• New Webinar: Learn How to Engage Your Constituents with Saving Grace
• First Aid for Mental Health Champions Virtual Training on August 16
• Adopting Best Practices: Electronic Payments
• In Case You Missed It: New Sustainable Investment Report

New Webinar: Learn How to Engage Your Constituents with Saving Grace

Join the Clergy Financial Well-Being Initiative on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, 2–3pm CDT, to hear from colleagues who are using Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being creatively in different United Methodist settings. Learn how leaders have adapted financial wellness class formats to meet the needs of their constituents and congregations. The session will include brief presentations with time for Q&A. This session will be recorded and made available for later viewing.

Join Online on August 8: click here
Access Code: 590452
Meeting ID: 871 0692 3145

First Aid for Mental Health Champions Virtual Training on August 16

On August 16, we will be hosting a virtual training for First Aid for Mental Health Champions. We need your help in identifying Champions to join in this event.

If you have identified someone who is interested in participating, please send an email to Wellnessteam@wespath.org with their first and last name, e-mail address and confirmation that they would like to attend this upcoming session or a later date. Each conference can select two champions to go through the training at no cost.

Not sure who to select? Read our brief description of what qualities to look for, along with information about the training, on our First Aid for Mental Health event page. Last year, we also shared with you a list of interested individuals. Please contact Wellnessteam@wespath.org if you would like us to send you the list again.

Adopting Best Practices: Electronic Payments

Using paper checks to submit retirement plan contributions and/or benefit plan payments can pose potential risks to you, your clergy and your lay employees. Please consider using one of the following more secure and efficient options:

• Use Contribution Management for lay employees. Simply set up your funding account and
• schedule manual withdrawals that require your review and approval, OR
• schedule automatic withdrawals, OR
• upload a file from your payroll system.
(Wespath has been encouraging local churches to use this method; it will be mandatory within the next year. If you would like for us to set up a communication plan with your churches, please let us know.)
• Use your deposit accounts at Wespath to initiate an electronic funds transfer (EFT) and set up debits for HealthFlex or UM LifeOptions payments.
• Initiate wire transfers to Wespath for HealthFlex or UM LifeOptions payments.

If you need to use checks, then please work with your bank to develop safeguards to protect yourself and your participants. Questions? Please contact your Client Services Manager.

In Case You Missed It: New Sustainable Investment Report

Wespath's new Sustainable Investment Report is now available. The report details Wespath's leadership in global initiatives, shares the performance of Wespath's sustainable investment strategies, and highlights investor engagements focused on working conditions, opioid accountability, environmental health and more. These highlights show how investments with Wespath make a real-world impact!

The report, which primarily covers work done over the last two years, also spotlights Wespath's strategic partners and industry collaborations in a collection of videos and stories. All the sustainable investing efforts highlighted in the report help Wespath seek strong financial returns for our participants and institutional investors, while aligning with our shared values.

We encourage you to check out the report and consider ways to share it with your constituents! If you have questions or would like to request printed copies for events or meetings, please contact Wespath's investment communications team (Ryan Nilsson, rnilsson@wespath.org and Ryan McQueeney, rmcqueeney@wespath.org).

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