To Encourage Unequivocal Affirmation of First Communion Prior to Confirmation as God-Pleasing Practice and To Encourage Congregations to Commune Visiting Communicant Children

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4-42 
To Encourage Unequivocal Affirmation of First 
Communion Prior to Confirmation as God-
Pleasing Practice and To Encourage Congregations 
to Commune Visiting Communicant Children 
WHEREAS, Many member congregations of The Lutheran 
Church—Missouri Synod receive children as communicants to the 
Lord's Supper through the Rite of First Communion prior to 
Confirmation (Lutheran Service Book [LSB] Agenda, 25–27), and, 
therefore, have non-c onfirmed yet communicant children who 
regularly and faithfully commune at their home congregations; and 
WHEREAS, The majority of our m ember congregations do not 
receive children as full communicant members until they have 
completed Confirmation and have gone through the Rite of 
Confirmation (LSB Agenda, 28–31); and 
WHEREAS, Both the Rite of First Communion prior to 
Confirmation as well as the Rite of Confirmation are countenanced 
and legitimated by the Synod as evidenced by the  use of and  
presence of each rite in the LSB Agenda; and 
WHEREAS, Both rites exist, not by divine command, but as 
human ordinances, and thus neither ha s the status of a Sacrament 
(Ap XIII 6); and 
WHEREAS, Neither rite confers the status of worthy 
communicant, which is determined not by a human ordinance, “but 
that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these 
words: ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,’” (SC 
VI; 1 Cor. 11:27–29); and 
WHEREAS, Both rites fulfill the prescription of the Lutheran 
Confessions that “people are admitted only if they first had an 
opportunity to be examined and heard” (AC XXIV  6–7) and “the 
sacrament is made available to those who wish to partake of it, after 
they have been examined and absolved” (Ap XXIV 1); and 
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions do not require uniform 
rites, ordinances, and ceremonies for the sake of the unity of faith 
and the Church (AC VII 3; Ap XV 18), thus allowing disparate rites 
to admit children to the Lord's Supper; and 
WHEREAS, Refusal to commune such visiting children who have 
been legitimately received to the Lord's Table through instruction, 
examination, and absolution, which precedes the Rite of First 
Communion prior to Confirmation , causes such little ones, whose