You can say: "We have communion because Jesus told us to. He said this when he was having dinner with his friends, the disciples, a few days before he died. Communion helps us remember all the things Jesus did for us.

"If it's very cold outside, and you start to leave the house without your gloves, what do I do? I remind you to put them on. I have to remind you a lot, don't I? Well, God reminds us a lot, through communion, that Jesus was willing to die for us — so we could be with God.

"The bread and the wine are a special way to remind us. Jesus comes to us in bread and wine. You could almost say we are eating and drinking Jesus. I know that sounds sort of funny, since you wouldn't bake someone into bread. Can you imagine mommy bread or daddy bread? But Jesus is always there for us when we need him. He comes right to you to help you when you need to be reminded about him."

What do parents need to know?

The "Words of Institution," the words before communion in which Jesus says "This is my body" and "This is my blood" and "Do this in remembrance of me," are put together from the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper and from Paul's description in 1 Corinthians.

Exactly how the bread and the wine are the body and blood of Jesus can vary from one denomination to another.