Holy Communion

We celebrate Holy Communion every week during worship. Holy Communion (also referred to as the Lord’s Supper or The Eucharist) is a sacrament; meaning it is an act of worship that was ordained by Christ and is a “means of grace,” a channel by which we receive God’s love and grace.
 
All Are Welcome Holy Communion is a family meal: all who intend to lead a Christian life, together with their children (including young children), are welcome and invited to receive the bread and cup. You do not have to be a member of this church or any church to share in this gift from God. There is no obligation, but if you wish to be closer to God, we invite you to come and experience the presence of Jesus Christ in these elements of bread and “wine” and the fellowship around Christ’s Table.
 
How We “Do Communion” We serve Communion by the ancient means of “intinction,” which is a fancy word for saying that we receive Communion by dipping bread in wine/grape juice. As is the custom of Methodist Churches, we serve unfermented grape juice in the place of wine out of respect for those who struggle with alcohol addiction or who abstain for other reasons. This is done so as to be inclusive to all God’s people.
 
Communion is celebrated near the end of worship and children participating in Children’s Church are escorted back into the sanctuary so they may receive communion with their families.
 
When Coming For Communion Here are some tips as you prepare to receive Communion with us at Pearl River Methodist:
  • After a prayer of consecration over the Communion elements (the bread and cup) our pastors will invite everyone to come  forward to be served.
  • When you come forward, bread will be placed in your hand.
  • Then, you will dip the bread in the cup and eat.
When given bread:
  • The server will offer words of affirmation, such as “The body of Christ, broken for you” or “The bread of life given for you.”
When given the cup:
  • The server will offer words of affirmation, such as “The cup of salvation” or “The blood of Christ shed for you.”
Responses:
  • You can be silent and not say anything or,
  • You can say, “Amen” or,
  • You can say, “Thanks be to God!” or,
  • You may also say whatever the Spirit leads you to say.
  • After receiving you may return to your seat.
Please note:
Our Pastor and communion servers handling the bread sanitize their hands upon arrival at the altar table. At PRMC all are invited to serve communion. If you are interested in serving, please contact our Lay Leader, Kirby Craddock, or the Pastor.