only when children have reached the age of reason, so that they may have some understanding of the sacrament.
Trinity Lutheran Church follows this latter procedure, and offers a short program of instruction to children at the second grade or above before admitting them to Holy Communion. Adults who come to be baptized are instructed about the sacrament before their baptism and receive communion immediately afterwards. Normally, anyone making their First Communion is expected to be a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. There are very exceptional circumstances in which this expectation may be waived; any questions may be directed in confidence to the Pastor.
Our current policy is to offer First Holy Communion on the first Sunday in May each year. Registration forms for First Holy Communion Classes are available at the ushers’ station and from the Church Office.