Admission of children to communion pre confirmation

[motheroftwoboys]

I have to admit I am struggling a bit with this. What do others think? Am I just a bit old fashioned in thinking that this takes away some of the significance of confirmation?

Confirmation comes after First Communion

Floggingmolly- In RC church first communion comes before confirmation,in CofE it's confirmation first. No communion before that.

I onowcthe Catholic church does communion first, but I'm not sure CofE is the same.

It doesn't detract from the significance if it's what you're used to.

It's been Reconciliation, Communion, Confirmation for as long as I can remember in the Catholic Church. Same for my parents.

We're debating it at the moment. I am pro children receiving communion, but I think it depends on what age you do confirmation. Ours is 13-16yr olds, so if you're nine, and sure of what you believe then you feel a bit stuck.

I think milestones are really important. I took communion aged about 8 in the Methodist church and that was because I understood what it was, and I wanted to take a step in my faith. I was confirmed at 17 because I felt that I wanted to do something public.

In CofE it is confirmation before communion - although non-confirmed can go up to receive a blessing

Dd did First Communion aged 10 in C of E , was Baptised just before and has not been Confirmed.

Oh, sorry!

CofE is NOT confirmation before communion. Each diocese makes policy about when children can be admitted to communion and PCCs of individual parishes decide whether to adopt this policy. In my diocese the lower age is 7.

Confirmation is exactly that, a confirmation of your faith, not an admission to communion.

The Church in Wales has no lower age limit - any baptised person can take communion. This would be my preferred position.

Yes Niminy, same here in the North East. I went to morning service in the Cathedral and it rather took me by surprise and I was surprised how it made me feel. I have been reading up about it as hadn't realised the "rules" had changed.

We've just moved to a new CofE church where it seems to be whoever wants to take it. The servers have tried to give my 5yo the bread when we didn't realise they would and he had his hands up.
Then I told him to keep his hands down and they tried to give him the cup! I'm pretty sure I've had to bat the bread away for my 3yo too.
If families are keen on giving children younger than 10 (our usual confirmation age round here) communion then it would at least make sense to have communion preparation distinct from, and earlier than, confirmation.

Wow, learned something new. I thought CofE did it in the same order we did it (RC). Thanks for the nugget of info.

In the Presbyterian church I go to now anyone is welcome to take communion, member of the church or not and children are both welcome and envouraged.

In our old church communion was given while the children were in Sunday school and you generally only take communion if you are a member of the church (which you can't join until you are 16yo).

However in our current church the "wine" is actually juice whereas our old church used port in a common cup so that may be some of the reason for the difference.

We prepare children for communion aged between seven and ten. They then get confirmed by the bishop when they are teens or adults. The two occasions have quite a different feel, first communion is very church family, whereas confirmation is in a wider, more public setting.

C of e is communion before confirmation, both of mine did first communion around age 7-9 and haven't been confirmed because they are expected to make that decision for themselves as an adult.