WELS Benefit Plans serves WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) workers and organizations through administration of the WELS Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Health Plan, the WELS Pension Plan, and the WELS Shepherd Plan.

The WELS VEBA Health Plan provides benefits for church and school workers in accordance with God’s Word while remaining compliant with the federal health care reform law. The plan provides comprehensive, nationwide coverage. More than 80 percent of WELS workers and calling bodies participate in WELS VEBA.

The WELS Pension Plan provides WELS called workers with a valuable source of guaranteed income during retirement.

The WELS Shepherd Plan provides workers the opportunity to save and invest a portion of their earnings to provide income during their retirement years.

One important advantage of participating in WELS Benefit Plans is that the coverage and benefits provided are uniform throughout all 50 states. This supports the WELS ministry and call process because worker call decisions are not influenced by health insurance and retirement benefit decisions.

Visit welsbpo.net for more information. 

Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) provides Christ-centered, biblically sound resources to the people of WELS and beyond. NPH publishes Forward in Christ and Meditations, elementary and Sunday school curricula, Bible studies, worship materials, music, and faith strengthening books for WELS members. In 2018, NPH released a total of more than 50 Christian resources in print and digital formats, including:

• Growing in the Word and Growing in Grace, two catechism curricula designed to incorporate Bible history into catechism instruction;
• We Still Believe and Confess, a Bible study that takes a careful look at the Lutheran Confessions;
• a popular prayer collection—There’s a Prayer for That—that has sold more than 7,000 copies to date;
• several titles intended to reach a broad audience, such as Ten Things to Tell Your Grandkids Because You Love them So Much, From Dirty to Dancing: God’s Grace for Those Struggling With Pornography, and Look Up From Your Phone So I Can Love You;
• Christmas and Lent service kits for churches;
• a vacation Bible school program; and
• 17 music offerings for organ, piano, and choir.

In September, NPH closed its store location and now offers its merchandise solely online at nph.net and through its displays at select conferences and events. NPH’s website saw nearly 60,000 visitors in July, August, and September alone, more than 50 percent of whom were new visitors. The staff at NPH continually tests and adjusts the site’s design and organization to provide the most intuitive and pleasant shopping experience for customers.

Visit nph.net to learn more.