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Seminarian Supporters

FINANCIAL WELLNESS HELPS ALL LEADERS ENTER MINISTRY WELL. YOUR PROMOTION OF FINANCIAL COUNSELING IS VITAL.

As seminary staff, synod staff, a member of a candidacy committee or a Candidacy and Leadership Manager, you are active in the process of raising up and developing new leaders. Through this role, you have the unique ability to inspire those exploring call to increase their own financial wellness and prepare for robust leadership in congregations and organizations.

You have partners in the financial counselors at LSS Financial Counseling who can help those exploring call work through these topics. Your promotion of financial counseling as a tool for enhanced wellness helps those exploring call and, ultimately, those they serve.

Lutheran Social Service Financial Counseling

If you work with those in seminary or exploring a call to seminary, you are strongly encouraged to provide them with information about financial counseling through LSS Financial Counseling and to urge them to participate. Financial counseling allows for open conversations about financial wellness and financial literacy.

LSS Financial Counseling offers a full range of financial services that empower people to conquer their debt through tangible steps and personal guidance.

LSS financial counselors help individuals, couples and families with:

  • Consolidating debt
    A Debt Management Plan (DMP) consolidates monthly bills into one simple payment—often with a lower interest rate.
  • Establishing a budget
    Financial counselors help those exploring call develop a budget and a plan of action for debt payment based on their individual situation.
  • Improving credit scores
    Financial counselors help those exploring call understand their credit reports and put them on a path to a debt-free future.
  • Protecting their home
    Financial counselors help those exploring call assess their options—whether the issue is making mortgage payments, considering refinancing or a reverse mortgage, or even buying a home.
  • Tackling student loan debt
    Financial counselors help those exploring call navigate the repayments options for federal, state, and private loans, determine their individual eligibility, contact lenders, and develop a personalized action plan that considers their personal financial situation.
  • Achieving financial wellness
    Financial counselors help those exploring call create a unique plan to strengthen their financial leadership for themselves and to help others. Financial wellness is for everyone!

Program Details and FAQs

When should someone exploring call be referred to financial counseling?

Most simply stated, financial counseling is appropriate whenever someone exploring call has a question about finances. These questions may cover a variety of topics related to budgeting, borrowing, credit or debt.

An easy way to begin a discussion about financial counseling is by using the flow chart titled How can financial counseling help me achieve financial wellness? By asking a number of questions about the financial situation of the individuals exploring call, the flow chart can open the door to the availability and value of financial counseling.

For many students and inquirers who might not otherwise consider financial counseling, the flow chart serves as a reminder that times of transition are particularly appropriate times to consult with a financial counselor. For example, before starting seminary, a financial counselor can help someone exploring call think about what it will mean to live on one (or in some cases, no) household income. Additionally, as a student – and potentially his or her family – prepares for a year of congregational internship, a financial counselor may be able to provide advice on reducing moving costs or living on less. Finally, as a student prepares to graduate from seminary, a financial counselor may be able to provide helpful ideas on how to effectively budget while anticipating his or her first call.

In addition to asking questions about a student’s or inquirer’s personal financial situation, the reverse side of the flow chart provides a number of frequently asked questions about financial counseling.

Another option for opening a conversation about financial counseling would be to use the infographic titled Achieve Financial Wellness. The infographic states the case for financial counseling and indicates how someone exploring call can begin participating.

Yet another option would be to use the infographic titled Your Neighbor’s Financial Wellness. A majority of Americans worry about financial issues. Financial counseling can facilitate healthy conversations about financial concerns with an individual or among couples, families and with members of a congregation or community. Even if someone exploring call does not see financial counseling as a good fit for themselves personally, it would be a valuable addition to their ministry toolbox.

How much does financial counseling cost?

Those exploring call, as well as rostered ministers and their spouses are eligible for up to six free confidential sessions with an expert financial counselor through Financial Choice, a service of LSS Financial Counseling, provided by Portico Benefit Services.

What are the right steps to take to do an effective referral?

The first step to an effective referral is an initial discussion of financial wellness. You could start this discussion using the flow chart titled How can financial counseling help me achieve financial wellness?, the infographic titled Achieve Financial Wellness, or the infographic titled Your Neighbor’s Financial Wellness.

To increase the likelihood that someone exploring call will participate in financial counseling, you are encouraged to make the first call with the student or inquirer. LSS financial counselors indicated that the most effective referrals involve a three-way call among LSS Financial Counseling, the person exploring call and someone in your position (seminary faculty or staff, a bishop, synod staff person, candidacy committee member, or a Candidacy and Leadership Manager). This type of referral provides a soft handoff to LSS Financial Counseling, as well as indicates that no student or inquirer is alone in the process, but rather that partners provide accompaniment throughout.

To complete this three-way call, you, together with the person exploring call should call LSS Financial Counseling at 800-528-2926. This first call is to set up a financial counseling appointment, not to have a financial counseling session. The financial counseling appointment will be set for a future date, in most cases, in two days or less.

You can best help those exploring call prepare for their financial counseling appointment by working with them to generate a list of topics of concern or what they hope to achieve in financial counseling.

In what other ways can someone exploring call get in touch with a financial counselor?

There is one additional way to contact a financial counselor at LSS Financial Counseling-by going online.

What can someone exploring call expect in a financial counseling session?

Financial counseling sessions last for one hour and are completely driven by the financial needs and questions of the student or inquirer. A financial counselor will begin the first session by asking, “What are you looking for?” “What has been going on in your life financially?” and “Where do you want to be financially?”

The financial counselor will then work with the individual to address his or her financial concerns. This may involve going through a credit report, discussing debt repayment options or reviewing budgeting techniques. What is discussed will depend on the individual’s specific concerns.

At the end of each session, the financial counselor will provide the students or inquirer with a specific action plan. This plan is unique to him or her and seeks to address the issues raised during the session. The student or inquirer may set an appointment right then with the counselor to review progress on the action plan, or he or she may call the financial counselor again to review the plan.

Will the individual exploring call always work with the same financial counselor?

Yes. At the end of the first session, the financial counselor will provide the student or inquirer with his or her direct telephone line.

If the individual exploring call has had a bad experience with financial advising or coaching relationships in the past, how will this be different?

Financial counselors understand that many individuals bring feelings of shame or discouragement about their financial situations into a counseling session. The financial counselor will work with the individual to alleviate these feelings; they know it takes a lot of courage to make the call to a financial counselor. Financial counselors believe that the most successful approach in working with those exploring call is as members of the same team.