SOMA Melbourne

17/12/2025

SOMA SCHOOL MELBOURNE 2026: 3-5 September // SAVE THE DATE! If you'd like to explore Missional Communities, this is the event for you! https://somaaustralia.org.au/soma-school-2-0/

17/12/2025

17/12/2025

SOMA SCHOOL MELBOURNE 2025 // Soma School is our flagship event that gives participants a substantial and immersive introduction to missional communities. From 5-8 September we ran our 2nd ever Soma School in Melbourne and we are very encouraged by what the LORD is doing. We had a range of participants (20 in total) from 9 churches as well as 3 mission agencies (OMF, YWAM and Power to Change). We had missionaries & pastors with 30 years experience to ministry interns in their first ministry roles to lay MC leaders. We had Japanese and Indonesian speaking churches and a Gujarati speaking ministry represented, Pentecostals and Presbyterians, Baptists and Anglicans learning from each other in an environment that was a foretaste of the New Jerusalem. Not to mention we also had trainer extraordinaire Brad Watson from Providence Church, Austin who provided us with a blend of classic Soma principles (BLESS rhythms) and fresh insights from his doctoral studies on cultural apologetics.

If you're keen for Soma School in 2026 (3-5 Sep), let us know! Expressions of interest are now open. https://somaaustralia.org.au/soma-school-2-0/

06/07/2024

Introducing our Trainers - Ben & Jess Connelly // Ben and Jess have been in ministry together for over 20 years, including helping to start two churches, and equipping everyday disciples, ministry leaders, and church planters across the world through The Equipping Group.

In addition to being a pastor, Ben has written/contributed to several books, workbooks, articles, and publications, and has overseen church planting efforts for multiple organisations. He also occasionally teaches university and seminary classes.

Jess has coached ministry wives and church planting resident couples for the past 5+ years. She also runs operations for a bakery and hospitality company in Fort Worth, TX, called Hurley House.

They have three children (Charlotte, Maggie, and Travis) and at times, host short-term foster kids too.

Ben and Jess travelled out to Australia in July 2022 to train and encourage churches in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, and to share at the 2022 Soma National Retreat. Ben was also out serving the Australian church in 2017, and recently in June 2023 for our first Australian Soma School in the Blue Mountains, NSW. We’re excited to have them both back this July with their children!

06/07/2024

SOMA SCHOOL Melbourne 19-22 July // Soma School is an equipping environment where missional community moves from theory to experience.

We put people in an environment to experience missional community life, to taste and see, rather than just talk theoretically about it. Every participant stays in the home of a missional community leader and sees their lives. They’re immersed in a gospel rich environment and participate in everyday mission.

Soma School equips church planters, staff, elders and key leaders to engage in missional community life, to lead missional communities, and to lead a church of missional communities.

https://somaaustralia.org.au/events/soma-school/

24/05/2023

SOMA One Day West // Praise God for our first ever SOMA One Day in Melbourne! We heard from Pete Greenwood on how the Story of God can be a tool of pastoral care, personal reflection and evangelism. We heard from Stephen Tan, Jon Tran and Kirsten about their experiences leading MCs and from Sandy Citro, Rob Hickingbotham and Jordan & Sara on missional living and leadership development. Many thanks to Pastor Martin and CrossCulture Church Point Cook for hosting us!