The informed consumer understands that to make a wise purchase, you have to know what you need. Sounds simple; when we go out to purchase a car, we know how many people we want it to seat and how much we plan to use it. We know to check consumer reports to see what others have said about certain cars or for problems with particular models. The same is true for purchases with which we are less familiar.
The category of communion supplies is so full of options; it can be hard to determine which products best fit our needs. You may end up asking yourself some questions to which you have no answers. What do I want, a portable communion replacement bottle made of plastic or metal? Is the peel-off wafer and juice cup things going to be more efficient for our congregation or more likely to spill?
A Little Self-Evaluation Goes A Long Way
The initial step in deciding what to purchase is looking at your basic needs. Think about how many you intend to serve and in what environment. This will determine if you need a home kit or trays, something large and simple to pass across rows, or a communion wafer and juice all in one for a few people sitting on the floor in a home group. Next, choose the contents, wine or juice, round wafers or square bread. This will help you determine what kind of container you need and if you will have to buy them separately to get what you want.
The Members Have A Vote Lastly, if you require a portable kit, you need to ask yourself where you intend to take it. The requirements for a hospital visit are very different than needing it to go in your luggage. Once you get these main pieces of information settled, you can begin making smaller decisions, such as material, look, inserts, and maintenance.
When we looked at the various option, our team found a few key issues to consider before we spent any money. Some communion wafer and juice all in one items stick when you pull back the little seals, making spills more likely than on trays; that might mean these would make a better choice for a small group or personal use. For a travel kit, portable communion replacement bottles need to have seals to make them leak-proof if they are transported in luggage. Lastly, if you use real wine, do not get a plastic container for it. It changes the taste and wine doesn't keep well in plastic.
The category of communion supplies is so full of options; it can be hard to determine which products best fit our needs. You may end up asking yourself some questions to which you have no answers. What do I want, a portable communion replacement bottle made of plastic or metal? Is the peel-off wafer and juice cup things going to be more efficient for our congregation or more likely to spill?
A Little Self-Evaluation Goes A Long Way
The initial step in deciding what to purchase is looking at your basic needs. Think about how many you intend to serve and in what environment. This will determine if you need a home kit or trays, something large and simple to pass across rows, or a communion wafer and juice all in one for a few people sitting on the floor in a home group. Next, choose the contents, wine or juice, round wafers or square bread. This will help you determine what kind of container you need and if you will have to buy them separately to get what you want.
The Members Have A Vote Lastly, if you require a portable kit, you need to ask yourself where you intend to take it. The requirements for a hospital visit are very different than needing it to go in your luggage. Once you get these main pieces of information settled, you can begin making smaller decisions, such as material, look, inserts, and maintenance.
When we looked at the various option, our team found a few key issues to consider before we spent any money. Some communion wafer and juice all in one items stick when you pull back the little seals, making spills more likely than on trays; that might mean these would make a better choice for a small group or personal use. For a travel kit, portable communion replacement bottles need to have seals to make them leak-proof if they are transported in luggage. Lastly, if you use real wine, do not get a plastic container for it. It changes the taste and wine doesn't keep well in plastic.
About the Author:
If you are the church buyer, here's a little help. Short list: Be careful what you buy, where you buy, and when you buy. There is Christian junk; sadly there are unscrupulous "Christians"; and even though online Christian bookstores sell books about miracles, they don't perform them. If you order this Sunday's baptismal gowns on Thursday, I hope you can sew. That's my opinion, and I'm usually right. Blessings.