Communion
The Lord’s Supper (also known as Communion, or the Eucharist) is a memorial to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus was celebrating a Passover feast meal, in which each portion of the meal is a reminder of God freeing the Jews from their Exodus. Jesus took two of those symbolic foods and gave them a new meaning: the unleavened bread is to remember His body being broken for our sins; the wine is to remind us of the blood He shed for us. It both reminds us of His sacrifice and serves as an opportunity to jointly express our fellowship with one another, adopted into His family by His sacrifice. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper with an open communion for anyone who shares our faith in Christ.
(Reference: Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
The Lord’s Supper (also known as Communion, or the Eucharist) is a memorial to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus was celebrating a Passover feast meal, in which each portion of the meal is a reminder of God freeing the Jews from their Exodus. Jesus took two of those symbolic foods and gave them a new meaning: the unleavened bread is to remember His body being broken for our sins; the wine is to remind us of the blood He shed for us. It both reminds us of His sacrifice and serves as an opportunity to jointly express our fellowship with one another, adopted into His family by His sacrifice. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper with an open communion for anyone who shares our faith in Christ.
(Reference: Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
Baptism
Christian baptism was also ordained by Jesus as an essential first step for those who wish to be His disciple. (A disciple is a student-follower, who both learns from and models his life after the teachings of Jesus.) Like the Lord’s Supper, in baptism Jesus took a common Jewish rite and gave it new meaning. Jewish baptism was a ritual washing to cleanse oneself in preparation for entering a holy place. In celebrating Christian baptism, a believer both (1) makes a public proclamation of the internal change in which their old self has died, and (2) participates in a sacred and ancient rite which links us with millions of other believers throughout history as part of a new, holy people. For more details on baptism, read our baptismal handbook at this link.
(Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Matthew 10:32;
Romans 6:3-11; 1Peter 3:12; Acts 22:16; Colossians 2:12; Luke 3:16)
Christian baptism was also ordained by Jesus as an essential first step for those who wish to be His disciple. (A disciple is a student-follower, who both learns from and models his life after the teachings of Jesus.) Like the Lord’s Supper, in baptism Jesus took a common Jewish rite and gave it new meaning. Jewish baptism was a ritual washing to cleanse oneself in preparation for entering a holy place. In celebrating Christian baptism, a believer both (1) makes a public proclamation of the internal change in which their old self has died, and (2) participates in a sacred and ancient rite which links us with millions of other believers throughout history as part of a new, holy people. For more details on baptism, read our baptismal handbook at this link.
(Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Matthew 10:32;
Romans 6:3-11; 1Peter 3:12; Acts 22:16; Colossians 2:12; Luke 3:16)