In order for our students to grow in grace, we have a responsibility to help them understand and enjoy the sacraments more fully. The post Two Views on Teaching Teenagers About Baptism and Communion (Part II) appeared first on Rooted Ministry.

Rooted’s mission is to transform youth ministry so that every student receives grace-filled, gospel-centered, and Bible-saturated discipleship in the church and at home. We hope this series of articles will be helpful to our friends in many denominations and contexts. You can read Part I here.

“Oh, today is Communion Sunday? Great, I love when we get a snack in the middle of church!” 

As anyone who’s worked with teenagers knows, comments like this are not uncommon, even from students raised in the church! The significance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper often seems distant to many believers, both young and old. 

In the Reformed tradition, baptism and the Lord’s Supper are sacraments, means of grace by which God strengthens, blesses, and assures his people of covenant promises. As youth leaders, we get to help our students bridge the gap between theology and practice, and we must take care to grow their understanding and appreciation for the sacraments. 

What Exactly is a Sacrament, Anyway?

Even the word “sacrament” can be confusing. In Latin, sacramentum referred to the oath a soldier swore before his country’s flag. Over time, the word has come to refer to the specific Christian rites of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines a sacrament as “a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers” (WSC 92). The Confession further explains that sacraments are “effectual means of salvation,” not because of any inherent power, but by “the blessing of Christ and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them” (WCF 27.3).

A sacrament is a sign in that it points to something greater than itself. Just as a wedding ring signifies a marriage covenant, the sacraments point us to the historical, covenantal work of Christ on the cross. Likewise, a sacrament is a seal bearing the authority and assurance that God will really grant the grace that is signified. In ancient times, a king authorized an edict by the seal of a signet ring. Similarly, God guarantees his new covenant promises in the sacraments. 

This theological foundation is crucial to understanding the sacraments. They are not mere rituals we observe out of tradition or habit, but divinely instituted channels through which God confirms his promises and nourishes our faith. When we communicate the reality that Christ himself appointed baptism and the Lord’s Supper, we give students a higher sense of reverence and anticipation to participate in them. They are, in a real sense, opportunities to meet with Christ and receive his grace.

Baptism: Entrance to the Covenant Community

Through baptism, individuals are initiated into the visible church, the community of people who profess faith in Christ (WCF 25.2). In the Old Testament, the Israelite community circumcised male infants as a sign that they were part of God’s covenant people (Gen. 17). In the New Testament, baptism replaces circumcision as the sign for both males and females (Col. 2:11-12). Baptism marks believers as members of God’s family, reminding us of our identity in Christ. 

Scripture teaches that baptism represents union with Christ and new life in him. In Romans 6:3-4, Paul says that “all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” so that “we too might walk in newness of life.” Baptism is an outward sign of our inward cleansing of sin by the blood of Christ. Whether baptized as infants or later in life, students can have the assurance that they belong to God, not through their own actions, but only because of his grace. 

Moreover, the meaning of baptism lasts beyond the application of water, for our whole lives. When faced with temptation, Martin Luther allegedly shouted, Baptizatus sum! (“I have been baptized”). Youth ministers can invite students to improve and make good use of their baptism by reflecting on it often and drawing strength from God’s promises (WLC 167). 

Whenever students witness a baptism in the church, we have a chance to invite them to remember their own baptisms. As they experience God’s faithfulness in the life of another, we can encourage students to pause and reflect on God’s faithfulness in their own lives, deepening their assurance, thankfulness, and devotion to Christ.

Finally, students should know that they are baptized into the body of Christ, the Church (1 Cor. 12:12-13). They are not second class citizens, relegated to the kids’ table until their eighteenth birthday. Instead, like a stamped passport, baptism identifies our students as members of the church and assures them, “You belong here.”As a result, they are valued members to shepherd, and they deserve opportunities to use their gifts and talents to serve others (1 Cor. 12:7). 

Communion: Participation in the Body and Blood of Christ

While most students are familiar with seeing the Lord’s Supper, it is important that they understand its significance and treat it with the reverence it deserves. The Lord’s Supper is not a mid-service snack, but a spiritual meal that ratifies and confirms the new covenant. 

In the Old Testament, a meal typically followed the inauguration of a covenant as a sign of fellowship and peace (Gen. 26:26-31; Ex. 24:9-11). When Christ instituted the new covenant in his blood, he gave us the Lord’s Supper as a perpetual reminder and celebration of his death on the cross (Matt. 26:17-29; 1 Cor. 11:26). With the bread and the cup, Christ’s sacrifice and the benefits of salvation become visible to our senses so that we can taste and see that the Lord is good (WCF 29.7; WSC 96). 

Not only does the Lord’s Supper invite us to look backward at the salvation found in Christ alone, but like a good rehearsal dinner, this meal builds our anticipation of the future day when we will feast with Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Luke 22:16; Rev. 19:6-9).

Youth ministers can give students a heightened appreciation of Communion’s significance by helping them prepare to receive it. As Paul warned the Corinthian church, it is important for believers to take communion in the right way (1 Cor. 11:27-29). We must not only help students to learn to “discern the body” (that is, understand the theology of the sacrament), but also to examine themselves, coming to the Lord’s Table with faith and reverence. 

In the context of ordinary youth ministry, there are lots of ways to emphasize the Lord’s Supper. Youth leaders can help students prepare their hearts in simple ways: through texts reminding them when it is a Communion Sunday, by providing questions for reflection during Communion, or by organizing prayer groups for repentance and reflection. During Sunday School, we can whet their appetites by linking the morning’s teaching to the sacraments. Similarly, we can create space to teach the sacraments to middle schoolers or design a small group around discussing how we participate in them today (WLC 171-175). In all these ways, we highlight the importance of the sacraments and invite students to partake with great reverence and joy.

To many of our students, baptism and the Lord’s Supper may seem like odd rituals, obscured by stuffy wording and infrequent practice. And in fairness, understanding (much less teaching) the sacraments can be hard! However, Scripture makes it clear that the sacraments are not peripheral to the Christian faith, but they are vital means of grace by which God strengthens and nourishes his people. In order for our students to grow in grace, we have a responsibility, through faithful teaching and careful discipleship, to help students understand and enjoy the sacraments more fully.

Looking for gospel-centered resources to help you teach teenagers? Consider Rooted’s Bible-based curriculum and other training resources on Rooted Reservoir.

The post Two Views on Teaching Teenagers About Baptism and Communion (Part II) appeared first on Rooted Ministry.

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