The 8 Best Communion Tables for Your Church
The communion table might be the most used, least thought about piece of furniture in your sanctuary. It holds the elements every month (or every week), the offering plates, the flowers at Easter, and a fair amount of stuff that probably belongs somewhere else.
So when it's time to replace one, it's worth a little thought. A table that's too big crowds the pulpit. One that's too small looks lost. And one that doesn't match the rest of your chancel furniture will bother someone in the third pew for the next thirty years.
Here's what to think about, and then our picks.
Before you shop
Open or closed?
An open table has legs and a front rail, so you can see through it. It feels lighter and keeps the view of the platform clear, which is great for a smaller chancel. A closed table has solid panels down to the floor. It looks more substantial, and most of ours have sliding doors on the back with storage for communion ware and linens. If your communion supplies currently live in a closet down the hall, a closed table is a quiet little upgrade to every service.
Size it to the platform, not the catalog
Measure the space in front of your pulpit, then leave room to walk around the table and serve from behind it. A 70-inch table looks wonderful in a big sanctuary and impossible in a small one. Many of our tables come in more than one width, so you don't have to compromise on the style to get the size right.
Match what you already have
Most of our communion tables belong to a family, with a matching pulpit, clergy chairs, a flower stand, and a baptismal font. If you're replacing just the table, look for the family that matches your pulpit. If you're starting fresh, pick the family first and then the pieces. Ordering the pieces together means they're stained in the same batch, so they match each other.
Order earlier than you think
Our solid oak tables are built to order, usually in about 14 weeks. If you're hoping to have a new table for Easter, order before Christmas. (Our glass tables are faster, at 4 to 6 weeks.)
The 8 best communion tables
Here's the list, starting with the most affordable. Every one ships free and arrives assembled.
1. NO 815 Colonial Communion Table: best for a small platform
Our most affordable solid oak communion table, with clean colonial lines and "This Do In Remembrance of Me" across the front. It's sized for platforms where a 60 or 70 inch table would crowd the pulpit, and it's light enough for two people to move. Fifteen stain colors (three at no extra charge) or a white two-tone finish. Made in the USA. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $1,395.
2. NO 405 Open Communion Table: best open table
Four square legs, a low stretcher, and the inscription carved into the front rail. That's it, and that's the appeal. It keeps a smaller chancel feeling open and lets the congregation see the whole platform. Add casters if the table gets moved for concerts or weddings. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $1,450.
3. NO 505 Grapevine Open Communion Table: best carved detail for the price
A carved band of grapes and leaves runs along the top of this open table. It's a lovely nod to the vine and the cup, and it's the most detailed carving you'll find at this price. Matches the NO 500 series pulpits, clergy chairs, and flower stand. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $1,650.
4. 705 Proclaimer Communion Table: lightest table we carry
Solid oak top, base, and columns with the inscription on a clear acrylic panel. At 60 pounds, it's the lightest sanctuary table we carry, so two people can move it when the room is reset for a concert or a youth event. Its shallow depth leaves room to serve in front of the pulpit, and it matches the Proclaimer pulpits. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $1,795.
5. NO 400 Closed Communion Table: best storage
Solid panels on the front and sides, the inscription carved across the front, and sliding doors on the back that open to storage. The trays, cups, and linens can finally live where they're used. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $2,095.
6. Elegance Glass Communion Table: best glass communion table
3/8 inch architectural glass on a solid oak base, with your communion scripture reference etched into the front at no extra charge. It comes in 40, 48, or 60 inches wide and pairs with any of our glass pulpits. Recessed casters, oak in ten stains, and it's faster than our oak tables: 4 to 6 weeks. From $2,720.
7. 834AS Column Pedestal Communion Table: best two-tone table
A wide top on a column pedestal base, open underneath, so it looks substantial without becoming a solid block of wood. The white two-tone finish (white body, stained top and base) costs nothing extra and looks beautiful against darker pews. It echoes the columns of the 830 pulpits. Made in the USA. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $2,850.
8. NO 900 Gothic Arch Closed Communion Table: best for a traditional sanctuary
Pointed Gothic arch panels under a band of dentil molding. If your sanctuary has arched windows and a high ceiling, this is the table that belongs in it. Closed sides, sliding doors on the back, and storage inside. Matches the NO 900 pulpit, clergy chairs, and flower stand. Built to order in about 14 weeks. From $3,400.
See every style in our communion tables collection. Furnishing the whole chancel? Our pulpit sets pair a pulpit and table that are built to match.
When you don't need a new one
If your table is solid wood and just looks tired, a refinish might be all it needs. Most solid oak furniture can be sanded and restained for a fraction of the cost of a new piece. Save the new table for when it truly doesn't fit, doesn't match, or doesn't hold what you need it to.
Want help choosing a table to go with your pulpit? Call us at 800-421-9678.
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