How Christian Values Shape Concordia’s Care
October 29, 2026 | Concordia Blog, Educational, Seasonal, Spiritual Care
In honor of National Clergy Appreciation Month, we look at how Christian values shape our organization in different ways. The Concordia Lutheran Ministries spiritual team keeps faith at the forefront of Concordia’s guiding principles, and a dedicated board of directors, membered by LCMS church representatives, guide Concordia with His word in their hearts. Continue reading to learn how Concordia keeps faith in caring.
How does faith influence patient care?
Concordia employees walk the walk. The Bible teaches Christians to love others as Jesus loves them and to demonstrate that love through their actions.
Concordia’s clergy team sets the tone for employees organization-wide and inspires others to strive above and beyond for their patients and residents Their spiritual guidance supports employees in their own calling to care for others, offering encouragement as they navigate both the rewards and challenges of their work.
“Compassion takes shape when an employee notices an unspoken need, answers a repeated question with patience or stays beside someone who is afraid,” said Rev. Robert Zagore, Concordia’s director of chaplaincy. “Through skilled work and large and small acts of kindness, our employees help make Concordia’s Christian mission tangible in daily life.”
While many Concordia employees serve with a Christ-like heart, the clergy team offers a particularly meaningful example of that mission in action through their chaplaincy services.
They are God’s boots on the ground. They walk from door to door, providing their presence, prayers, scripture, worship and pastoral care. In 2026, our Chaplaincy Department provided 46,854 individual contacts, including more than 3,600 hospital visits, 1,254 worship services and 839 Bible studies. Concordia’s spiritual care staff wear out their soles to nourish the souls of others.
“Our daily work is a calling through which we serve our neighbors,” Pastor Zagore said. “We don’t stop caring when no one is watching. This is our heritage and our endowment. We are called to stand watch even when no one else does.”
“We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19
How does the board incorporate Christian values in decision making?
Concordia’s foundation of faith has existed since its very inception in 1881. Since then, member churches and an elected board of directors guide the organization with Christ at its center.
Delegates from our member churches, which are all aligned with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), elect the Concordia Lutheran Ministries parent board of directors. The board makes decisions that affect more than 30 facilities and services and thousands of residents, patients and employees.
“We make decisions carefully,” said Rev. Dr. Daniel Hahn Jr., chairman of the board. “Leadership is absolutely key, and you have to have good people in managerial roles too. Managers understand and internalize the mission of the organization, so they can relate that to others. Without that, you’re going to lose your way. We are blessed to have a lot of good people who have very much internalized that mission.”
The board guides decisions on anything from financial investments to policy changes and new acquisitions, among many others. Over the years, Concordia has acquired a number of struggling faith-based organizations. Every decision is carefully aligned with Christian values, with an emphasis on growing the mission.
“Our board members come with a shared worldview,” Pastor Hahn said. “These same places likely would have become part of a profit-making enterprise and lost that essential mission. Bringing these organizations into Concordia preserves their Christian legacy.”
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10
From left to right Rev. Dr. Daniel Hahn Jr., Paul Hoffman and Peter Bodnar, were elected to the Concordia Lutheran Ministries Parent Board of Directors in 2025. Also elected that year and not pictured are Kelly Carney and Rob Wilshire.
How does the greater Lutheran community contribute to a caring environment?
Beyond supplying the board its directors, more than 25 member churches envelop Concordia in its prayers and support. The churches and their constituents demonstrate what a village can do to support the most vulnerable.
“A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all,” said Shirley Freyer, Concordia’s director of church relations.
Many congregants volunteer their time and energy. They help provide or support activities and entertainment. Others may simply visit with the patients and residents.
Member churches make random acts of kindness regular happenings at Concordia.
“Luther taught Sola Fide (Faith Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), and Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), foundational principles emphasizing salvation through faith, by God’s grace, and according to the authority of Scripture—serve,” Shirley said.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be.” – Luke 12:34
How does Concordia serve beyond its communities?
Concordia’s service extends beyond its walls. The clergy team helps lead and guide these outreach efforts alongside the Concordia Missions team.
A committee of dedicated individuals participate in many food and clothing drives, build homes through Habitat for Humanity and partner with pop-up healthcare clinics, like Remote Area Medical (RAM). Concordia employees have also been encouraged and celebrated for mission trips abroad in other countries.
These efforts, both local and global, have one thing in common. They reach and help people in need.
“I believe that God has chosen the poor, who are rich in faith, to teach us who are rich in material things, where our true treasure lies,” said Rev. Barry Keurulainen, parent board member. “It reminds us that we are serving Christ. When we do mission work, we are serving Christ. We must remain humble.”
Each year, Concordia seeks new ways to serve the communities surrounding its facilities and agencies. Through these efforts, employees put their faith into action, sharing God’s love by serving their neighbors. “Concordia can expand its mission work by strategizing and finding a way to reach the lost, the last, the least, in the communities where Concordia is planted,” Pastor Keurulainen said.
“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” James 2:5
Concordia partnered with Remote Area Medical (RAM) to provide free healthcare to residents in and around Butler, Pa. Concordia and RAM have plans to again host another clinic in 2027. Click here to follow more updates on the clinic as they become available.
How does Concordia move its mission forward?
Concordia’s mission moves forward through faithful leadership and employees who strive to reflect Christ’s love in their work. Together, they protect the vulnerable, serve their neighbors and carry a legacy of Christian care into the future.
At its heart, Concordia’s mission is inspired by love: love of God, love of neighbors and love expressed through caring for others.
Questions and Answers
Here are some commonly asked questions about how Concordia’s Christian values influence senior care throughout their network of communities.
What is faith-based senior care?
Faith-based senior care draws on Christian beliefs to guide how an organization serves older adults. At Concordia Lutheran Ministries, Christian values shape compassionate care, spiritual support and a commitment to serving neighbors in need.
What spiritual care services are available at Concordia?
Spiritual care includes chaplain visits, prayer, devotions, Bible studies, worship, pastoral counsel, and support during grief or serious illness, with offerings varying by location and care setting. Chaplains also help coordinate visits from a person’s own clergy and pastoral arrangements for Holy Communion.
Do you have to be Lutheran or Christian to live or work at Concordia?
No. Concordia welcomes people of all faiths and those with no religious affiliation, extending care and respect to each person.
Are residents required to participate in religious activities?
No; participation is voluntary. Residents are welcome to attend, ask questions or decline, and their choices are respected.
How does Concordia honor the dignity of every resident and patient?
Every person is God’s creation, and every person is someone for whom Christ died. That worth endures when strength fades, memory falters or independence diminishes. We honor it by listening carefully, protecting privacy, respecting choices and offering the tenderness and love the Lord desires for His children.
How do Christian values help build community at Concordia?
Christ teaches us to receive our neighbors with humility, bear one another’s burdens and extend forgiveness. These practices build trust and belonging among residents, patients, families and employees. Community grows when people know that their presence matters and their burdens can be shared.
What should families look for in a Christian senior living community?
Look for a community where Christ’s love is expressed through competent care, honest communication, respect for each person and faithful spiritual support. Ask how that commitment shapes daily life, especially when a resident becomes more vulnerable or needs additional help.
How can families learn about faith-based senior care at Concordia?
View related content on Concordia’s website or contact Concordia to arrange a conversation or tour. Ask to speak with a chaplain or deaconess about spiritual care and how Concordia’s Christian mission shapes daily life.
More Clergy Content on Social
Concordia’s clergy team continues to expand as it serves a vital role in their communities. This generates a lot of content, and Concordia strives to highlight its clergy members throughout Clergy Appreciation Month. Below are a series of videos from Concordia’s social media channels. Check them out and learn more about just a few members of Concordia’s spiritual care team.
Past Clergy Month Appreciation Posts
Clergy Appreciation Month 2025: Inspirational Bible Verses from Concordia’s Chaplains
National Clergy Appreciation Month 2024: Lessons Learned from Residents and Patients
Concordia Celebrates National Clergy Appreciation Month 2023
Clergy Appreciation Month 2022
Clergy Appreciation Month 2021: Concordia’s Current Chaplaincy Staff Reflects on Concordia History
Clergy Appreciation Month 2020: How Spiritual Care Looks Different During the Pandemic