In the premiere episode of our new series on the Soma story, we sit down with co-founder Jeff Vanderstelt to trace the origins of the convictions that birthed the Soma family of churches. Before Soma Tacoma was launched, God was already weaving a unique blueprint for decentralized, everyday disciple-making through Jeff’s early life, family upbringing, and trials in ministry.

Jeff pulls back the curtain on his childhood in Michigan, sharing how his parents modeled radical hospitality by regularly opening their home to strangers, former inmates, and teenagers in need. You will hear how these early experiences—combined with a profound personal encounter with Jesus in Spain, a transformative time in youth ministry, and ecclesiological tensions at Willow Creek—forced Jeff to question the limits of traditional, attractional churc ...