The Matthew 25 invitation reminds us that faith is not only something we proclaim; it is something we live. Rooted in Matthew 25:31–46, this call places before us the words of Jesus, who teaches that what we do matters to God and how we treat others is important to God. When we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the vulnerable, care for the sick, and visit those in prison, we are not simply offering charity—we are encountering Christ.
Across the Synod of the Northeast, congregations and presbyteries are living this call every day. They are building congregational vitality through worship, fellowship, discipleship, and creative ministries that strengthen the life of the church. They are dismantling structural racism through public witness, truth-telling, education, advocacy, and partnerships rooted in justice. They are eradicating systemic poverty through food ministries, migrant support, housing initiatives, community meals, youth programs, health resources, and acts of compassion that meet real needs.
These stories matter.
They matter because they remind us that the church is alive and active. They matter because one congregation’s ministry can inspire another congregation’s next faithful step. They matter because, in a world often overwhelmed by division, fear, and scarcity, the stories of God’s people serving with courage and love help us see hope more clearly.
The Synod’s Matthew 25 In Action stories have already highlighted powerful examples of ministry across our region: congregations feeding neighbors through community suppers and food cupboards; churches standing with immigrant families seeking dignity and support; communities marching for justice on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; ministries preserving sacred Indigenous spaces; congregations creating safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA+ siblings; and churches responding to poverty, racism, violence, isolation, and grief with faithful action.
Each story is different, but the witness is the same: Christ is present when the church shows up.
That is why we are inviting congregations and presbyteries throughout the Synod of the Northeast to share their Matthew 25 stories with us. Your ministry does not need to be large. Your event does not need to be perfect. Your story does not need to arrive as a finished article. We are simply asking you to send us the heart of what happened.
Send us a few bullet points. Send us pictures. Tell us who was served, what need was addressed, what partnerships made it possible, and what impact you witnessed. If there is a quote from a pastor, elder, volunteer, participant, or community partner, include that too. From there, we will help shape the information into a story that can encourage the wider Synod community.
Your story might be about a food pantry, a prayer service, a neighborhood clean-up, a racial justice conversation, a community meal, a youth-led event, a housing partnership, an immigration ministry, a health awareness effort, a worship celebration, or a simple act of neighborly love that revealed something powerful about God’s presence.
Whatever the form, we want to hear how Matthew 25 is taking shape where you are.
The church needs these stories—not to celebrate ourselves, but to bear witness to the God who is still moving among us. When we tell the story of one congregation’s courage, another congregation may find the courage to begin. When we share how one presbytery partnered with its neighbors, another presbytery may imagine a new way forward. When we name the impact of love in action, we strengthen the body of Christ.
So we invite you: help us tell the story.
Share your congregation’s or presbytery’s Matthew 25 work with the Synod of the Northeast. Send the bullet points. Send the photos. Send the testimony. Let us know what God is doing in your community, and let us help lift that witness for others to see.
Because Matthew 25 is not only a scripture we read.
It is a calling we live.
It is a movement we share.
And it is a story we must continue to tell.
