Thrivent Will Give Your Congregation Pennies in Exchange for Your Dollars: God's Great Exchange

From my eyes has left a new comment on your post "Economize During the Second Great Depression of Ob...":

I am concerned with the affiliation between WELS and Thrivent. Growing up in a WELS church everyone seemed to work there (AAL) from church, they sponsored coffee hours, gave out gifts for our confirmation, branch mtgs regularly were announced. Honestly, I thought they were a WELS organization. In high school, I played an instrument with their choir during their Christmas party. They sang religious songs, they prayed together before the meal, not your typical business.

When I turned 18, my parents had me get a life insurance policy (AAL). A few years ago, I actually started to read some of the articles in the magazine they sent. They weren't just about finances and life insurance policies. The articles were written by ELCA pastors as well as others and more devotional than anything.

Our church started to announce that for $10 you can become an associate member if you don't have a policy, and the best news they will match your church offering.
They listed this announcement week after week until you almost felt guilty that you weren't a member.

True, we list other companies in the area that will match money as well if you happen to work for them. But do we say, if you are looking for a job check with these companies first because we need the money or do we hold job fairs for them, of course not.

True we are members (not the associate) because we are paying for a service. Just like non-WELS buy from NPH or WELS purchases materials from LCMS or Evangelicals, Baptists.

But should they invite Thrivent to speak about membership and matching donations at the end of church. Should we not at least "warn" prospects that not all materials that come free with membership are in agreement with the teachings of our church.

Should we use the money for budget purposes? Did not the WELS issue in its resolution statement about receiving funds from AAL specifically advise not to use the donations for the budget.

Do we turn a blind-eye to the fact that Thrivent matched the Salvation Army kettle donations, and they support ELCA efforts.

Is it ok because we have our own "branch" that are all members from our church. We don't approve of the LCMS having scouting troops in their church even thought they are all members of the same faith.

Doesn't Thrivent sometimes act like they are a church, encouraging fellowship between churches or their employees, without doctrinal agreement? Isn't it too easy to turn our eyes away and respond that since they do not have any official doctrine we don't have any ground to stand up and discourage membership.(Oh wait---but what about all that money they give us?)