Then the king will say to those on his right, “Come, you will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.”
Then those who are righteous will reply to him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?”
Then the king will reply to them, “I assure you when you have done it for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it to me.”
Matthew 25:34-40 (CEB)
The Matthew 25 initiative as a partnership among many PC(USA) congregations and mid-councils to implement the teachings of scripture as the Spirit gives us ability. Our Session has committed our congregation to working on the three core areas of this mission:
Building congregational vitality by challenging congregations and their members to deepen and energize their faith and grow as joyful leaders and disciples actively engaged with their community, seeing new disciples engaged in ministry and longstanding believers develop in faith as the gospel of Jesus Christ is shared in word and deed.
Dismantling structural racism by fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices, and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice, and oppression of people of color.
Eradicating systemic poverty by acting on our beliefs and working to change laws, policies, plans, and structures in our society that perpetuate economic exploitation of people who are poor.
Although we are proud of what God is doing through us, we also acknowledge that there is always more to do. God is the only one who gets to say “it is finished.” Therefore our efforts are not accomplishments, they are an ongoing pursuit of healing, restoration, and peace for our relationships, systems, and societies.