How do you assign Communion positions? ⛪

[Krista Kutz]

Hello MSP Community!

A church recently brought up a question about Communion positions, and we know many of you have experience and ideas that could help.

For those of you who schedule EMs for Communion:

• Do you assign ministers to specific locations (left/right side, balcony, etc.)?
• Are they assigned to a particular vessel (Cup or Host) ahead of time?
• Or do people choose their position when they arrive at the service, using a diagram, sign-up sheet, or another system?

We’d love to hear how your church approaches this. Your examples could really help others think through their process, too!

Thanks so much,
Krista

Krista M Kutz, MDiv
Rotunda Software

[Gerlinde Lamer]

Positions are pre - assigned with location

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Gerlinde Lamer

Assistant to the Pastor 

St. Anthony Catholic Community

9905 SW McKenzie St. 

Tigard, OR. 97223

503-639-4179 ext.1111

  

[Chuck Tilley]

Here is how we divided it by using subgroups:

Note that there is no Host Position 1, as that is the presider.  If a deacon is present, he is assigned Host Position 2.  Our Position 7s are for the roaming EMHC who take communion to those who are mobility challenged.  Not all positions are used at all weekend Masses, it depends on the size of the congregation.  

Chuck Tilley, SJ

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[STM Office Manager]

We schedule the number of communion ministers we need for each service and then we allow our EM's to choose their position when they arrive.  We have crosses that they where that are labeled with which position they will take care of and a diagram in case they aren't sure what position they took.  

Alysia Baumann

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[Greg Lievens]

We are a smaller parish and our volunteers sign up on their own rather than being assigned when we make our schedule live.  The auto-reminders usually cover any remaining open positions before the weekend.  We post the live schedule on our website and on a Saturday text to the parish.

Except for the EM’s who help return reserved communion to the tabernacle or take communion up to our music loft, they are not assigned or designated as cup or host but are chosen based on where the stand when they come up to assist.  They know from where they stand what position they will have for communion.

On May 20, 2026, at 12:41 PM, 'STM Office Manager' via Using Ministry Scheduler Pro <using-ministry...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[richard...@gmail.com]

We assign 5 Communion Miniters – three for HOST and two for CUP.  However, rumor has it that when the five individuals get up there, they jockey among themselves to get into the position for a host or a cup.   The EM ministry has the two subdivisions.

 

However, I hesitate to remove the distinction for regular services as most individuals want to do what they’re told, and they want to be assigned a particular role.  So I guess I could go either way on this one. 

 

-Richard Brehove

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[Larry Henning]

Ours is a very informal process and folks just fit in where is needed at the moment.

Larry Henning

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[Paul Hurney]

Depending on the Mass we assign up to 7 ministers and designate by number (plate 1, plate 2, cup 1, cup 2, etc.).  we have a floor plan in place, so everyone knows where to go.

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[kathlee...@gmail.com]

Our church is relatively small. We have one person assigned for host and two for cup for each mass. They are listed on the schedule and know where to stand. The one for host is always in the center aisle beside our pastor; the two for cup know the appropriate places on either side to stand. The cup and host ministers are labeled in each schedule because some people want only to be assigned as one or the other, some are willing to do both. The scheduler makes the assignments. Kathleen Roehl

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[Susan Yates]

I prepare a sign up sheet for the Masses each week, which I post on a bulletin board in the Narthex several days prior to the weekend services. I used Export Schedule function on MSP to list the EMs Host, EMs Precious Blood and the Lectors for each Mass followed by sign in lines with the positions, i.e, EM Host - Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM), EM Host St Joseph, same with Precious Blood.  The EMs choose their location at sign in. 

Susan Yates

Nativity of Our Lord Parish

Monroe Township, NJ

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Susan Yates