We recognize that this issue has caused much disagreement in the church throughout its history, and that other traditions and understandings of the practice of communion exist. As we seek to “rightly divide the word of truth,” The Crossroads’ position is reflected below.

How does The Crossroads understand the practice of communion?

:: It is a memorial (Lk. 22:19-22): through communion, we remember the Lord’s death and all that it accomplished. It is a celebration of our being made right with God, and it points backward to the basis of our salvation.

:: It is a proclamation of a future fact (1 Cor. 11:26): through communion, we look forward to the Lord’s second coming.

:: It is a present reality (1 Cor. 10:16-17): Paul calls the practice of communion a “participation”(present tense) in the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. We understand this to mean that Jesus is “spiritually” present in communion.

The Crossroads understands the spiritual presence of Jesus in communion as follows. Paul speaks of spiritual food and drink (1 Cor. 10:1-3) and warns believers to take communion in a worthy manner, so as not to sin against the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27-32). Elsewhere in 1 Corinthians, Paul argues that eating food sacrificed to idols is ”participation” with demons and issues strong warnings against that practice (10:18).

Each of these points seems to indicate that the symbols used (whether the communion elements or food sacrificed to idols) do more than simply represent the reality they symbolize; they allow one to “participate” in the spiritual essence those symbols point toward.  Jesus intimates as much when he suggests that we can “feed” on Him spiritually (John 6:44-58; 61-65). The important distinction is that Jesus is present in a spiritual sense, but not a physical sense. 

Who can participate in the practice of communion?

Anyone who has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and has examined himself/herself in accordance with Paul’s instructions in 1 Cor. 11:27-32 can participate in the practice of communion.
If someone is unsure about their relationship to God, they are encouraged to visit the iCare Space for prayer and guidance.

Who can serve communion at The Crossroads?

There are no New Testament restrictions on who can administer the elements of communion in the local church. This is in accordance with Scripture’s teaching that all believers are priests under the new covenant (1 Peter 2:4-10).

With this in mind, we also affirm that communion can be appropriately celebrated outside of The Crossroads’ weekend services (e.g., in life groups, families, weddings, etc.)

What elements are to be used to celebrate communion?

What we are celebrating in communion are not the precise circumstances of its institution, but what it represented to Jesus and the disciples. That being the case, the elements can be approximations of the realities they represent (leavened bread and grape juice) rather than an exact replica of the original circumstances (unleavened bread and wine).

How often should communion be celebrated?

There is no explicit teaching in the New Testament regarding how often communion should be celebrated. However, from the descriptions of the practices of the early churches in Jerusalem and Corinth, it seems that the church celebrated communion every time it gathered. 

How does The Crossroads celebrate communion?

We celebrate communion with the following in mind:

1. This is a reverent act: communion celebrates God’s mercy and grace in the gift of Jesus Christ. It is a privilege to worship God in this way.
2. This is one of the ways The Crossroads seeks to keep the cross of Jesus in view and remember that it is the sacrifice of Jesus that bonds and unites us together and unites us to Him.
3. We celebrate communion every week.
4. We use symbols that are reasonable approximations of the realities they represent (e.g., to be sensitive to those who may have issues with alcohol, we use grape juice instead of wine).
5. We seek to have people examine themselves before communion, and we will remind our congregation of the importance of this preparation.
6. We believe that the physical environment affects the experience of communion, so we want to give time and space for people to worship and respond to God in this way.