Matthew 25 Initiative: Who Are They?
The Matthew 25 Initiative, also known as M25i, is a network within the Anglican Church of North America that is dedicated to empowering and equipping Anglicans who serve on the front lines in vulnerable communities. They stand at the crossroads of justice and mercy by inviting Anglicans across the globe to embrace the gritty reality of loving their neighbors. The Matthew 25 Initiative grew out of an observed need for stronger connections between parishes and practitioners, which is where our team at Amenable comes in. When they reached out to us asking how to brand a ministry, we saw a unique opportunity to help them care for those who care for others.
How to Brand a Ministry: Our Approach
The M25i team understood that consistent branding translates into clear communication, and that was reflected in the variety of projects they invited us to work on. At Amenable, we recognize that most nonprofits don’t have the luxury of operating with a dedicated marketing team, so when considering how to brand a ministry like the Matthew 25 Initiative, we prioritized content that would be adaptable and user-friendly. By adopting this holistic approach to branding, we focused not only on delivering immediate solutions, but also on fostering long-term self-sufficiency within the M25i team.
For example, when we first connected with the Matthew 25 Initiative, they came to us with a logo that they were content with and wanted to keep using. So, rather than spending our time on a complete overhaul of their current logo, we shifted our focus to building out their brand guide and creating a comprehensive resource library to ensure they could use their existing resources to their fullest potential. This type of attention to detail makes all the difference in protecting brand consistency, which goes a long way toward establishing credibility and competency with newcomers.
Another way we prioritized replicability for the M25i project is by creating branded templates for frequently used resources like flyers and class handouts. Although these types of documents might be easy to overlook when determining how to brand a ministry, they are often one of the first impressions a new visitor receives when they encounter the Matthew 25 Initiative, so this upgrade to a seemingly “minor” part of their ministry helped to provide a meaningful boost to their overall brand image.
For example, when we first connected with the Matthew 25 Initiative, they came to us with a logo that they were content with and wanted to keep using. So, rather than spending our time on a complete overhaul of their current logo, we shifted our focus to building out their brand guide and creating a comprehensive resource library to ensure they could use their existing resources to their fullest potential. This type of attention to detail makes all the difference in protecting brand consistency, which goes a long way toward establishing credibility and competency with newcomers.
Another way we prioritized replicability for the M25i project is by creating branded templates for frequently used resources like flyers and class handouts. Although these types of documents might be easy to overlook when determining how to brand a ministry, they are often one of the first impressions a new visitor receives when they encounter the Matthew 25 Initiative, so this upgrade to a seemingly “minor” part of their ministry helped to provide a meaningful boost to their overall brand image.
Project Highlight: The Lent Series
In one of our first projects with the Matthew 25 Initiative, we created a series of social media templates for their 2022 Lent series. The design concept for the templates was inspired by 12th-century Japanese suminagashi, an art form that uses water and ink to turn plain paper into a vibrant, marbled piece of art. Suminagashi is a meditative process that requires focus and patience, which harmonizes beautifully with the concept of Lent as a period of intentional reflection.
Although it might seem counter-intuitive, the decision to give the M25i team templates rather than a pre-built campaign has borne its fruit in the years since. Without too much effort, they’ve been able to refresh and reuse the same templates for their 2023 and 2024 Lent social media posts, which helps maintain continuity of visual identity and messaging from year to year.
Although it might seem counter-intuitive, the decision to give the M25i team templates rather than a pre-built campaign has borne its fruit in the years since. Without too much effort, they’ve been able to refresh and reuse the same templates for their 2023 and 2024 Lent social media posts, which helps maintain continuity of visual identity and messaging from year to year.
What We Learned (And What We Loved)
Our goal, as with every client, was to set the Matthew 25 Initiative up for future success by coaching them through the process of how to brand a ministry and equipping them with the skills and confidence to finish the work independently. Over the course of our relationship with the team at M25i, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get creative in the ways we address the problems they bring to us.
Another one of our favorite parts of developing a strategy for how to brand a ministry is being intentional about infusing every design choice with meaning. Ministries like the Matthew 25 Initiative have such a rich message and purpose behind what they do, and we loved tapping into that context to build layers of significance into what we created for them.
As with all of our clients, we’re grateful to the Matthew 25 Initiative for choosing us as their partner in the life-changing work that they enable, and we look forward to supporting their ministry as it grows!
Another one of our favorite parts of developing a strategy for how to brand a ministry is being intentional about infusing every design choice with meaning. Ministries like the Matthew 25 Initiative have such a rich message and purpose behind what they do, and we loved tapping into that context to build layers of significance into what we created for them.
As with all of our clients, we’re grateful to the Matthew 25 Initiative for choosing us as their partner in the life-changing work that they enable, and we look forward to supporting their ministry as it grows!
How to Brand a Ministry: Want to Learn More?
If you enjoyed reading about our work with the Matthew 25 Initiative, you should check out our recent web design project with Love Chapel:
If you think your team could benefit from the same kind of support that we provided for the Matthew 25 Initiative, let’s chat!
