Gluten Free Communion: Passing the Torch

When I took the call to my current church as their pastor, our deacons went above and beyond in offering gluten free communion. They didn't hesitate. They didn't balk. They just asked, "What kind of bread is best to buy?" and "How do we keep you safe from the coffee hour crumbs?"

I love my church.

Yet deacons rotate on and off the deacon board each year, so our then-Head Deacon was worried that the information about gluten free procedures might be lost. She wanted to be sure the torch got passed, that the new deacons knew how to properly prepare communion and avoid cross contamination.

So she made this:

How cool is that?

Now when new deacons rotate onto our deacon board, they have a handy guide (with pictures!) that shows them how to offer gluten free communion. It's also nice that the communion table is now always set up the same way so I don't have to go hunting for the chalice in the middle of the liturgy.

I love my deacons.

In my 2+ years as pastor here I have not once gotten sick from gluten at church. Not once. For someone as sensitive as I am, that's a true testament to the love and care of our deacons in keeping communion wholly gluten free.

Does your church offer gluten free communion?