Lord's Supper/Communion

Once ever 3 months or so. We practice closed communion.

 

The have Communion at the beginning of each quarter. It is open to any believer.

 

Every Sunday in a special service before the main service. Open to all professed believers.

 

Every Sunday, as the "call" after the sermon. Christians celebrate and remember Christ, unbelievers are called to "take Christ."

 

Can you elaborate on this?

 

Sure. Our sermons, no matter where they start -- from whichever exegeted biblical text -- always end with a reminder that we are involved with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ who makes possible whatever was discussed during the sermon, and without Christ we have no hope.

We "remember," as the Scriptures indicate, what Christ did for us, and why we have "good news" as we take the Supper. We ask those who do not have Christ to "take Christ" as those who do have Christ remember His sacrifice and completed work. We typically do not have a further altar call, though at times we'll expand a bit on what it is that we are saying when we ask the unbeliever to take Christ, depending on the text of the sermon, etc.

No long drawn out pleas or emotional appeals, just an offer... Oh, and we're baptizing around 100 a year right now, so this type of system can work. We offer counseling right during the service for those who wish to "take Christ" where we sit down and share the Scriptures involved with an evangelistic endeavor in a quiet, prayerful manner (instead of the "every eye closed, now raise your hand..." sort of method).

We practice open communion. It is for those who are "in Christ" who may or may not identify with our local congregation via the covenant of membership. We run around 1100 members and 2500 total attendance on any given Sunday, and we are a 10-year-old church start in a rough inner-city neighborhood.

 

Once a month.

 

At my home church in the States once a month ... traditional Baptist ceremony except we stand in a circle and serve each other.

At the seminary here in Prague every Wednesday morning. We stand in a circle and tear a piece of breaf from a loaf as it is passed. Some eat the bread and others hold it and dip it into the "Baptist" wine. The Baptist wine really is wine from the vineyards that German Anabaptist restored several centuries ago after a devastating war. It is open to all who profess Christ. As we have believes from many countries with many traditions each is encouraged to follow the custom their are most comfortable with --- but no grape juice.

The wine versus grape juice seems to be strictly an American issue.

At the Sarka Valley Community Church here in Prague the service is the same as at the seminary chapel.

 

Daily! I have to write more to post this.

 

Our service is very similar to this one... We don't publish the caveat in the bulletin -- it is spoken to the congregation by the pastor -- and we have multiple stations around the sanctuary to aid in getting everyone served.

 

First Sunday of the month and it is open to those who profess Christ.