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Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.

What’s covered in this episode: 

• Soma Games started in 2005, there was more at stake than just breaking into the videogame industry. “God started a game company, but didn’t start with games,” says Chris Skaggs. 
• Since then, God has opened doors. First with a mobile game, then the opportunity to work with Redwall, and soon the studio was turning heads. 2018 marked the release of Lost Legends of Redwall: Act I, and a chance to pause and think about the vision of Soma Games itself. This realization led to the 2019 Vision Quest. 
• What caught the public’s attention was not the game itself, but the people. John Dale, friend of Soma, made the observation once that, “all of your God stories are not about your product. They’re about the people. They’re about the influence that you had on people. That’s what God has gifted you with.” 
• From the beginning, the response to Soma Games has been overwhelming. People are encouraged by the fact that this kind of studio exists, and as potential game developers, they think, “if you exist, maybe I can do it too.” 
• The Vision Quest really helped to solidify this mission: To be culturally aware and build culture in the entertainment space, as opposed to building products. 
• This mission manifests itself in ways like Soma SoulWorks, the umbrella for our various ministry efforts outside of direct game development. It’s a message that mainly serves those in the “Warrior-Poet Phase” as Chris calls them. Young adult adventurers discovering life and their purpose in a time that offers plenty of questions and few answers. 
• Soma SoulWorks aims to equip followers with a firm foundation to balance creativity, honor, and faith, and feed their hunger to make the world a better place. 
• Mark Söderwall, a veteran in the gaming industry, says that Soma Games is different from most studios out there. The focus is on the people. “Once you know what motivates someone and what drives their heart,” he says, “you can help them feel more seen and heard, and give them momentum. Most companies are very much interested in the professional, and not the person.” 
• The purpose behind Soma Games is that it’s not enough to create a Christian game company, we need to create a mindset and give people the tools they need to have a good foundation and find their calling. “It’s not a leader, it’s not a company, it’s not a product. It’s an ethos.” - Chris Skaggs

Resources mentioned:

• Soma Mission and Vision Statement
• The Origin Story of Soma Games
• Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter 

Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com