Matthew 25 Resources
We are committed to embodying the vision put forth in Matthew 25:31-46.
We believe that those who have served the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, sick, or imprisoned have served Jesus himself. We are one among 520+ congregations, groups and mid councils that made the commitment to embrace the Matthew 25 vision in its inaugural year.
The first focus is congregational vitality. This does not necessarily mean a matter of bigger numbers and more dollars. Rather, a community’s vitality is primarily its spiritual strength and its capacity for purposeful mission. Congregational vitality is evident in a worshiping community when its structural systems, finances and discipleship practices are aligned in such a way that the community is actively engaged in the mission of God in their local community and the world, and they are powerfully focused on growing as disciples in the way of Jesus Christ. Faith comes alive when we boldly engage God’s mission and share the hope we have in Christ.
The PCUSA website identifies seven marks of vital congregations, and offers assessment tools, resources, and guidance for improving them:
- A commitment to forming disciples over every member’s lifetime. Personal transformation leads to transformational mission.
- Embracing the call to evangelism, in word and deed, through building caring relationships.
- An outward focus by becoming the hands, feet, heart and mouth of Jesus Christ for people who are suffering or marginalized.
- Empowering members to discover their individual calling and the gifts for service.
- Spirit-inspired worship that challenges, teaches, transforms, convicts, and energizes.
- Caring relationships modeled on God’s love, welcoming all people and leading to genuine reconciliation and peace.
- Congregations with healthy systems, i.e., who have a clear mission focus, have fiscal responsibility and accountability, practice spiritual discernment, and support healthy leaders and staff.
To learn more about congregational vitality, follow this link.
Combating discrimination and the evils of racism are central to our calling as Christians. Jesus challenged discrimination and racial stereotypes in parables like the Good Samaritan (Luke 11:25-37) and in his interaction with Gentiles such as the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:24-29). The early church broke down barriers of race and ethnicity (Acts 10-11) in bringing the gospel to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Apostle Paul reminded the Galatians that in Christ “there is no longer Jew or Greek… slave or free… male and female” (Gal. 3:26-29). Presbyterians have a long history of opposing racism in society, and addressing racism is a core element of both our Confession of 1967 and the Belhar Confession.
The Matthew 25 movement goes beyond mere individual expressions of racism to those embedded in social structures:
“Racism in the U.S. is a socially constructed system. Some people are advantaged, and others are disadvantaged, merely because of their skin color, ethnic identity or their ancestral background. Social power and prejudice have combined to treat people differently, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some people are privileged while others are oppressed. As a consequence, there is unequal and inequitable access to resources such as money, education, information and decision-making power.
“Structural racism can show up in multiple ways, including:
- Housing discrimination that limits where people of color can live and steers them to rental markets rather than home ownership.
- Laws and policies that deny people of color access to quality education, employment and adequate health care.
- Food apartheid — areas deliberately devoid of quality, affordable fresh food.
- Mass incarceration and criminal justice systems that disproportionately target people of color with lengthier sentences, “stop-and-frisk” laws, the over-policing of communities of color, the school-to-prison pipeline, etc.
- Environmental racism — the dumping of hazardous waste, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of access to clean water that results in a range of serious health problems in communities of color.”
The website offers an outline of a 21-day challenge to understanding and addressing structural racism designed for individuals and congregations. It could be a great way to engage our congregations and use during Advent or Lent. To learn more about dismantling structural racism, visit this link.
God’s concern for the poor is at the heart of the gospel. Jesus announced his own ministry with the words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…” (Luke 4:18). The prophets – from Moses to Mary the mother of Jesus – decried the injustice that causes poverty.
Much of US American society, steeped in individual responsibility and the Protestant work ethic, is prone to view poverty as a moral failing of individuals (and by extension to view “poor” as equating to laziness or personal vice). Through this false lens, wealth is often viewed as God’s reward for goodness. The biblical narrative is at odds with this, in fact it stands in opposition to this view of the world.
So often, the major causes of poverty are societal and systemic. Poverty’s roots are complex and also overlap with our US history. Sadly, things like unequal access to education and medical care, racism, high debt loads, just to name a few, are examples of structures in our society that can all but guarantee that people living in poverty will stay that way. Hunger, homelessness, addiction, environmental illness, increased infant mortality and other problems are directly related to poverty.
Poverty is a major problem in our presbytery, both in our urban and rural areas. One out of every 6.7 residents of Northwest Ohio live in poverty. Southeast Michigan counties report 14-20% of people under 18 living in poverty. The Toledo Public Schools has the highest number of students classified as homeless in Ohio, according to data compiled by the Ohio Department of Education.
What can we as a Matthew 25 presbytery do to address systemic poverty? Charitable undertakings like food and clothing drives help address the symptoms of poverty, but not its cause. To address systemic poverty, we must also advocate for better public policies, including job creation, greater empowerment of workers, stronger social safety nets, early childhood education, rural medical access, and more. How could we best collectively fight hunger? Fight to change policy in government? Battle homelessness? Addiction? Unequal access to medical care or education?
Matthew 25 describes the judgment of the nations, which biblically refers to both individuals and peoples. Likewise, our response must be both personal and societal. To learn more about Eradicating systemic poverty, visit this link.
This list of Matthew 25 churches is also available on the PCUSA website and includes:
- Blissfield
- Bluffton
- Bowling Green
- Celina
- Christ/Toledo
- Defiance
- Dola
- Fairgreen/Toledo
- First/Fremont
- FPC Adrian
- Huron
- Monroe
- Palmyra
- Pemberville
- Tecumseh
- Tiffin
- West Bethesda
- West Eagle Creek
The Mission Commission encourages individual churches to live into that challenge for Racial and Economic Justice. And they will help you get there! Since 2021 the Commission has been encouraging and approving $1000 Matthew 25 Seed Grants to many of our churches. These grants have helped Matthew 25 to take root in our presbytery, including the Inspiration Station in Norwalk, Ohio that helps tutor Spanish-speaking students and the emerging Latinx community there, FPC-Findlay as they engage in the needs of migrants, and FPC-Tecumseh as they engage in racial justice, along with many others.
You do not need to be a Matthew 25 Church to receive a mission grant. To apply for MVP Mission Grants (usually up to $1000), visit the Documents and Forms page on our website to find the application.
Worship in a Matthew 25 Church
A quick overview of Matthew 25 and what it means to become a Matthew 25 church.
Bible Study Introduction
An introduction to the Scripture underlying the Matthew 25 vision for prayer and reflection. This Bible Study is ideal for groups or individual study.
Bible Study – The Gospel and Inclusivity
This study focuses on the fundamental connection between the vitality of our congregations and the work of dismantling racism. This Bible Study can be done alone but could have greater impact when done in a group.
A Year with Matthew- Part 1 Advent to Pentecost (Dec. 1, 2019 – May 31, 2020)
Based on the Year A Revised Common Lectionary, this guide gives you lectionary readings, sermon hints, hymn suggestions and more to help you integrate the call of Matthew 25 into your worship. Part I for Advent to Pentecost (Dec. 1, 2019 – May 31, 2020).
A Year with Matthew — Part II for Trinity Sunday through Reign of Christ (June 7, 2020 – Nov. 22, 2020)
Drawing on the Gospel readings from the Revised Common Lectionary Year A, the resource is designed to help preachers, educators and worship planners attend to the three focus areas of the Matthew 25 invitation: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty.
Resources for Congregational Vitality
From the Book of Confessions, the Directory for Worship, the Book of Common Worship. Includes hymn suggestions from the Glory to God Presbyterian Hymnal.
Resources for Systemic Poverty
From the Book of Confessions, the Directory for Worship, the Book of Common Worship. Includes hymn suggestions from the Glory to God Presbyterian Hymnal.
Resources for Structural Racism
From the Book of Confessions, the Directory for Worship, the Book of Common Worship. Includes hymn suggestions from the Glory to God Presbyterian Hymnal.
