Berean Baptist Church normally celebrates the Lord's Supper on the fourth Sunday night of each month. We customarily do this right after the preaching service. We believe the Lord's Supper is an ordinance established by the Head of the Church—Jesus Christ. All pastors, teachers, deacons, ministry leaders and church members are fully expected to participate in the Lord's Supper unless they are providentially hindered.
We believe that the Lord's Supper is an active, outward remembrance of His death; it should be observed periodically until He comes again and should always be preceded by self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).
We believe the Bible teaches that believers are spiritually strengthened in at least four ways by their active participation in the Lord's Supper. They—by faith—gain strength in:
- Their knowledge of the remarkable love Jesus demonstrated toward them through His death.
- The realization that their sins have been pardoned by the grace of God.
- The awareness that they are part of a large spiritual family—the body of Christ.
- Anticipation of the return of their Lord Jesus and the reality of everlasting life with God.
A correct understanding of the meaning of the Lord's Supper and an appropriate response in faith are both necessary for the believer to be strengthened.
We believe the act of observing the Lord's Supper is a proclamation of the gospel; therefore, we make no effort to hide the time of the Lord's Supper from the general public; nor do we dismiss those who are not members of our church.
Our communion table is both open and closed:
- It is open to born-again Christians, who:
- Have been baptized by immersion after salvation;
- Are members in good standing of BBC or another Bible believing, Christ exalting, New Testament church (or are seeking God's will concerning church membership);
- Have renounced and confessed all known sin in their lives; and
- Are striving to obey the commandments of the Lord.
- Have been baptized by immersion after salvation;
- It is closed to adults and children, who:
- Have not repented and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
- Have yet to obey the Lord in believer's baptism and/or
- Are not pursuing membership in a Bible believing, Christ-exalting, New Testament church.
- Are living in blatant disobedience to the commandments of our Lord.
- Have an ought with a brother or sister in Christ, are under church discipline, or living in violation of any behavior outlined in the BBC Covenant, Articles of Faith and/or Constitution.
- By the conviction of the Holy Spirit are unworthy to partake (1 Cor. 11:27).
- Have not repented and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
BBC uses grape juice with no alcohol content as a symbolical representation of our Saviors' blood and small squares pieces of bread as a symbolical representation of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Pastor administers the Lord's Supper and the deacons assist in serving the congregation.
While we hold in great reverence the symbolic wonder of the Lord's Supper, we adamantly reject any doctrine of transubstantiation. We do not believe that the Lord's Supper provides justifying grace. We further reject the notion that the elements change into the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. We affirm with great conviction that repentance of sins and faith in the work that Christ did on the cross are the gifts of God by which He saves us.
