Together, we’re providing retirement benefits with a greater purpose
We are all part of God’s plan, and at Concordia Plans, we are here to serve workers, both during their careers and into retirement. By ministries coming together, we’re providing all workers access to resources, investment opportunities and retirement benefits that are typically only available to the largest companies.
By providing the Concordia Retirement Plan pension, you’re helping to ensure your workers have a life-long steady stream of income in retirement.
The Concordia Retirement Savings Plan 403(b) gives your workers the ability to take an active role in their retirement planning by saving a portion of their income in a tax-advantaged plan.
Together we can better serve LCMS workers and help them retire, creating a brighter future in appreciation for their service.
Expanded Lutheran Counseling Network for CHP members
Your workers’ mental health is equally as important as their physical health. A good way they can start taking care of their mental health is to talk to someone when they’re feeling stress, frustration and/or anxiety.
Because Concordia Plans cares about your workers and their mental health, Concordia Health Plan members have access to thousands of counselors through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Recognizing that it may be important to specifically talk with a Lutheran counselor, CPS has recently added more than 100 Lutheran counselors to the EAP counselor network. CHP members can now easily find a counselor who is aligned with their faith to counsel them in a way that they feel listened to and understood, but most importantly seeks God’s wisdom in his or her counsel.
Workers in the CHP have access to EAP counselors via nationwide virtual counseling or they can talk to a counselor in person, which is available in many states. Remind your workers that the EAP provides six, free counseling sessions for each situation/topic – from family to financial issues to substance abuse, emotional health and stress.
Making use of the Wellness Champion Program is a vital step to creating a culture of wellness within your ministry.
Research shows that when individuals are healthy and/or workers feel as though their health matters, they may experience:
Less stress.
Higher job satisfaction.
Higher productivity.
When an emphasis is placed on worker wellness, your ministry could experience:
Less absenteeism.
Lower turnover rate/higher job retention.
Decreased healthcare costs (which in turn benefits the overall health plan).
Making the most of the Wellness Champion Program starts by selecting a Wellness Champion. A Wellness Champion is someone at your ministry who leads and inspires active participation in health and wellness activities. This person should be committed to the role and learning new skills in leading a group in health and wellness. However, he/she does not have to be a picture of health … in fact, the most relatable and effective wellness champions or wellness committee members are ones that are on their own wellness journeys. When navigating their own journeys in a transparent way, they can be inspiring to those around them.
Concordia Plans created the Wellness Champion Center, which houses tools and resources. This includes monthly emails and more – all aim to inspire, support and educate Wellness Champions and those they serve. Health and Wellness Educator Kelly Menke is also a resource for those who are advocating and encouraging health and wellness in their ministries. Contact her directly at [email protected].
Here’s what you can expect from Concordia Plans in the upcoming months:
2024 Rate Notices will mail Aug. 1.
2024 Employer Benefits Election Period is Sept. 1 – Sept. 15.
2024 Member Open Enrollment is Nov. 1 – Nov. 17.
Top Workplace USA
Concordia Plans was recently awarded “Top Workplace USA,” a national recognition for companies that prioritize a people-centered culture. The award is based on internal staff survey results from 2022. We’re also proud to announce that based on our latest survey results, we’ve again been honored as a “Top Workplace in St. Louis!” We care about those we serve (and of course, each other) and work together to support you as you spread the Word. Many of our staff say their favorite part of working at CPS is living our mission and caring for LCMS workers and ministries. Thanks for being a driving force in making CPS a great place to work!
Q3 Synod-wide Challenge: “H2O for Your Soul Challenge”
Aim to drink 68 oz of water each day - one ounce for every book in the Bible!
Challenge Dates: 7/17/23 – 8/16/23 July is HOT! Focusing on proper hydration is necessary to stay healthy and keep enjoying all that summertime has to offer. Why not earn some Vitality points too? Here's how it works:
Starting July 17, track your progress with this form. You can also find this in your Vitality Points Planner under the "Wellness Challenge” tile.
Once you've reached your water intake goal for at least 20 days, submit your tracker (attached) to Vitality via the "H2O for your Soul" tile within the "Wellness Challenges" category through your Points Planner (only one submission accepted).
In addition to the plethora of positive effects from proper hydration, earn yourself 100 Bonus Vitality Points!
Upcoming member communications
Here’s a snapshot of the emails we’ll send your workers this month (they may also receive additional communications from our vendors):
Financial Wellness Webinar
Our next Financial Wellness webinar is a two-part Pre-Retirement workshop July 20. Part one begins at 10 a.m. and will cover “Retirement Readiness”; part two starts at 1 p.m. and will cover “Retirement Income.”
Meet a Financial Educator event
Members can register for our next “Meet a Financial Educator” event the week of July 10.
Retirement Solutions
Your workers will receive an email and printed mailer that highlight the value of their benefits through the Concordia Retirement Plan pension and the Concordia Retirement Savings Plan 403(b), and explain how your ministry partners with CPS to
help ensure they will be able to retire, creating a brighter future in appreciation for their service.
Quarterly Benefits Connector
The Benefits Connector email encourages members to plan their wellness journey and destination. These segmented emails go to members based on their plan enrollments and eligibilities.
Personal Statement of Benefits
Members will be sent a reminder to log into the Member Portal to review their updated PSOB to see their reported compensation, pension and other benefits.
BeFine App
The BeFine™ app is a secure and easy way for workers to track their expenses, improve their finances and work towards financial success. This free tool, designed specifically for LCMS workers, is available on either the desktop or mobile app. Some members will receive communications reminding them of the benefits of using BeFine.