# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S106
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

106

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

the Lutheran Church. To that end, we ask for your continued
prayers and financial support in moving Lutheran history forward—together.
Daniel N. Harmelink, Executive Director

R14

Board of Trustees—Concordia Plans
Board of Directors—
Concordia Plan Services
Years Ended December 31, 2016–2018
Concordia Plan Services (CPS) has been given the charge
to manage the Concordia Plans (the self- insured employee benefit trusts of the LCMS) and to bring forth supplemental insurance and administrative services that serve the needs of ministries and church workers. We serve as a critical component in
fulfilling the tenth objective of forming our Synod: We directly
aid in the care of our church workers and their families!
CPS is driven by the principle that we are better together.
CPS consolidates precious resources from ministries to provide
benefits that improve and support the health and financial wellness of LCMS workers so they can focus on spreading the Word
of God. Approximately 6,000 ministries, 31,000 workers, 36,000
retirees and beneficiaries, and 53,000 covered dependents count
on CPS to help them be well to serve well.

Focus on Worker Wellness
At the 2016 Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), delegates placed a special emphasis on
church-worker wellness, both physical and financial. CPS has
responded to those resolutions with an intensified focus on wellness. CPS co-sponsored and worked with other LCMS entities
to conduct the LCMS Church Worker Family Needs Assessment, which collected feedback from rostered workers on the
type of support they need. In addition, CPS was involved with
the Worker Wellness Action Group formed by the Office of National Mission in response to Resolution 18-02A.

Physical Health
CPS’s focus on physical health goes beyond offering great
benefits. Our aim is to improve health outcomes for members of
the Concordia Plans. Through specialized offerings, coaching
and incentives, workers in the Concordia Health Plan have improved their health. For example, in 2017, CPS introduced the
Omada weight loss program, which works to help those most at
risk for developing heart disease or diabetes to reduce that risk.
Since Omada’s launch, participants have lost more than 15,000
pounds.
Some of them have shared testimonials about how this
weight loss has positively impacted their lives and their ability to
serve in ministry. Omada estimates that CPS may have saved as
much as $2 million in claims costs through healthier Plan members. New programs have been introduced in 2019 to provide
additional options to assist workers in improving their health.
Additionally, CPS continues to support and promote wellness
incentives through the Vitality program.
2019 Convention Workbook

More than 1,200 wellness champions are also focused on
health outcomes within their ministries. CPS supports them
with regular communications, ideas, and motivation, so they
can help fellow church workers move toward a path to better
health. District representatives of the Ministerial Care Coalition also work, with the support of CPS, to encourage wellness
in each district. These efforts directly support the encouragement to LCMS congregations and ministries found in Resolution 18-04.

Financial Health
The delegates at the 2016 LCMS Convention identified indebtedness of church workers as a challenge significantly impacting the financial health of the LCMS workforce. In 2018,
CPS focused on finding solutions to help workers with the significant problem of student debt. The addition of a new position to the education team allows for this person to be singularly focused on working with pre-church-work students in the
Concordia University System. This team member is available
to meet with students one-on-one or in group sessions to help
them develop good financial habits before entering the work
world. This addition enhances CPS’s financial-education program, which already includes an educator dedicated to the two
LCMS seminaries, working with students on money management and financial planning.
Throughout the last year, CPS has investigated programs
that will help current church workers understand how to best
manage their student debt and potentially apply for studentloan forgiveness through the federal government, if applicable.
The research led to the introduction of a student-loan-debtmanagement program that will be launched in 2019.
All of this work follows the spirit of Resolution 18-03A as
we work together to address the issues around church worker
indebtedness.

A Partner in Addressing the Challenges
of Ministry
In 2018, CPS began a comprehensive analysis of its employers’ and workers’ experiences to better understand their
challenges and identify the best solutions to serve them. This
study included surveys, focus groups, and workshops where
ministry representatives and workers gave their feedback about
the Concordia Plans. Through these efforts, CPS is working
with ministries to help them to overcome challenges now and
in the years to come.

Overcoming Economic Challenges
With commonly acknowledged demographic shifts in the
church, as well as typical fluctuations in economic markets, ministries are working to manage tighter budgets. Church workers
are also faced with personal financial challenges as they work
to save for a secure future and retirement. CPS is committed
to helping ministries and workers manage and overcome these
challenges.

Increasing Efficiencies and Lowering Costs
CPS is focused on helping ministries manage costs in the
short term, while bringing long-term solutions that will generate
costs savings in the future. In order to provide short-term financial benefits, without compromising the quality of the Plans,
CPS has increased its focus on driving efficiencies with the goal