When we do something exactly the same month after month or week after week, it can become rote and easily lose its impact. That was one of the reasons why Pastor Higey wanted to give communion more time and impact in his church. Here are a few ideas on changing the way you serve elements to help keep it meaningful.

1. Come Forward to Receive
If you are a church that has elders or stewards pass the elements, consider having people come to the front to receive them. Servers can stand in several locations at the front in pairs of two—one with the cup and one the bread. People walk up to them and receive the elements as the server says something to them related to the element. Have them stand far enough away from the front that people can go to the altar for prayer after receiving the elements.

If you have an altar rail with room to stand between the altar and platform, you can do a variation on this. Have servers behind the altar, and have people come and kneel at the altar. Then the servers go to each kneeling person and offer the elements. When a person is done praying, he or she gets up and leaves and another takes the spot at the altar. This method actually sees people stay at the altar to pray more, but it also is not done quickly—especially if you have a large congregation with a small altar space.

In these situations you can provide prayer opportunities for people by scrolling prayer points on the power point. Or scroll passages of scripture that speak of Christ (Isaiah 53, Phil. 2:6-11, Heb. 9:22-28, Heb. 4:14-16, Rom. 3:21-26). Instruct people that as they wait to come forward to receive, meditate on these passages and pray prayers that come out of their meditation.

Have people worship while they wait to take the elements. Pick reflective songs about Christ, the Blood of Jesus, or confession and repentance. If you are a contemporary worship style church, make sure that the volume of the singers and instruments gets lowered so people who would rather reflect, can still concentrate. A good worship leader can lead the congregation into meaningful prayer as they wait to take the elements. Have times when people are not singing, but while the instruments play, people pray the thoughts of the lines (still scrolled on the screen).

By simply altering the way you do something, and adding an element of guided prayer, you can bring deeper meaning and connection to Christ.

--Jonathan Graf