How often should Communion be observed?

TL;DR:

Communion is commanded and given for believers to remember Jesus and proclaim His return, but the Bible does not command its frequency. The focus of communion should be regular, heartfelt participation, not the exact schedule.

what does the bible say?

Jesus first instituted Communion just before His death (Matthew 26:26–29). He instructed it to be done as a way to remember what He would do on the cross (Luke 22:19) and that He would return (1 Corinthians 11:26). Because of this, Communion is not an optional practice.

While Scripture does not provide a specific timeline, it indicates that Communion was regularly practiced in the early church. Some interpret Acts 20:7 as indicating the early church did it weekly. However, references to breaking bread may refer to regular meals rather than to Communion. Even if it’s a Communion reference, it simply describes what happened at that time and is not a command for how often it must be done. First Corinthians 11:17–34, the most cited Communion passage, assumes it’s a regular occurrence while not mentioning a specific frequency.

Because a specific cadence was not specified, evangelical traditions do it regularly, but on differing schedules. Some do it weekly, while others do it monthly or with some other discernible regular pattern. They all practice it to remember what Jesus has done and will do.

from the old testament

The practice of Communion and how often it should be observed is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

To start, Communion is not optional. Whatever the cadence, it must be performed with some regularity. This is because Jesus instituted it (see Matthew 26:26–29). He said, “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me'” (Luke 22:19).
Communion is done to remember what Jesus did on the cross. Paul repeated this command, saying, “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), demonstrating that it is to continue to be practiced.
Jesus never specified how often communion was to be done. Likewise, nowhere else in the New Testament is there an explicit command. Paul’s statement of “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:26) does, however, imply the expectation that it would happen regularly.
Because of the flexibility, different evangelical churches have settled into different schedules. These differences reflect the fact that Scripture does not explicitly address the schedule. Some do it weekly based on passages like Acts 20:7, which starts, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread ….” They argue that the early church pattern was weekly and, therefore, so should ours be. While entirely plausible, it was weekly; the passage was not teaching about Communion and is merely descriptive of what one church was doing. Because of that, care must be taken not to make this description into a command.
While the schedule and frequency is not clear, what is clear is that Communion is to be regularly practiced and for believers only (1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 11:27–29). It is also to be done while gathered together (1 Corinthians 11:18, 33) as it’s an expression of union in Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16–17). As long as Communion is done in this manner, the exact timing is less important.

implications for today

Jesus gave us Communion so we would remember Him. This includes not just what He has done (die on the cross) but also what is to come (be with Him in eternity). Scripture lists only two “ordinances” (commands) that all members of a church are to participate in: Communion and Baptism. In either case, neither He nor the rest of the biblical authors specify exactly when or how they must happen. This means that, regarding Communion, churches throughout history have varied in how often they take Communion and in what elements are used (be it wine or juice, bread or crackers, and so forth). That flexibility fits within Scripture because the heart of it isn’t the act of taking Communion but the act of remembering Jesus.

Below are a couple of general observations about Communion that may be helpful. First, a church is not a biblical church if it never performs Communion. This is because Jesus commanded us to do it. Second, Communion is the practice of remembering what Jesus did for us. This means it is specifically for believers. No one is saved through Communion. They take Communion to remember the One who saved them. Third, because the “when” and “how” are not commanded in Scripture, we need to be gracious with other believers who attend churches with a different Communion tradition than the one to which we are accustomed. Fourth, the act of Communion is one to be done in communion with other believers. Except in extraordinary circumstances, it is expected to be taken in person with other believers. Fifth and finally, it should be an act of joy! Communion is often, and rightly, taken with great introspection. However, Jesus has already borne all of a believer’s sins, so it should be a time marked by great gratitude for what He has done and will do.

Communion is less about the bread and cup and more about the heart—each time we take it, we step into the story of Christ’s sacrifice and the hope of His return.

understand

Jesus commanded the ongoing observance of Communion but did not tell us how frequently we should observe it.
The early church practiced Communion regularly, though it does not mandate a specific frequency.
Because Scripture leaves the cadence unspecified, faithful churches are free to observe Communion at differing regular intervals.

reflect

How do you approach Communion so it is not just routine but meaningful?
How can you be sure you are more concerned with your heart's preparation when you take it rather than the schedule of Communion?
How does participating in Communion deepen your awareness of your unity with other believers?

engage

How should we distinguish between descriptive practices in Acts and prescriptive commands?
What factors should guide a church in deciding how frequently to observe Communion?
How does the phrase “as often as” (1 Corinthians 11:26) help inform our understanding of freedom and responsibility in setting a schedule of Communion?