{"id":2161,"date":"2025-04-07T19:46:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T19:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.championforest.org\/articles\/?p=2161"},"modified":"2025-04-28T21:40:06","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T21:40:06","slug":"serving-those-who-serve-the-lord-how-guidestone-supports-pastors-and-ministries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.championforest.org\/articles\/2025\/04\/07\/serving-those-who-serve-the-lord-how-guidestone-supports-pastors-and-ministries\/","title":{"rendered":"Serving Those Who Serve the Lord: How GuideStone Supports Pastors and Ministries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019re in ministry, you know how important it is to steward your health and finances well\u2014without losing focus on your calling. That\u2019s where GuideStone comes in. In this article, I interview the GuideStone team to explore who they serve, what sets their benefits apart, and how they help ministry leaders start well, stay well, and finish well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What is GuideStone, and what is its mission?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: GuideStone exists to serve those who serve the Lord. Our mission is to come alongside ministry leaders, helping them start well, stay well, and finish well\u2014both in terms of health and financial well-being. We want to ensure that those called to ministry can fully focus on their God-given mission without being burdened by financial or health concerns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Who can utilize GuideStone\u2019s services?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Our primary network includes those affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), as GuideStone was originally the Annuity Board of the SBC. However, we also support other like-minded ministry partners, including those with 501(c)(3) status. This means pastors, K-12 Christian school employees, missions organizations, and pregnancy centers, to name a few. A wide variety of ministries can benefit from our services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What are some key benefits of using GuideStone over other providers?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: GuideStone is unique because we are faith-aligned in all we do. Our health insurance is based on biblical values, and our retirement investments follow faith-based principles\u2014we won\u2019t invest in industries like alcohol or abortion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve been providing strong employee benefit packages since 1918, meaning we have over 100 years of experience serving ministry partners. Additionally, our customer service is dedicated to ministry needs, with a team ready to answer questions and solve problems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another major benefit is that we are a one-stop shop. Many organizations require you to go through multiple providers for health and retirement plans, but GuideStone offers both under one roof, simplifying the process for ministry leaders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What options are available specifically for church planters and those connected with CF Connect?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: We offer a range of Life and Health Plan options tailored to their unique needs. Church planters can connect with a GuideStone representative to explore plans based on their history and previous coverage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For retirement solutions, GuideStone Funds provides faith-based investing options that anyone can use, regardless of whether a ministry employs them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What sets GuideStone apart from other financial and health resources?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Our faith-based approach is what truly makes us different. We believe that when the body of Christ is healthy, it can transform the world. Our goal is to advocate for ministry leaders, handling the financial and logistical details so they can stay focused on their calling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many pastors and church planters are unaware that GuideStone offers excellent, faith-aligned, kingdom-minded options. With GuideStone, they can rest assured that their investments and health plans align with biblical values, avoiding coverage that includes non-biblical options like abortion.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, we strengthen the church by handling areas most pastors don\u2019t actively think about\u2014like health plans and retirement. The parable of the talents reminds us that stewardship matters. Investing in your future allows you to continue investing in others and finish well in ministry. GuideStone is here to help ministry leaders advance the Kingdom together.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: How can someone get connected with GuideStone?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A: The best place to start is by filling out our \u201cTalk with Our Team\u201d form. This form automatically connects individuals with the right GuideStone team member based on their specific needs. From there, they\u2019ll be guided to the best solutions for their ministry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At GuideStone, we\u2019re passionate about ensuring that pastors and ministry leaders are well-equipped to serve without unnecessary stress. By partnering with us, they gain access to financial and health resources that align with their faith and calling, allowing them to focus on the work of the ministry with confidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guidestone.org\/About-Us\/Contact-Us#Phone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact Us<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guidestone.org\/Talk-With-Our-Team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Talk With Our Team<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re in ministry, you know how important it is to steward your health and finances well\u2014without losing focus on your calling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2165,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Growing up, Ana Alonso attended a Catholic Church, but for whatever reason, she never really felt connected. She thought she couldn't have a relationship with Jesus. This all changed when her aunt invited her to a new church. Ana was struck by the beauty of this new church. The way they worshipped God and talked about Scripture opened her eyes and heart. It made her want to start going to church more.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>But soon after this, she found herself in an unhealthy relationship. This relationship eventually led her astray, and she stopped going to church. She focused so much on this relationship that she quickly lost herself. She wrestled with depression and anxiety during this season, and to make matters worse, her mom was also going through her own mental health battle. It was a difficult period in Ana\u2019s life. She felt like everything was spiraling out of control.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>One day, she had a terrible argument with her mom, and in a moment of intense emotion, she found herself yelling at her mom. She had become someone she didn't recognize. \u201cI don\u2019t yell at my family like this,\u201d she thought to herself. She was devastated and heartbroken that she had let things get to this point. In a state of despair, she left and headed to a nearby park, alone. At the park, she just cried. \u201cThere\u2019s no hope left for me,\u201d she thought. She felt like the only way out was to end her life.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Amidst her desperation, she turned to God and whispered for help. She apologized for distancing herself from him and asked for strength to endure. Moments later, two older ladies walked towards her. As they approached, Ana couldn't stop crying, until one of them reached out her hand and placed it on Ana\u2019s shoulder. The woman spoke softly, saying, \"I'm so sorry.\" Ana knew God had answered her prayer. It was the spark of hope she needed.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Since then, Ana\u2019s relationship with Jesus and her faith has grown tremendously. Of course, it has been a journey, but Ana has seen God\u2019s faithfulness time and time again. She set a goal to begin reading the Bible daily, and now she can't wait to read it every day. Even in times of frustration or bitterness, she will pray or go to her Bible, asking God for answers.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>But her journey didn't end there. She eventually found her way to The Grove, a young adult gathering at Champion Forest. She started attending regularly. Now, she serves at the Grove as part of the weekly hospitality team. She continues to meet new people each week who share her hunger for the Lord. When asked about her time at the Grove, Ana said, \u201cWe worship Jesus together and discuss Scripture, and I've even had the chance to pray over others. Being part of this community has been a huge blessing for me, and I believe it was completely the Holy Spirit guiding me to this place.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ana\u2019s testimony is a good reminder that no matter how lost you may feel, God is always with you. He will guide you and give you the strength you need to get through even the toughest of times. It's okay to ask for help, to pray, and to turn to God in moments of desperation. It's also important to surround yourself with a community that shares your faith, where you can grow together in Christ.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cf-connect","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How GuideStone Supports Pastors and Ministries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how GuideStone supports pastors and ministry leaders with faith-based health and retirement benefits tailored for churches and nonprofits.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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