Lord’s Supper

Our policy summarized:

As a historically Dutch reformed church that practices close communion, and in agreement with the Synod of Dort Church Order, no one shall be admitted to the Lord’s Supper unless they have first made a confession of the reformed faith (i.e., are actively attending members in good standing of a confessionally reformed church that receives and seeks to obey either the Three Forms of Unity and/or the Westminster Standards), are members in good standing of a Biblical Reformed church and are wholeheartedly seeking to walk in obedience to God – a godly walk.

An elder or the minister will personally interview those seeking to commune in order to assure themselves of the visitor’s active membership in a reformed church (a reformed church being defined as having the three marks of a true church [Belgic Conf. article 29]) and, as much as possible, of their godly walk (i.e., not knowingly participating in unrepentant sin).

For visitors who are not members in good standing of a reformed church, who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are regular attendees of RICCS and/or who seek to become a member of a confessionally reformed church, who agree with reformed theology (especially in the area of ecclesiology – see Appendix 9 of the RICCS Book of Church Order), may be given permission by the Consistory to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Procedure to participate:

1. Contact (e-mail) us to let us know you’re interested in joining us for worship and participating in the Lord’s Supper.

2. Download “Lord’s Supper Visitor Questionnaire”

3. Each visitor seeking to participate must sign at the bottom of the questionnaire signifying their affirmation with all the statements in the questionnaire.

4. Scan and e-mail back to us, or bring with you to Sunday worship.

Rationale:

A. For visitors to participate with us in the Lord’s Supper, our Church Order (Art. 45) requires the visitor to have made a confession of the reformed faith, be an active member in good standing of a reformed biblical church, and are seeking wholeheartedly to walk in obedience to God – a godly walk.

B. Our Consistory believes that “biblical church membership” is defined by our biblically faithful Belgic Confession, Articles 28 & 29. To summarize, all Christians are obliged to be joined to a true church with the three marks of:

1. The pure preaching of the Gospel,

2. The pure administration of the sacraments, and

3. The faithful exercise of church discipline.

C. We believe that these three marks are further explained from Scripture in our Reformed confessions.

D. We believe that establishing such “biblical church membership” helps to assure us that a visitor has been examined for “proper profession of faith” and is accountable to the Consistory or Session of their local church for “their godly walk.”

E. Historically, our Reformed churches admitted to the Lord"‘s Supper only those who “have made confession of the Reformed religion” (see Article 61 of Dort’s Church Order).

F. We believe, therefore, that only admitting visitors with an active membership in a biblically reformed confessional church is the best way for us to fulfill our duty as a Consistory, to give faithful oversight to the Lord’s Supper per our Church Order’s requirements.