New City Catechism, Week 43 (Question 43)

Q: What are the sacraments or ordinances?

Children’s answer

A: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Adult/older children’s answer

A: The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection. By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.

Video explanation:

Song to assist with memorization:

Relevant Scripture to read:

Romans 6:4

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Luke 22:19–20

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Children’s Activity (printable pdfs)

Younger Kids (pages 16 and 17)

There are no resources for older kids currently available for this lesson.

Special thanks to Del Rey Church for sharing their New City Catechism kid resources with us!

Devotional questions for individual/family/group reflection and discussion:

  1. How do you see the communal/social element of each of the sacraments? Why is this important? How does 1 Corinthians 11 inform us here?

  2. It is easy to think of the sacraments as merely symbolic. Why is this inadequate? How do we see God’s goodness in seeing them as more than this?

  3. Author and Pastor Dane Ortlund says - “Church membership, church discipline, and the sacraments form a three-legged stool. Remove any one, and the whole stool collapses.” - Thoughts?

For an additional “deeper” dive into this question and answer, check out this video from Dr. Michael Allen (which a few of the above questions are based on):