In this episode, Mark A. Griffin, founder of IHN HR, speaks with Ben Conner, of Conner Insurance. Ben is an experienced benefits consultant and advocate for cost-effective, high-quality healthcare solutions. Together, they explore how Christian organizations can better steward their healthcare spending by leveraging the leadership of their C-suite team.

Podcast Overview:

In the current economic landscape, healthcare benefits can be one of the largest and most unpredictable costs for organizations. Unfortunately, many leadership teams approach healthcare management passively, leaving critical decisions solely in the hands of third-party vendors.

But what if your C-suite could lead the charge toward better care and smarter spending?

In this episode, Mark and Ben discuss how Christian employers can honor their people and their mission by being proactive, strategic, and collaborative in managing healthcare costs — all while maintaining a Christ-centered approach to employee care.

Meet Our Guest: Ben Conner

Ben Conner is a seasoned consultant helping employers across the country design health benefit strategies that prioritize both quality care and financial stewardship. With over 20 years of experience in benefits consulting and a passion for serving faith-based organizations, Ben empowers leadership teams to reclaim control over their healthcare plans through innovative, data-driven strategies. Connect with Ben: Ben Conner LinkedIn

Key Discussion Topics:

1. Ensuring Collaboration Between HR & Accounting and Finance

Ben explains why aligning HR with accounting and finance is critical. Too often, departments work in silos, leading to missed opportunities for creative solutions. Takeaway: When HR, finance, and senior leadership collaborate intentionally, organizations gain visibility into both the human and financial impacts of healthcare decisions.

1. Prioritizing the Quality of Healthcare vs. Cost

Focusing only on cost often results in lower-quality care for employees. Ben shares ways to identify plans that deliver better outcomes, not just cheaper premiums. Takeaway: Organizations must redefine success — not just spending less, but providing better health outcomes at a sustainable cost.

1. Creating Processes to Hold leaders Accountable (Developing Scorecards)

Ben introduces the concept of developing leadership scorecards that track healthcare spending, employee satisfaction, and provider performance. Takeaway: Accountability mechanisms like scorecards ensure that the leadership team remains actively engaged, making healthcare benefits a continual area of improvement rather than a once-a-year discussion.

Why This Matters for Faith-Driven Organizations

As stewards of the resources God has entrusted, Christian leaders are called to approach all areas of business with excellence and integrity — including how they care for employees through healthcare benefits. By involving the C-suite in healthcare leadership, organizations can make decisions that honor both fiscal responsibility and the dignity of their people.

Call to Action

Concerned about your organization’s as-is HR programs? The benefits of having a trusted partner guide you and your team to excellence are invaluable. Contact us today. You and your employees will be glad you did.

Rise with us by implementing our high-performance remote human-resource programs to help find great people! E-mail us here.

Mark A. Griffin is president and founder of IHN HR. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are Your Investments Aligned with Your Faith?

Many nonprofit organizations accumulate assets for long-term investments, such as endowments and portfolio funds. While these mission-driven organizations would never openly support businesses profiting from pornography, gambling, abortion pills, or other activities contrary to Christian values, they may unknowingly be investing in these very industries.

By deploying investment capital into broad index mutual funds or similar vehicles, ministries and nonprofits may see healthy returns. But should they be profiting from businesses that operate against their faith principles? If your nonprofit invests without considering the activities of the companies it supports, it may be time to reconsider.

Christian organizations can invest in ways that honor their values while still fulfilling fiduciary duties to maximize long-term, risk-adjusted returns. Faith-based investing allows ministries to express their mission not only in day-to-day operations but also in how they steward financial resources.

Meet Our Guest: Douglas R. MacGray. Doug is an experienced financial planner and passionate advocate for faith Driven investing. His journey began as a missionary in Micronesia, where he taught in a Christian boys' boarding school and supported local church outreach.

As an attorney, Doug practiced law in Delaware for over a decade, specializing in estate planning and advising nonprofit organizations. He later transitioned into financial planning, obtaining his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and acquiring a financial planning company. Today, he is the sole owner of Stonecrop Wealth Advisors, a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor.

Doug works with nearly 200 families and individuals, with about 20% of his business dedicated to nonprofit ministries, including Christian higher education institutions, churches, and other faith-based organizations.

Faith, Service and Health

• Board member at Gordon College, a Christian institution in Massachusetts
• Former board member at a Christian seminary and K-12 school
• Volunteer supporter of Edify, an international nonprofit supporting Christian K-12 schools in Latin America and Africa
• Has traveled to Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and Panama to support faith-based education initiatives
• Training to run two marathons in 2025

Join host Mark Griffin as he navigates the following key discussion points with his guest Doug MacGray.

1. Hidden Risks in Traditional Investments
   • Many nonprofits unknowingly invest in companies engaging in activities that contradict their faith.
   • Understanding how mutual funds allocate capital is crucial for aligning investments with Christian values.
2. Faith-Based Investing: A Responsible Alternative
   • Nonprofits can structure their investment strategies to uphold Christian principles.
   • Strategies exist to ensure strong financial returns while honoring faith commitments.
3. Practical Steps to Align Investments with Mission
   • How organizations can conduct an investment audit.
   • Resources and advisors available to help nonprofits transition to faith-aligned investing.

Call to Action

If you serve on the board of a nonprofit, work in Christian higher education, or manage a ministry’s finances, now is the time to assess your organization’s investment strategy. Faith-based investing is a powerful way to ensure that your financial resources reflect your values.

Concerned about your organization’s as-is HR programs? The benefits of having a trusted partner guide you and your team to excellence are invaluable. Contact us today. You and your employees will be glad you did.

Rise with us by implementing our high-performance remote human-resource programs to help find great people! E-mail us here.

Mark A. Griffin is president and founder of IHN HR. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Encouragement For Work Podcast – Special Edition

Join us for a special edition of the Encouragement For Work Podcast as we go live from Lancaster, PA, at WJTL for the official launch of Faith Driven HR! This isn’t just a book—it’s a transformational resource designed to bring faith, purpose, and integrity into the workplace.

Faith Driven HR is more than an HR manual—it’s a movement. This book empowers HR professionals, business owners, and leaders to align their workplace culture with biblical principles. If you’re looking for practical tools and insights to integrate faith into leadership, this is the guide you need.

Take your leadership to the next level and bring faith into the heart of your workplace. Listen as the Morning Show team at WJTL Lancaster, PA, dives into the Faith Driven HR book launch—unpacking how this resource can equip and inspire faith-driven professionals.

Get your copy, meet the author, and be part of a growing community!

For more details, visit FaithDrivenHR.com.