Who may receive Communion?

The Altar at Grace Church belongs to God, not to any particular church or denomination.  All Christians who have been baptized into any part of Christ's church are welcome to receive God's nourishment by taking Communion at Grace.

There may be times, though, that you should choose not to receive.  If you are not "in love and charity with your neighbor", your spirit is not ready to receive the presence of God.  Remember, Jesus warned his followers that if they come to bring their gift to the altar and there remember that their brother has something against them, they are to leave their gift, go and be reconciled, and then come to offer their gift.  Similarly, Communion is spiritual nourishment for the Christian journey through life; if you don't desire Christ in your life, taking Communion would be at best an empty gesture.

If you choose for any reason not to receive, you are warmly invited to come instead to the altar rail at communion time to seek a blessing.  The way to signal this is to cross your arms over your chest, rather than putting your hands out to receive the bread.  

Children who have been baptized are welcome to receive communion.  Some parents prefer for their children to receive a blessing instead, and wait until the children are old enough to understand the meaning of communion.  Other parents encourage their children to receive communion from when they are very young.  Either approach makes sense: communion is spiritually serious and may not be appropriate for young children; yet on the other hand, God's grace is not limited to those with refined understandings.  The clergy are happy to talk with parents who want help deciding what to do.