Author Archives: Ken Loyer

This post concludes a series of posts on developing a systematic approach to following up with children and their families after infant baptism. In the first part, I talked about the need for such an approach. Then I started outlining it in the second part and third part .

This approach presents regular reminders to both parents and the child of the meaning of baptism and celebrates the fact that the child has been baptized and is loved by God. It also contributes to the spiritual formation of the child as he or she grows year by year and moves closer to confirmation.

Every year until the child participates in confirmation, in the days leading up to the child’s baptismal anniversary I send a letter marking the occasion. I also include an age-appropriate gift, like a children’s book, a DVD, or music about the faith. I address the letter to the parents for those children under five, and to the children themselves for ages five to 12. While a method like this one does require a little work on the part of the pastor as well as possibly certain lay leaders of the congregation, I have found that this is a good way to keep before the family and the child the meaning of baptism and to remind the parents of the promise they made to God during the baptism to do all they can to raise their child in the faith.

Below is an example of the letter that I send for children ages 10 to 12, as they approach the age when they are ready for confirmation. Any pastor can use or adapt this letter as appropriate.

Dear Masen,

On September 4, 2005 something very special happened: you were baptized! On your baptismal anniversary, I am writing to remember your baptism and talk about what it means. Baptism is a sign of how much God loves us. In baptism we become part of the Church, we are united to Jesus our Lord, and we are claimed by God. Baptism is God’s gift to us, giving us new birth through water and the Holy Spirit.

I hope you’ll always remember that God loves you so much—more than I can even say—and has a wonderful plan for your life.

I’m also writing to tell you that you need to make a personal response to the love of God known through your home and church by deciding to follow Jesus. You will have the opportunity to learn to do this by joining the church’s Confirmation Class (which can be done at or after the age of 12).

God will never leave you or forsake you. God promises to take care of us always, and to give us a future with hope. I encourage you to live for God because that is the best way to live. Through Jesus Christ, you’ll experience the greatest joy, peace, love, and fulfillment possible; that is the secret to a wonderful life! We at the church are here to help you discover the special life that God made you to live.

May God bless you, Masen!

Pastor Ken

This post continues a series of posts on developing a systematic approach to following up with children and their families after infant baptism. In the first part, I talked about the need for such an approach. In the second part, I began to outline it.

This approach presents regular reminders to both parents and the child of the meaning of baptism and celebrates the fact that the child has been baptized and is loved by God. It also contributes to the spiritual formation of the child as he or she grows year by year and moves closer to confirmation.

Every year until the child participates confirmation, in the days leading up to the child’s baptismal anniversary I send a letter marking the occasion. I also include an age-appropriate gift, like a children’s book, a DVD, or music about the faith. I address the letter to the parents for those children under five, and to the children themselves for ages five to 12. I have found that this is a good way to keep before the family and the child the meaning of baptism and to remind the parents of the promise they made to God during the baptism to do all they can to raise their child in the faith.

Below is an example of the letter that I send for children ages five to nine (I send another letter for children ages 10 to 12 that encourages them to make a personal response to the love of God by deciding to follow Jesus and joining the church through confirmation). Any pastor can use or adapt this letter as appropriate.

Dear Addalyn,

On August 8, 2010 something very special happened: you were baptized! On your baptismal anniversary, I am writing to remember your baptism and talk about what it means. Baptism is a sign of how much God loves us. In baptism we become part of the Church, we are united to Jesus our Lord, and we are claimed by God. Baptism is God’s gift to us, giving us new birth through water and the Holy Spirit.

I hope you’ll always remember that God loves you so much—more than I can even say—and has a wonderful plan for your life. We at the Church are here to help you discover the special life that God made you to live.

May God bless you, Addalyn!

Pastor Ken

This is part two in a series on developing a systematic approach to following up with children and their families after infant baptism. In the first part, I talked about the need for such an approach. Here I will begin to outline it.

The approach I am using was devised by my grandfather, Rev. Bruce Knisley, a retired United Methodist pastor who refined it over his 43 years in full-time pastoral ministry and who later told me that he wished he had used an approach like this from day one. I have made some slight adaptations but have kept the essence of his strategy intact. While there is obviously no perfect method, this system serves important instructional purposes.

It presents regular reminders to both parents and the child of the meaning of baptism and celebrates the fact that the child has been baptized and is loved by God. It also contributes to the spiritual formation of the child as he or she grows year by year and moves closer to confirmation.

Every year until the child participates in confirmation, in the days leading up to the child’s baptismal anniversary I send a letter marking the occasion. I also include an age-appropriate gift, like a children’s book, a DVD, or music about the faith. I address the letter to the parents for those children under five, and to the children themselves for ages five to 12. I have found that this is a good way to keep before the family and the child the meaning of baptism and to remind the parents of the promise they made to God during the baptism to do all they can to raise their child in the faith.

Below is an example of the letter that I send for children under five. Any pastor can use or adapt this letter as appropriate.

Dear Kyle and Samantha,

One year ago, Addison was baptized. What a special day it was. On her baptismal anniversary, I am writing to recall her baptism and what it means. In baptism we become part of the Church, we are united to Christ, and we are claimed by God. Baptism is God’s gift to us, giving us new birth through water and the Holy Spirit.

Baptism also involves an important spiritual obligation that both the home and the Church take upon themselves at that time. This obligation is ongoing. The home is to be a place where the love of God is shown in your life together as a family. The Church has made a commitment to help you raise Addison to place her faith in Jesus Christ. We take that commitment very seriously; making disciples of Christ is our primary purpose. The time will come for Addison to respond personally to the love of God known through her home and Church by deciding to follow Jesus, and she will be able to learn to do so, and then to make a public profession of faith in Christ, by participating in the Church’s Confirmation Class (usually at or around the age of 12).

I hope that you’ll remember with gratitude the day when Addison was baptized. I also hope that you will continue to teach her about God’s love. We at the Church want her to know the love of God, to place her faith in Jesus Christ, and to find and claim her place in the Church. We want Addison to experience the very best that God has planned for her!

God promises to take care of us always and to give us a future with hope. I want to encourage you in your parental role to remember and live out the commitment that you made on the day Addison was baptized. We at the Church are here for you and look forward to doing all we can to help you raise her in the faith.

May God bless you, Addison, and your whole family.

Sincerely, in Christ,

Ken

This post is the first in a series about a systematic approach to following up with families after infant baptism.

Baptism is a gift of God’s grace that unites us to Christ, marks us as beloved children of God, and incorporates us into Christ’s body the church. No matter when it occurs in a person’s life, baptism holds a special meaning for that individual, the family, and the church. For pastors, celebrating baptisms is one of the great privileges of serving God and God’s people.

Infant baptisms in particular present a unique ministry opportunity for several reasons. There is, of course, the joy of holding a little one and invoking God’s blessings on this new and precious life, calling upon the Holy Spirit to cleanse and claim this child for Jesus Christ, and anticipating the time when, by God’s grace and with the requisite moral and spiritual development, the child grows to be confirmed in the faith and to follow and serve Jesus Christ. Even before the application of the waters of baptism, a typical uncertainty accompanies the experience for the parents as well as the pastor. How will the infant respond once the handoff from mommy or daddy takes place? No one knows quite what that moment will bring—serene sleep, crying, a baby’s smile and giggle, or vomit that ends up on the pastor!

Another factor pertains to ongoing spiritual instruction and development after the actual baptism. While not limited to infant baptisms—since post-baptismal nurture is important for any person regardless of that person’s age at the time of baptism—this factor has particular significance in the case of infants who are baptized.

When an infant is baptized the parents (or baptismal sponsors) are not the only ones who make a commitment to raise this child to know and serve the Lord; the church makes a similar commitment. For the parents and the church to fulfill their respective roles, it is essential that the child be raised in the church.

Unfortunately, sometimes that does not happen: for various reasons not all parents follow through on the commitment they make at the infant baptism—not all parents actually raise their baptized children in the church—and sometimes congregations fall short of providing effective and sustained teaching for both children and parents about the nature of Christian discipleship. The results are not encouraging: missed opportunities for spiritual formation, in both the church and the home, and a truncated view and practice of infant baptism, disconnected from the life of faith that it is designed to engender and promote.

Hence there is a tendency for people to see infant baptism as simply a nice one-time event, complete with family pictures and tiny, commemorative outfits from previous generations, rather than a key part of a larger movement of God’s grace in the life of the child. What often goes overlooked is the vital connection between the baptism of an infant and a lifelong journey of faith formation and discipleship.

So, what can the church do to encourage and support parents in the holy task of raising children in the faith? How can congregations better fulfill their role of providing ongoing instruction to parents and children alike about the meaning of baptism and its connection to following Jesus, reminding a child of his or her baptized status, and lovingly holding parents accountable to the vows that they made at their child’s baptism?

This post is the first in a series about a systematic approach to following up with families after infant baptism. In this series, I will outline an approach devised by my grandfather, Rev. Bruce Knisley, a retired United Methodist pastor who refined it over his 43 years in full-time pastoral ministry and who later told me that he wished he had used an approach like this from day one. I have made some slight adaptations but have kept the essence of his strategy intact.

While there is obviously no perfect method, this system serves important instructional purposes. It presents regular reminders to both parents and the child of the meaning of baptism and celebrates the fact that the child has been baptized and is loved by God. It also contributes to the spiritual formation of the child as he or she grows year by year and moves closer to confirmation. This first post merely outlines the rationale for the system, and in the posts that follow I will share a systematic approach to infant baptism and beyond that I have found helpful—a system that could easily be adapted for use by pastors or lay leaders in another context. I hope you’ll stay tuned for more, and I welcome your feedback.

This is the final entry in a series of posts drawing from my recent book on the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us (Abingdon Press, December 2014). Part of the Belief Matters series edited by Will Willimon, this book explores the Lord’s Supper as a powerful means of grace for Christian formation, church renewal, and God’s mission in and for the world. I believe that a renewed emphasis on the Eucharist—that sacrament of unity and of love—is critical for our life in Christ, especially given the challenges and opportunities facing the church today.

You can read more about the book and order a copy by visiting this website. The italicized excerpt below (which is followed by some additional thoughts and commentary) comes from chapter 4, “A Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet.”

Up to this point, this book has explored the meaning of Holy Communion as a prayer of thanksgiving (chapter 1), an active remembering of Christ’s presence (chapter 2), and a celebration of the bread of life given for the world (chapter 3). Along the way, we have at different times focused on the past and present dimensions of this sacrament. There is also a third dimension, a third temporal reference, one that deals with the future. That future element contributes to a balanced perspective of not only what happens in Holy Communion but also what it demands from us, as we live into the kingdom of God that is, at once, already present and not yet fully revealed.

The Lord’s Supper is not simply a matter of past and present—a memorial calling us to remember what Christ has done for us and a means of grace and spiritual sustenance in the present. It also points forward to what is to come. God gives us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet here and now in this sacred meal, an anticipation of God’s promises ultimately fulfilled.

God gives us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet here and now in Holy Communion. Matthew 26 teaches us that Jesus will share in this meal with us in heaven. Jesus says, “I will never again drink of the fruit of this vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). In Communion we anticipate what is to come.

One Epiphany tradition involves baking a ring or figurine inside bread or cake. The ring or figurine represents Jesus our King. Predictably, when the time comes to eat this treat, there is a sense of anticipation about who will get the special piece. People bite into the bread or cake carefully so they do not damage a tooth or shift any dentures.

Jesus is in the bread of Holy Communion for us all; it is the sacrament of his body, and through it we all receive his presence by faith. Here and now we receive a foretaste of God’s promises fulfilled. Here and now we anticipate the heavenly banquet where we will feast forever with Jesus and with those we love. One of the chief tasks of the church is to bring as many people with us to that banquet as we can.

The idea of the future has a mysterious quality to it because it is always beyond us, in one sense not yet fulfilled. As you look ahead, what do you anticipate about the future? What concerns or fears do you have? Do you think that in the midst of the inevitable uncertainty regarding various aspects of our future, there is still reason to be hopeful about what lies ahead for you, for your family, or for others? Why or why not?

Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as a banquet in Luke 14:16-24. In Matthew 26:26-29, Jesus promises his disciples that he will “drink of the fruit of this vine” with them in his Father’s kingdom (26:29). What does this idea—of not simply being fully in the presence of Jesus, but also having him eat and drink anew with us—suggest to you about the extent of fellowship with God that awaits us? Have you ever thought much about heaven as a feast with both God’s people and also with Jesus himself? What images come to your mind as you envision that feast?

While the past and present dimensions of Holy Communion are surely important, there is also a future component to this sacrament that should not be overlooked. In this great feast of our faith, God gives us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet here and now.

This post includes material quoted from Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us (www.abingdonpress.com/product/9781426796333).

My book on the Lord’s Supper is called “Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us” (Abingdon Press, December 2014) and is part of the “Belief Matters” series edited by Will Willimon. This book explores the Lord’s Supper as a powerful means of grace for Christian formation and church renewal.

You can read more about it and order a copy by clicking this link. The italicized excerpt below (which is followed by some additional thoughts and commentary) comes from Chapter 3, “Celebrating the Bread of Life Given for All,” and it considers how, through the Eucharist, God feeds our souls in a meal prepared carefully, and indeed lovingly, for us all.

Almost all of us have had the experience of being the recipient of a carefully prepared meal. Maybe you recall meals at your grandparents’ house or your parents’ house, or special meals somewhere else with family and friends, like on holidays. Who can pass up turkey at Thanksgiving? When I think about the idea of a carefully prepared meal, my mind goes back to when Molly (who is now my wife) and I had our first date. She cooked my favorite dish, lasagna. Later I learned that it was her first time using that lasagna recipe. Her mom and sister had strongly advised her that she either cook something she was familiar making or suggest we eat out instead. The stakes were high, but Molly made a delicious meal that we both enjoyed that night. Suffice it to say, she had me from the first bite. I liked her lasagna, but even more, I liked the cook and hostess herself. I wanted to get to know her better. Thankfully, the interest was mutual. Many meals ensued, but I will never forget that one!

Holy Communion is a special meal. It is special because it communicates what is central to our faith. Through it Christ, the host, reveals to us something important about himself; he reveals his heart, which allows us to know him better. So why did Jesus institute the Lord’s Supper? Why did he say of the bread, “Take and eat; this is my body” and of the cup, “Drink from this all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:26, 27)?

There has been much speculation over the years as to the meaning of these words, and the reasons Jesus would say and do this….Perhaps the most compelling explanation that I have come across has to do with friendship. Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth-century theologian, said that one of the intrinsic reasons behind the Lord’s Supper is the love of friendship (Summa theologiae, q. 75, a. 1.). Friends want to be together.

It has been said that the dinner table—that place where we eat, talk, and share life together with others—is an extension of the Eucharist. For you and your family, what has been the significance of feasting at family gatherings? How does the act of eating together promote fellowship and community? How is that also true for us all in the Lord’s Supper?

A hymn about the Eucharist describes the act of coming “with joy to meet my Lord” in this holy meal. What is your typical state of mind when you receive the Lord’s Supper? Have you ever come “with joy”? What would it mean for you to do so?

In Holy Communion, we celebrate the presence of God with us, Jesus Christ. Through the work of God’s Spirit, in this vital practice of our faith we encounter the Risen Savior himself, our Lord and Friend, graciously beckoning us to come to his table, to be with him, and to be nourished and strengthened in the abundant life that he gives.

This post includes material quoted from Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us.

Featured image courtesy James Coleman via Unsplash.

Recently I wrote a book on the Lord’s Supper called Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us (Abingdon Press, December 2014). Part of the Belief Matters Series edited by Will Willimon, this book provides insights and practical suggestions for giving the Lord’s Supper a more prominent role, not just in church life but also in the Christian formation of individuals. You can read more about it and order a copy by visiting this website.

The italicized excerpt below, followed by some additional thoughts and commentary, comes from chapter two, “Remembering Christ’s Presence with Us,” and it explores the significance of memory for us as God’s people and how remembering is a crucial part of the celebration of Holy Communion.

During my first semester of seminary, the Introduction to Old Testament class was held in the chapel. As students anxiously walked into class on the first day, copies of the course syllabus—dozens of thick pages, detailing assignment after assignment—were stacked on the altar, directly above the words inscribed on the altar’s wood, “Do this in remembrance of me.” It was an odd juxtaposition. With all the work before us to do, my classmates and I wondered what exactly we had gotten ourselves into, in the name of Jesus.

When it comes to our life with the God who made heaven and earth, the God revealed in Jesus Christ, remembering is not a mere passive activity. God calls us to an active remembrance, to remember by doing, in the name of Jesus. 

Communion occupies a central place in the Christian faith, which is all about our communion or fellowship with God through Jesus Christ and with one another in Christ. But often Holy Communion, which offers the most tangible experience of that fellowship in this world, is something that we may take for granted. We may not think much about the true meaning of Communion for our life today. I am speaking from experience; when I was growing up, I used to think that Communion was by far the most boring thing of all the boring things that we did at church. I would have much rather looked at my baseball cards—and sometimes did, even in church (to the dismay of my Sunday School teachers).

The previous chapter focused on how Holy Communion is itself a prayer. It is a prayer of thanksgiving for who God is and for all that God has done for us in Jesus Christ. For that reason, Communion is also a remembrance of the Last Supper. Jesus commands his disciples to do this in remembrance of him (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). The memorial nature of the sacrament makes it an active recalling of Christ’s final meal with the disciples. For most people in our churches today, this is probably the default mode of thinking about Communion. However, what happens in the Eucharist is much more than an empty memorialism. We remember what Christ has said and done for us not simply as past events that are forever behind us, but instead as completed actions with ongoing significance and impact.

William Faulkner once wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Think about your deepest and most powerful memories. How have those experiences stayed with you over the years? How is memory significant for us as God’s people? Why is it important for us to remember, and what specifically should we remember most?

In Holy Communion, we remember by doing what Christ commands us. What we find, unfailingly, is that the Risen Lord himself meets us in this holy mystery. By God’s grace, that is chiefly how we remember the presence of Jesus Christ with us today.

This post includes material quoted from “Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us,” published by Abingdon Press.

This post continues a series of reflections on the Lord’s Supper based on my new book, Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us (Abingdon Press, December 2014). You can read more about it and order a copy here.

As I mentioned in my first post of this series, I have written the book out of the conviction that Holy Communion is a powerful means of grace that can contribute to the renewal of the church for transformative mission in the name of Jesus Christ. Below are excerpts (in italics) from the introduction, entitled “Are We Having Communion Today?”, along with some additional thoughts and commentary.

“Communion Sundays are my FAVORITE!” exclaimed eight-year-old Hannah to her mother. A spiritually sensitive young girl, Hannah participates actively in the church I serve. Her enthusiasm for Communion derives in part from the fact that she loves the taste of Communion bread. On a deeper level, it is also the act of sharing in this holy meal together as a church family that she finds meaningful even at her young age.

One Sunday morning during the frantic rush to get ready for church, Hannah asked her mom, “Are we having Communion today?” She was asking, of course, whether Communion would be part of worship for us that morning in our church. She then told her mom, enthusiastically, that she really hoped it would be. Yet the question points beyond the original context to a deeper meaning: Are we, as the church—at the local level, at the denominational level, and in the wider church—truly having Communion today, in this day and in this age? In other words, are we communing with Christ as closely as he invites and commands us? In that sense, are we having Communion today?

Consider the local church that you attend or serve. How often does that congregation celebrate Holy Communion? In some settings, there is a noticeable difference in attendance or enthusiasm on Communion Sundays—either with an increase in one or both, or with a decrease. In your local church, what seems to be the most common attitude toward Communion Sundays, or is it hard to say? If attendance or enthusiasm tends to differ on those Sundays compared to other Sundays, why do you think that is the case?

In our quest for a good and meaningful life, where do we ultimately turn? At root, these are spiritual matters. Even among regular churchgoers, Holy Communion might be little more than an afterthought as a resource for the sustenance that we crave. Yet this sacred meal is a gift of God that directly addresses the hunger of the human heart. What makes Holy Communion holy—set apart, special, and of God—is the spiritual nourishment that it provides through the work of the Holy Spirit in our ongoing relationship with God.

There is a great need to recover a richer theology and practice of this sacrament in the church today because that is a key to strengthening our life in Christ. It is also, I believe, a way for us and our congregations to experience genuine renewal. In the past, proper celebration of the Eucharist has sown seeds of awakening and revitalization. Today we see signs of a growing interest among many Christians in reclaiming a deeper appreciation for Holy Communion.

In the book, I go on to explore how acting on that interest has served as a catalyst for spiritual and missional renewal in the congregation that I serve, and how the institution of a mid-week service of Holy Communion—a simple idea that can easily be adapted in other church settings—has played a large part in our turnaround.

We experience the presence of Christ in many ways, but none more special, more intimate, more truly satisfying than in what is variously called Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, or simply the Eucharist. Whatever name we use for it, this is a meal of God’s grace that Christ has prepared for us. For it is here, as we respond in faith to his invitation, that he feeds our souls with the bread of life that endures forever. It is here, as we believe in him, that our spiritual thirst is quenched. It is here, as we partake of the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper, that we can say: the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ, and the cup over which we give thanks is a sharing in the blood of Christ. It is here, in this holy meal, where God satisfies the deepest hunger and thirst of the human heart.

Why? Because here our souls feast upon and drink in a love so great that it will not let us go, a love that rescues us, forgives us, renews and restores us; a love so powerful that nothing, not even death, can separate us from it. It is all here, freely given for you, for me, for all people.

So I come back to Hannah’s question, “Are we having Communion today?” And I mean it in this sense: are we truly communing with Christ as closely as he commands and invites us? If not, what needs to change? Jesus promises to meet us at his table—God’s own altar—and he has prepared a place for each of us. Are we going to join him?