Why Our Church Moved to Weekly Communion

Why Our Church Moved to Weekly Communion

Many churches observe the Lord’s Supper at varying frequencies. For example, many observe the Lord’s Supper on a monthly or quarterly basis. However, many faithful churches also observe it on a weekly basis. Northwest Baptist Church, the church where I serve as pastor, is moving to a weekly observance as a regular part of our gathered worship. This has been something that has been on my heart for the last two to three years. Some may wonder why, and I’d like to explain with some biblical reasoning and answers to common misunderstandings.

The Biblical Case for Weekly Communion

Scripture commands believers to observe the Lord’s Supper, but does not prescribe how often it should be observed. That freedom means churches have observed it at various intervals. However, there is biblical evidence that points clearly toward a weekly rhythm as the early church’s normal practice:

Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
The breaking of bread (the Lord’s Supper) was central to the church’s regular gathering alongside the Word and prayer.

Acts 20:7 – “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…”
The stated purpose of the weekly gathering was to break bread.

1 Corinthians 11:18, 20, 33 – Paul assumes the Lord’s Supper is a regular part of the weekly gathering, writing not if they observe it but when they gather to observe.

The New Testament never commands how often to observe communion, but it provides a consistent pattern: the church gathered on the first day of the week for both the Word and the Lord's Supper.

Churches that have done it less frequently are not wrong, nor are others wrong for not doing it weekly. Why does the New Testament not command frequency? The absence of a direct command is likely because the New Testament writers assumed it would naturally take place whenever the church gathered. There was no need to issue such a command.

The Supper as an Ordinary Means of Grace

The Lord’s Supper is more than a memorial. There is something that happens in us when we partake together. Paul calls it a participation (koinōnia) in the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). This is not a physical participation as Roman Catholics believe, but a spiritual one — a present communion with our risen Savior through the Spirit. The Supper does not save us, but it nourishes our souls, strengthens our faith, and deepens our unity. It is essential to our sanctification (growth and maturity).

Each time we partake, we also renew our covenant with Christ and one another:

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:17)

The Lord's Supper is a beautiful reminder that we belong to Christ and to one another.

Weekly communion keeps this covenant renewal continually before us. It calls us to repent quickly, reconcile promptly, and rejoice together in the grace that holds us fast. It makes the gospel visible week after week. Not observing more frequently robs us of a great blessing.

Answering Common Questions

“Isn’t this too Catholic?”
No, not at all. Many faithful Protestant — including Baptist — churches, past and present, observe the Supper weekly. If you study church history, you will see that Catholics do not have a sole right to weekly observance. It is not a Catholic thing. Singing, praying, and reading Scripture are also practices shared with other traditions.

“Won’t it lose its specialness?”
Scripture never suggests that frequency diminishes significance. We preach, sing, and pray weekly — not because they are less special, but because they are essential. The Lord's Supper is no different. Its value is in what it proclaims: Christ crucified and risen, the gospel we cherish. Nobody questions whether we should pray, sing, or hear a sermon each week, and the same should be true of the Lord’s Supper. The fact is that because it's so special, we should do it more often.

A Feast on Christ Every Lord’s Day

Every Lord’s Day should be a full feast on Christ and His Word. The preached Word calls us to faith; the Supper seals that faith. The Word declares the promises; the Supper lets us taste them. This is how God has designed it to be. By joining the Table to the weekly ministry of the Word, we align with the biblical pattern, feed the flock more faithfully, foster unity in the body, and keep Christ central in our worship.

Receiving the Lord’s Supper weekly will deepen our worship and increase our hunger for God. This is a return to a biblical, beautiful, and nourishing rhythm of worship that has been part of the church’s life since the earliest days. May the Lord use this practice to draw His people nearer to Christ and to one another until the day we feast with Him face-to-face.

The Lord’s Supper also reminds us each week that our Lord is coming again:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” — 1 Corinthians 11:26