World Communion Sunday Worship

Worship at Shadyside Presbyterian Church offers spiritual refreshment in a traditional liturgical setting. Join us for an inspirational service as we gather to worship God through our prayers, songs, and demonstrated concerns for each other. Sunday worship begins at 11:00 a.m., preceded by prelude music.

Observed on the first Sunday in October, World Communion Sunday celebrates our oneness in Christ with all our brothers and sisters around the world, transcending boundaries of denomination, geography, and language. Learn more about the history of World Communion Sunday, which was originated in Shadyside Presbyterian Church by Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr in 1933.

On World Communion Sunday, we will issue a special invitation to our first-graders to participate in Communion. The Book of Order, the constitution of the Presbyterian Church, was first amended in 1971 to permit children to come to the Lord’s Table. It was amended again in 1982 to state that “children shall be invited” to receive communion. The most current wording is:

The invitation to the Lord’s Supper is extended to all who have been baptized, remembering that access to the Table is not a right conferred upon the worthy, but a privilege given to the undeserving who come in faith, repentance, and love. …

Baptized children who are being nurtured and instructed in the significance of the invitation to the Table and the meaning of their response are invited to receive the Lord’s Supper, recognizing that their understanding of participation will vary according to their maturity.  (W-2.4011)

On October 1, all of the children’s classes during the 9:45 a.m. Christian Education hour will focus on learning about the sacrament of Communion and the history of World Communion Sunday. Children and their families will be invited to participate in a Communion-education workshop during the season of Lent. Parents may contact Ellen Allston, Director of Christian Education for Children’s Ministry, with any questions.

Live Worship Webcast

If you cannot join us in person, we invite you to join us in worship through a live audio stream of our service at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. Listen to the live webcast here.

Missed this week?

Visit the worship archive to listen to the most recent worship services online.

Photograph: The Communion table cloth pictured is a gift from Mark A. Anderson to Shadyside Presbyterian Church. It is made from damask brought from Damascus by Mark’s grandfather, Harrison Ray Anderson, when he was moderator of the Presbyterian Church in 1951-1952. The cloth first was used in the manse at Fourth Presbyterian Church, and later in the homes of Harrison Ray Anderson, and Harrison Ray Anderson Jr.