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Every church has some sort of Communion table or altar. But just what do you put on that table week in and week out?

The kind of church you lead may have some influence on that decision. Mark Towell, vice president at National Church Purchasing Group, says that nondenominational seeker churches tend to use more contemporary tables and settings than mainline denomination churches.

Nondenominational churches may favor clear Plexiglas tables from Contemporary Design, for example, that break down the visual barrier between pastor and congregation, whereas denominational churches will go for more traditional pieces, such as the raised-panel 5000 series of colonial pulpit furniture offered by L.L. Sams. Alan Byrnes, product manager at Woerner Industries, says that oak is still the primary choice for wooden Communion tables, regardless of the style.

Preparing a table for Communion begins with a covering. Many table coverings are chosen to coordinate with altar cloths, says Jim Kovalik of Evangelical Purchasing Service.

C.M. Almy offers custom or design-it-yourself coordinated sanctuary sets that include a table cover, pastor stole, pulpit cloth, Bible marker, and burse and veil (for Communion elements). The sets can be ordered in jewel-toned fabrics of satin, wool, silk, or rayon trimmed with embroidered symbols, metallic fringe, velvet, or tapestry. Communion table linens are also available from L.L. Sams in various sizes, colors, and fabrics.

The Communionware that rests atop this cover varies from brass or silver to plain aluminum or aluminum in brasstone or silvertone finishes. The style can range from purely functional to artistic or historic.

If a Communion set is a treasure from a by gone era, finding additional pieces for it may be difficult. Kovalik says suppliers often have trouble getting new pieces to match old sets because the original manufacturer has gone out of business.

The most value-priced Communionware is of polished aluminum, which has a nice sheen but requires occasional polishing. Pay a bit more and you can get a set that looks like brass or silver but is made of lightweight aluminum and is more tarnish resistant.

First Assembly of God in Grand Rapids, Michigan, puts its Communion table away on the Sunday mornings when it does not celebrate the sacrament. When the church does set up for Communion, it prepares a table on the main level of the auditorium.

By contrast, the Communion table is an integral part of the decor at Historic Lutheran Church in Detroit, Michigan. The sacrament is served every Sunday, so the serving pieces are displayed all year round, says Tom Wing, church staffer.

The pieces form a cross and include a chalice, paten (plate for the ceremonial bread), ciborium (container for serving the bread), and flagon, which holds the wine. Linen napkins, called purifiers, are in the pockets of the burse. On either side of the serving pieces rest two candelabrum with three candles apiece. Centered between them is a crucifix with a candle on either side. The pieces are made of silver. The chalice is inlayed with gemstones. All were designed by A.R. Mowbray of Oxford, England, in the 1930s when the church was built.

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