Amish Communion services occur twice yearly, in spring and fall. Communion day begins early, around 9 a.m., either on Saturday or Sunday with a traditional church service.
This includes sermons, usually in German, delivered by visiting ministers from other churches and the local bishop. The morning service typically lasts for about three hours.
The first sermon, called the “Forstellung” (introduction), is typically given by a local bishop who explains how the day will unfold and what sermons will be given.
Then, the visiting ministers will give special sermons talking about topics such as joy in submission life to Christ, keeping promises to God and the church, the importance of being forgiving, and the suffering of Christ, from His birth to His resurrection.
Only baptized individuals can participate in Communion. Men and women sit separately, as they do during regular services.
After the morning service, there’s a break for lunch. Families bring food, and everyone eats together. Men, women, and younger members sit separately during the meal.
After lunch, the community comes together for the Communion service. This involves singing more hymns, saying prayers, and listening to sermons about Jesus’ life and crucifixion.
After the final sermon, the church members have Communion with bread and wine, followed by foot-washing.
The church leaders break tiny pieces of bread and hand them to each individual.
Then, grape juice is served. One of the ministers hands the Communion Cup to each individual to take a sip.
Everyone sips from the same cup, starting with the men. So by the time it gets to the last person, everyone in the church has already had a sip.
Usually, everything finishes around 4:00 – 4:30.
The Foot Washing Ceremony
A unique and essential aspect of the Amish Communion service is the foot-washing ritual.
At the end of the Communion Service, church members pair up based on gender to wash each other’s feet, following Jesus’ example of humility and service.
As the church members wait for everyone to take their turn, they sing hymns. Then the service ends with a few closing remarks and a prayer.
Pre-Communion Church Gathering
The Amish have a special church meeting that happens two weeks before the Communion.
The leader talks about the rules everyone should follow. Each member says they’ll follow the rules. In other words, they publicly renew their commitment to the Ordnung.
There’s also a time for people to admit if they broke any rules. If someone messed up really badly, they might be asked to make a public confession and tell everyone what they did.