Our four team parishes have received the Bishop of Manchester’s permission to admit baptised children to Holy Communion before confirmation. Traditionally, receiving communion has been linked with confirmation which has often taken place as children are preparing to leave primary school. However, there has been a realisation in recent years that full church membership focuses on the individual’s faith in Jesus and on baptism – irrespective of the age of the individual.
Many children in our congregations are very regular and committed worshipping members of our church and they are very able to talk about matters of faith. Accordingly, we offer the opportunity to baptised children in Year 3 and above to take part in a short course of preparation for receiving Holy Communion – “Belonging to God”. This course will begin in the New Year and children will be admitted to receive Holy Communion on Mothering Sunday, 27th March 2022 in the church they attend. Children who wish to do this should get a parent to fill in an application form available in all our churches and return it before the closing date of Sunday 16th January 2022. The course will begin in February.
