Passover Service---groups without minister present

The Intercontinental Church of God

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Detailed Instructions for Local Churches and Fellowship Groups without a Minister Present. For 2010 this service will be conducted on the evening of 28 March.

This paper is a guideline for the Passover Service and is designed for local churches or fellowship groups who will not have a minister present. Clearly, any minister will conduct his service that will, to some degree, follow these same guidelines.

Important Note: Non-baptized members may take part in the foot washing service. Only baptized members should take the bread and wine.

Those conducting the service may be chosen by the Minister of Record or the Area Coordinator. If this is not possible, the group should choose any deacon who may be present. If no deacon is present, the group should choose men of good report from the congregation. The Minister of Record or the Area Coordinator may add to or slightly modify the instructions you see below. He may also provide his own set of scriptures for each part of the service.

The Passover service should begin right at sundown. The room should be open 30-40 minutes prior to start of the service. The service itself should not exceed 90 minutes. Many groups conduct the service in 60 to 70 minutes. As this is a ceremony and not a regular preaching service, it is not a time to get into lengthy exposition.

Items needed for the Passover Service

1] A towel and basin for foot washing. Each member brings his or her own towel. Local church provides the basins and has extra towels on hand for those who forget.

2] Unleavened Bread-the best is Matzos available in most food stores. It is thin and easy to break into small, bite-sized pieces during the service.

3] Red wine--I usually buy just a small sample size of red wine, but it depends on how many will be receiving the wine. The wine should be a natural, unfortified red wine. Alcoholic content will be between 10 percent and 13 percent. While there is no significance to alcoholic content, be careful to avoid wines that have a high alcoholic content. Do not take the bottles into the room where the service is held, but only the small amount poured previously into the service glasses. If you know the approximate number of people sharing the symbols, there will be only a little left over to be disposed of.

4] Little cups-these may be purchased at a Bible book & supply store. They are called communion cups. You might be able to purchase a communion set with the little glasses and tray combined. We just use a little tray with the communion cups on it.

5] Bible-Each participant will want to have their own Bible for the service.

6] Hymnals or a copy of "In Thy Loving Kindness Lord"

A room should be prepared for the service with adequate seating and room for the foot washing. Set up a table adequate to the number of men conducting the service at the head of the room. Cover it in a clean, white tablecloth. Generally two or at the most, three men conduct the service sharing the reading of scriptures and the three prayers given during the service.

The foot washing can be done in another room, if one is available. Only enough unleavened bread and wine for the participants should be brought into the room. Each glass or cup should have about a half ounce of wine in it. Each cup should be filled prior to the service and brought to the head table. The unleavened bread should be placed, unbroken, on a plate or serving tray. Both bread and wine should be covered with a white cloth table napkin before the service begins.

The room should be open to members 30 to 40 minutes prior to the service. Everyone should take his or her seat quietly. Members should be led to the seats by the usher, filling each seat, beginning with the front row and going to the back of the room. While it is not necessary to be overly somber at this service, we traditionally allow each person some time for reflection and self-examination prior to the service at sundown. Some groups might have some soft hymns or other soft music playing, though this is not absolutely necessary. Each person sits and reads to themselves from their Bible. Some appropriate scriptures would be the following:

Luke 22:7-20
1 Cor. 11:17-26
John 13-17
Isaiah 53
Exodus 12
Mark 14-15

Outline of service

Opening Prayer

Whoever leads prayer should welcome the group and ask them all to stand. The following would be appropriate to mention in the prayer:
--the realization of the significance of the great event we are participating in.
--that it is a memorial
--that we have been called out
--thank you for the meaning in our lives
--acknowledge His death burial and resurrection
--help us to drink in of the symbolism that you want us to receive

Foot washing Section
--Read-- John 13:1-17
--Proverbs 22:4
--Ephesians 4:32
--Colossians 3:12
--James 4:10

After the reading, excuse everyone to the foot washing. Usually the ushers will dismiss each row and men and women will separate to the assigned foot washing areas or rooms. The first person to the foot washing area will pair up with the second one arriving, the third will pair with the fourth and so on. Members should not attempt to pair themselves with a selected friend, but rather the person arriving to the foot washing area just ahead or just behind them.

If you can provide separate rooms for both men and women, do this. If you have only one room, provide separate areas for both men and women and provide screens or room dividers around the women's area if possible. The service does not continue until the last person is back in his or her seat. Ushers should help the elderly or infirmed if much walking is involved or they need this assistance. If a separate room is used, an usher or lady should be assigned to insure that the separate room is empty before continuing with the service. Some groups will use a table or raised platform for those unable to bend over to wash the other person's feet.

The Bread Section
--Read-Matt 26:26
--1 Cor. 11:23-24
--1 Pet. 2:24
--Isaiah 53:3-5

Pray over bread, asking the group to bow their heads. The following are some suggestions for the prayer.

--Remembering that the bread is symbolic of His broken body that he endured for each of us.
--Understand that it becomes a part of our being.
--Our thoughts and minds should know you are the true Bread of Life.
--Truest example of a life free from sin (symbolic of unleavened bread) and we are to make you our example; to fill our lives with kindness, love caring, forgiving and patient, etc
--Ask God to bless the bread and then say, in Jesus name, Amen

After the prayer, those conducting the service will uncover the unleavened bread and break it into small, bite-sized pieces into the tray or trays depending on the number present. One tray can easily accommodate a group of 25-30 seated in one configuration of 5 rows of 5 to 6 chairs each.

The ushers or deacons will then pass the bread down the aisles. The best, time-proven procedure is to have a deacon or usher at each end of the aisle. One starts the tray down the first aisle. The second takes possession of the tray as it comes to him and he starts it down the next aisle. Generally these men will take their bread at the end of this procedure at the back of the seating area. They then return the tray to the front table and the tray is covered with the white cloth.

As members take the bread from the tray, they need not wait for others. They may take a moment to contemplate the bread and eat it when ready.

The Wine Section
Read:
---Matt. 26:27
---1 Cor. 11:25-31
---Acts 20:28
---Romans 5:9
---Colossians 1:14
---1 Peter1:15-19

One of those conducting the service then leads in prayer over the wine. Suggestions for this prayer are:

---Asking God to bless it for this sacred use as a symbol of Christ's blood, shed for the remission of our sins.
---Thank God for giving us his only Son to die for us, washing us clean that we might be reconciled to him.
---Thank him for Christ's willingness to submit to his Father's will, even unto death.
---Ask Him to bless the wine and then say In Jesus name, Amen

After the prayer, the wine is passed out in the same manner as the bread. This time, however, the deacon or usher passes the tray back through the aisles to collect the wine cups or glasses. He then returns the tray to the front table and one of the men there covers the tray with a white cloth.

Reading Section
---Read John 14:1-6
---John 14:15:17
---John 14:26-27
---John 15:1-17
---John 16:7-15
---John 16:25
---John 17:1-26
---Psalms 22:1-8
---Psalms 22:11-18
---Psalms 22:22
---State that they can finish Psalms 22 at home and see that it leads logically to Psalms 23.
---Psalms 23:1-6
---Matt. 26:30

Then state: It has been our tradition to end these services by singing Psalms 51, so we will do that now. Take up you hymnbooks and sing "In Thy Loving Kindness Lord"

Dismiss the group.

After the group has departed, clean up the room. Discard all leftover bread used in the service. Pour out the wine from any unused cup and rinse all cups. The box of unleavened bread and the wine still in the original bottle may be taken home. These two items should never be in the room where the service is conducted.

Important Note: Non-baptized members may take part in the foot washing service. Only baptized members should take the bread and wine.