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Early Communion provides a wonderful teaching opportunity. It is a chance to get to know young families and to familiarize them with the centrality of the sacraments.
There is a conundrum which clergy face with Early Communion. If we plan a preparation for those in the 5-7 age range, what happens when there are regular participants at the Eucharist who are obviously ready earlier? What do we do with 3 year olds who have a sacred awareness and the support of their parents? On the other hand, if children just come to receive totally informally, we lose a wonderful teaching opportunity for both the children and their parents.
Why can’t we do both? Instead of a "First Communion", we could emphasize "Early Communion". Children, with the support of their parents, could be admitted to Communion at an earlier age with the understanding that they would participate in the preparation classes at a future time.
There are many excellent preparation programs available. Life in the Eucharist is a good one. It is a Catholic program that has been especially adapted for the Anglican context.
Early Communion classes give parents the opportunity to meet and make new friends with other young families in the congregation. Early Communion marks with care, a significant childhood milestone. It gives the opportunity to help reconnect families who may have been disconnected from the Church following infant baptism.
Keep the classes simple. If you can, involve some young families in the teaching who can be leaders and role models for the others. The content of the classes should honour the home as well as the Church as a locus of Christian nurture. It is a good place to reinforce grace at meals, night time prayers, and talking about God with our children.
The classes could be offered over two or three evenings, or consolidated on Saturday mornings followed by a shared luncheon. Participating families could make a special corporate Communion on the Sunday following. To build it into the parish routine, the program could be offered at the same time annually, for example, culminating on the first Sunday of Advent or the first Sunday of Lent.
Early Communion classes are an exceptional opportunity to reinforce the "sacred awareness" we witness in so many of our younger children. It is a valuable time to reconnect with our baptismal families.
Item 70
©2006 Ronald C. Ferris
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