CEP 18: With Guest Sam Mooney. Community Transformation
By Dave Mckeown and Nathan Benger
Welcome to Episode: 18 of the Church Explained Podcast. A conversation to help grow your leadership, develop your team and build your church. Your hosts will be Dave Mckeown and Nathan Benger. We will talk about all things leadership with key team players from IKON Church and other guests during each show.
Join us for this episode as we chat with Sam Mooney, who leads Soul Foundation at Soul Church in Norwich. Sam shares the incredible story of how as a church, they started small, giving out 6,000 meals per month to those in need in their city to now giving out over 30,000 meals per week.
This story is truly inspiring and will make you want to do something in your town or city around community transformation.
SHOW NOTES - TALK IT OVER
FULL TRANSCRIPT
PLEASE NOTE THIS CONVERTED BY Ai so may not be perfect😀
David Mckeown 0:00
Welcome to the church explained podcast a conversation to grow your leadership and build your Church. We're excited today we got a special guest a guy called Psalm Mooney, the hallway from Norwich, originally from Belfast, and we're going to find out a little bit about what he does around community transformation.
David Mckeown 0:25
Hi, I'm Dave. And I'm Nathan.
Nathan Benger 0:27
And welcome
David Mckeown 0:28
to the podcast today. The church explained podcast excited to have you here with us.
Nathan Benger 0:33
Yeah. And today we've got some Mooney with us. I've got a little bit of bio here some about Yes. So hopefully this is all correct. But you are hailing from Belfast. Come on. You had some takeaway?
David Mckeown 0:48
Well, well, I will I will talk about Belfast in a minute. Let me come back to that. Okay, let
Nathan Benger 0:53
me go. Some moved to England, aged 19 to attend Bible College where he obtained a biblical theological theology degree. Wow. Wow. That's mostly really an hour. And now he is currently General Manager overseeing the day to day running of Soul Foundation. Some is married and together, they have three teenage children. So it's great to have some with us.
David Mckeown 1:18
Welcome, Thomas. Hi, how are you, buddy?
Sam Mooney 1:21
Are you doing?
David Mckeown 1:22
So let's just pick up a little bit about Belfast and because obviously, we're from the same neck of the woods. I think I'm sure I'm sure we met in Belfast previously, haven't we?
Sam Mooney 1:35
We have Dave and in fact, I probably know your brother Freddie. Better than I know you.
David Mckeown 1:39
Yes. But he's not the better legal Manas. I
Sam Mooney 1:42
know he's the he's the older, more weatherbeaten.
David Mckeown 1:47
Wiser, lebih less
Sam Mooney 1:49
educated than yourself.
David Mckeown 1:51
Yeah, yeah, man. Right.
Sam Mooney 1:52
If you're watching,
David Mckeown 1:53
I'll send you the money later on. Yeah. Fantastic. Yeah, so yeah, yeah. So hey, listen, it's great to have you here. And you're Amari to dri. Is that your wife's name?
Sam Mooney 2:06
That's yeah, that's right. So we met at Bible College bridal college like it was going well, weddings the year we got. So it's one way of Church growth. Just marry and breathe them in.
David Mckeown 2:16
Yeah. And what Bible College was that? Madness? The whole mercyhealth Fantastic. Just
Sam Mooney 2:22
no longer. It's,
David Mckeown 2:23
it's gone. It's changing and redeveloping. I think that's the thing behind it. So Drea I was just thinking of her name was she from them?
Sam Mooney 2:34
funny stories from various admins. When I first heard her speak, at Bible college, I thought she was from Brisbane, I was really disappointed. You know, I've got great control over the world named up and Bury St. Edmunds. But anyway, yeah, so it's short for Andrea. That's what the DRI is what she gets Andrea only when she annoys me, which is not very often. Yeah.
David Mckeown 2:54
Marty
Sam Mooney 2:55
25 years.
David Mckeown 2:56
I guess he were trying to be a bit of a hipster that really called nerdery I thought was going to be Deirdre or something. But anyway, I'm
Sam Mooney 3:02
about as well. Mother rock also that.
David Mckeown 3:07
Listen, we digress. Come on. Let's start the podcast. Yeah,
Nathan Benger 3:10
let's get it all. We'll
David Mckeown 3:11
be here talking about all day. So come on, let's get the first question.
Nathan Benger 3:15
Yes. Um, why don't you just tell us about your journey and how you ended up at Seoul Church in Norwich
Sam Mooney 3:21
while I launched this podcast, that could be a long one right. We came to Norwich and we left magazine 96 And we came to Norwich very clearly felt God call us here and 97 I was we were here so with our tutors, our SEC is right to Norwich for us 97 We were here till 2002 David just left Norwich, so it was one Irishman night, another one in and we'll I followed in his week, mopping up his mess. Yeah. And then through a series of events we ended up on the other side of the country. And then about six years ago passage John I'd known John Norman from being a Norwich last time and we worked together for another organisation the fact that the foundation now support vision rescue and I was looking after the European office as it were and John was on the board and he just chipping away at me and really I suppose when we left in 2002 we would never have left only a series of events really made it happen as it did sometimes in Church like you noticed like so yeah felt moved back here and now I I've been on doing what I'm doing now two years move back relocate the family backup the Norfolk and it's been a crazy two years it feels like we've never left but the two years is definitely in the A team that we weren't here the two years have made up for let's just say
David Mckeown 4:51
that. Wow. antastic so, some tell us a little bit about your role. You are the general manager of the Soul Foundation. Describe For us for our listeners today case of sorting.
Sam Mooney 5:03
Yeah, sorry that. So foundation itself is really the outreach arm of soul Church. So everything that goes from beyond the walls of the Church happened through the foundation. So at present we have, we work globally and locally globally. We're in South Africa with Hillsong timberland right there, which is a school for differently abled kids. And we work with them in the Philippines with Philippine outreach centre. And they're working mainly within the prisons in the Philippines and working with the families to support them with the prisoners. In India, as I said, we work with vision, rescue, vision, rescue themselves, or educating kids in the slums of Mumbai. We partner with them, the name I trust in Pakistan, which is really a Church planting organisation. We help support their and then hope for hope for justice, which you'll be familiar with in their fight against modern day slavery. So we partner with them. So that's what the foundation does globally. And I really just oversee that. And then locally, we've got different initiatives. So we've got sole streets, that happens once a week on a Wednesday evening, where we partner with a local Anglican Church. So during lockdown, it was the only restaurant opened in the UK, where you didn't have to book and there was definitely no track and trace, where we feed the homeless guy. So anything of the 140 meals a week, or on an evening would go out of there, sorry. So prisoners just about to kick off again with within the prisons. So we take sole Church in once every other month for two services on a Sunday. And then on a on a Monday where I have a friend and group that really were Gwyn was sitting the guys in the prison. The chaplains thing is that he wants us to normalise the prison experience. I don't know how you do that. But we've got to try our best. So it's through maybe book clubs or some guys got to teach someone how to play guitar. We got an artist going in to teach some guys how to paint obviously up from Belfast if you're good at painting kerbstones. So you know we might get you don't hear the do that. YMCA we partner with the local YMCA. Again, we have a chaplain in there a couple of days a week. And then with the YMCA stuff, just really getting the first port of call with John Dre Kosta where the guys have maybe come out of abusive relationships or in family situations that have been kicked out. And were in there befriending and mentoring them. Well, being Wednesday for us is a big thing. We have a mental health support groups that go on a Wednesday up at Seoul Church have amazing growth. And so we have that going on. And then I suppose the thing that you see behind me the monster that we created 18 months ago in Salford. So we during lockdown, we kicked that off. We were before we had a little thing called saw pantry, where we would do maybe 2000 3000 meals a month. And now I'd appear we're doing 30,000 meals in excess a week where we've gotten volunteers coming into Park. And we do that through the schools and through self referrals of people, obviously, through COVID have maybe fun a bit tough to do life. And so we were supporting on the food boxes on the back of that. Then we started our sole restart programme, which has really gone beyond giving people a hand either hand up. So some of the folks that were delivering food parcels to every week maybe have struggled with employment or debt. So we offer the cap money course report on a cap with three stall restart for the cap money course. And then through cap job clubs, as well. And apart from that really don't do much. Yeah.
Nathan Benger 8:49
I mean, there's loads loads that you're doing there and you know, some of its partnership, but then other bits is you guys doing it. And it's great to see that as well. Just in the background there of the team working and getting those meals out. And just thinking about like local churches and Church leaders that are listening to this and just being passionate about community transformation. Is that something that you think every local Church should be passionate about? You know why that should be or why not?
Sam Mooney 9:21
So let me answer that in two parts. I thought about this this morning while I was going through your questions again. X 1030 It says this Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil. The first thing he says is he was doing good. What we do behind us whether through food, from the prisons, stuff, whatever. It's all about doing good. And then the second thing is I'm convinced that there's three things in life you always have got pay your taxes, that the GAO said that the poor you'll have always have with you. So for me community transformation, it's part of it's what the Church is all about. The early Church was part of it. They you know, You just got to read the epistles and see whether the encouraging, but look after the widows, the orphans. So yeah, community transformation, I think has to be at the heart of Church. And I think if we if you're not doing it, if we're going to be really honest, there was a nourishment. I don't think you have a problem. There's a question whether you are actually expressing Jesus, if you're not involved in community transformation. That's what the Church is all about.
David Mckeown 10:28
Right? some strong words are. So some, let me just pick up a little bit. Obviously, for those who are listening, we're describing the behind you, you're in a warehouse, that's not your front lines. So just to make clear, of definitely, of course, anybody watching online. But just tell us a little bit about that story. Because obviously, the go from what you describe the soul pantry, which is maybe a little bit like, what a lot of churches have, like food banks, that's probably was a little bit like that. So from that, to what you've got my maybe share with our listeners, what that is behind your notes of where highs. But tell us a little bit about the journey of that so we can inspire leaders of what's possible.
Sam Mooney 11:12
Yeah, I think anything's possible when you you just get a sense of what God is on. And God definitely breathed on this, you know, this would not be possible behind us if it hadn't had the touch of heaven on it. When in lockdown happens when I said we were operating saw pantry, that was very simple. We picked up food from Fred MRJ, Greg's the Tesco Express has never happened on an evening. And then we just we just looked at the situation. And what actually happened was a local business owner rang me and says, if you need to do something for food, I've got some bands you can have. And then that got us thinking, the council then rang us and said, Will you be the northern hub for food read distribution for COVID. And we were like, Ah, so there's something a bit bigger here needs to be done. And we went, Yeah, we jumped into it. Not really knowing what that would mean, we took over the main auditorium at the Church. And we just racked up the shelving. Some of it you can see behind us though, and just then started talking to different organisations that were maybe getting rid of food. Some of the schools were closing, dying, because the the kitchens weren't operating. And then it just started to spiral from there, there really wasn't something we look to do. No, I think, you know, for us, it was definitely the need was there. And so we just addressed the need. And we have seen that the miracle after miracle, you know, we have with seven vans that our local business has given us two years, and he renews them every six months because he's a rental company. So you know, I've never driven so many new cars that I haven't stolen. It's been great. The warehouse behind us is rent, rent free. We just seen God's hand upon it every step of the way. And what it's done for us, it's typically Church outside the building. It's the Church to the people. And we're reaching people now that we would never ever have reached.
David Mckeown 13:23
Yeah.
Sam Mooney 13:25
If you see our heart for the heights video, which is up on youtube, there's the procolor plug, soul church.com But there's a story in there of a lady called SAR Mike and saw Mike was in an abusive relationship. I can share this because she shared it. So it's I thought there and we went to a certain hostel which he was in Detroit declared herself homeless. And she was getting a food box every week. She then in our boxes that you'll see the guys just packing here. In those boxes we put a Church invite was an invite goes into Church, she started watching online. The appeal went by one Sunday. As it goes, every service, she text back to say those words I have decided that we followed it up. My wife and I ended up having had the privilege of baptising her in the North Sea during the second lockdown. She then like come back in and packs boxes, that her daughter plugged into Church daughter got baptised in August. It's just that story. That's, that's what, that's what it's done. And there's many more stories or stories of people that we can't share at the minute but people getting a box on the doorstep just you know, introduce them to Jesus because that's what it's all about. It's just not food. That this is just a vehicle for us to bring Jesus the city has been an incredible absolutely incredible.
Nathan Benger 14:48
That's amazing. Such an amazing story, Sam and he mentioned in there you know like it was a need. But there are many needs in you know, probably in your city. unlike ours, there are many needs. So was there any intentionality? Was it just the open doors, you know, the favour of God upon it that led you to pick this is the need that we're going to address. This is the need that as a soldier, you're going to, you know, kind of invest into.
Sam Mooney 15:18
We had a foundation, we had a board meeting, just a month before the lockdown. And we decided that we weren't going to expand so pantry. Obviously got other ideas. Yeah. Because we were like, you know, that's not where we see it. And then all of a sudden, COVID head, things happened. But doors open. Yeah. And I think it was, you know, with the, with the chance, then they'll either say, yeah, we'll go through it. And we'll do what needs done. And we'll, we'll stand up and be counted, or we know what we decided not to. So credit to our leaders that, you know, yeah, we just made a decision not to, but it was like, Yeah, we're gonna address the need. So even though we made that decision, well, we're big enough to turn around and say, No. Maybe we got it wrong. Let's go with it. And God clearly opened the doors. Yeah. It's amazing. And I think the thing is that there's always needs, and I think that's where wisdom comes in. And just just seeing where you're at. And the other thing is comparison, don't we? You know, we entered? I'm no, Massey Barnett. He's got more hair than me. And I have no chance of running any marathons. You know, we're the dream centre. We're not set out to do that. That's not what we're doing. We're just addressing the needs of the city. We're at where we are in Norwich and Chesterfield, it's got to be different up there. Maybe some of the needs that you guys have. I think that's where wisdom comes in, just to say, Yep, this is where we're at. This is the needs. Let's, let's just scratch the edge where we're at.
David Mckeown 16:49
Yeah. And there's something there isn't a by Church leadership in the sense of the flexibility of the Church leaders? Because in one sense, Sam, as you said, they had just made that decision. And you can say, well, we've made a decision, we're not going to do anything. But there's something about having a system and a structure that Agile is well, isn't there. I think that's useful. Just think of this idea of some of the challenges at what's been your biggest challenge. Like let's say, somebody is watching their thing, again, we want to do community transformation. We hear the great stories, the fact that you guys are feeding over 30,000 people a week, did you say 30,000 a week,
Sam Mooney 17:30
regular 30,000 meals, so we equated the meals as highly government? Yes. So to date, we've done 2.8 million meals this morning.
David Mckeown 17:40
3.8 million. I mean, that's phenomenal. What's been your biggest challenge though.
Sam Mooney 17:49
I think trying to trying to stay in our lane, and not trying to get ahead of ourselves, okay. Cuz you could always think, well, we're doing this we're going because it's been such fast paced. And it's been Groundhog Day, because every day in here is the same. It's not that you turn up another prayer meeting, or you turn up a nurse, the youth are made a mess in the hole, and you got to clear them. It's the same thing every day and some of our volunteers. In fact, I've got one sneaking behind me now you might see, she'll kill me for that. That's So Esther has been here since day one. And she comes in on her two days off every week. And the consistency of people coming in, we couldn't have done it, either. And that's been one of the biggest challenges. Because as lockdown first one came out of it, second one, we've come out of it, things are getting back to normal, but there's still that need. And so it's not getting ahead of ourselves on one hand, but also keep on doing. And it's the heart sometimes it's the hardest thing, just you know, because it is it's arduous work. It's, you know, it's different than making a cup of coffee or sit down with a couple of folks and like you would do them through Leviticus. Or that theologian. But it's the the hard work that you do every day. And that's why stories like Psalm eyes, for instance, are just so pivotable pivotal to it, because that's what motivates you to keep going.
David Mckeown 19:13
Yeah, great, great grid grid. Stories are and somebody's got to deal with that he gets gentlemen, some people don't have the acumen to touch that. But like that falls on my plate. I'll have to do a drill.
Sam Mooney 19:24
I think, Scott and Scott you written all over it. They're
Nathan Benger 19:28
just just thinking about you volunteers. And aside from Leviticus, just thinking about your volunteers, how have you so you talk about it. It's like the daily grind. It's the same. And you mentioned the stories but how do you keep people you know, focused on the why focused on here's what this is about? In that whole like today, you're going to pack the boxes and it's going to be the same. So how have you managed to do that?
Sam Mooney 19:59
Just keep continual encouragement, continual stories, you know of good news stories will share with the team on a day to day basis, sometimes up to 40. Volunteers are in here a week. Yeah, some of them are regular. Some come in once, and we never see them again. Some come in once, and we're glad not the same again. That's the bit that makes collide. Doesn't we added that. But yeah, I think it's that it's just motivating. It's the why is it's the salvation of our city. Yeah, it is love and action that we are reaching people. And it's keeping the focus of people and not boxes, check it. I've never seen so many chickpeas on all my life. But you know, it's just getting gets getting past the periods is getting past food, but actually what the box is representing.
Nathan Benger 20:48
I think that's so important. Even for somebody who's thinking about this, and you working with volunteers, I think that's just a practical keeping the why I keep the why and tell the stories, I think is important. What are some of the other practical steps that lead us couldn't take or should take if they want to try and start something similar?
Sam Mooney 21:09
I think you start small. We never expected to grow this. When we didn't grow it, it's just happened. It's been a boom for us. You know, it's evolve. Yeah, start small and just do what you can do. You know, we can all do something, we can't do it all, but we can do something. I think if we're just doing something, and you don't have to look too far. You know, I think what we've seen with the food side of what we're doing here, I suppose, especially since we're talking about here today, is that I think this need has always been there. It's just that COVID has exposed it. And one of the biggest things as well as perception. Because you can you can rock up to a house that looks at a nice detached four bedroom house. And you can look and you can see a couple of nice cars in the drive. And you can think, Well, why do they need a foot box? Well, the chances are, maybe they're maxed out on the credit cards, or one of them's maybe lost a job. That they're struggling that the pay the repayments on the two nice cars and the drive. And that's why they need a food box. And so perception practically everything is not as it seems, yeah, where you can go to the highest where the gates are falling apart. And the grass, you've got to, you know, get a tractor and just to get to the front door. And there's all sorts of muck and mess on the road and stuff. But you know what, those people need a box just the same as the people in the big house. Yeah. And so practically, perception, you've got to get past that. But I've actually What you see isn't always the the real story and what's going on behind the doors.
David Mckeown 22:46
Yeah, I think that's great, that sort of sense of starting small. But actually having the right perception where there's no judgement, I like that there's real sense where like, there's no judgement. Because we don't really know what's happening in people's lives, for the fact that you're able to help people in all those situations is remarkable. Really. Yeah, yeah.
Sam Mooney 23:06
I think, you know, some of the folks that we've we've had in the help some of volunteers, it's been as good for some guys coming in here to help. And that's helped them. Some, maybe the mental health element too great. I think of a couple of guys in particular, but actually coming in here, giving them a better routine has actually helped them as well. So it's done good for the people in here. And it has clearly done good for the city in which we live.
David Mckeown 23:34
Yeah. And just think of the city there for a second before we sort of wrap up today. What sort of impact do you think it's hard for you guys, as a local Church in your city doing something like this? You know, has there been some feedback you've got from like, the fear and authority?
Sam Mooney 23:52
Yeah, there has, I think the biggest thing has been credibility.
David Mckeown 23:56
Okay. Brilliant. A lot of think we
Sam Mooney 23:59
can actually we can put that in the bums on seats. Really, I think the biggest thing has been credibility, because the Church is actually stood up and said, we will take the lead. And we've seen that across the country. You know, we've we've, we've had some monies granted to us from an organisation love your neighbour, based out of HTB that has come through from the government dine and I think it's because the Church is actually stood up and said, You know what, we can take a lead. So credibility, yeah, we've seen people come to faith. We've seen people join Church, which is great, but I think just lifting the credibility that these guys aren't us just crazy, that meet in a warehouse and sing and dance and the flashy lights and all the rest of it. That's been great, great, but the Church is actually doing what it says. It's always meant to be doing.
Nathan Benger 24:53
That's amazing. We love to finish by just asking you some Any advice for leader Today, you know, before we wrap wrap this up
Sam Mooney 25:04
any advice? I'd love any advice? Gladly.
David Mckeown 25:11
We can give you advice if that helps. But
Sam Mooney 25:15
I think the comparisons are killer in any form of ministry, any ministry, we do anything involving comparisons, accounting, comparisons, a thief. So I think, you know, you got to stay true to what God's called you to what God wants to do in your city, don't be a cheap replica be the original you. And you know, if we saw Church, so foundation can in any way, help inspire any of the Church that any of the guys are maybe listening watching this podcast, please get in touch. Or check out my email address that really it's all church.com Please get in touch if we can help. We'd love to. We'd also if you've got things that you could show us, please because we have not got all the answers.
David Mckeown 26:04
That's great advice that we can you know, put that out there to leaders and stuff. So I'm just saying to you guys really big well done for all the work you've done and taking that step to be a voice in your city. Because it takes courage and we talk about this is that it's it's just happens but it does take courage and it takes hard work so well done to you met for all that you
Nathan Benger 26:27
have been doing. Amazing.
Sam Mooney 26:29
You don't have to send me that money. No, that's
Nathan Benger 26:33
brilliant. Well, it's been it's been great to have you on some and yeah, it's been fun as well. Which has been amazing and like you said people can get in touch with you summed up Mooney at soul Church calm. Is that right?
Sam Mooney 26:48
That's the one yep,
Nathan Benger 26:49
that's the one. Well, that's been that's the one. Well, it's been great to be together on the church explained podcast. It's been great to have some with us. For anyone who's tuning in, please rate review, subscribe. Wherever you're consuming this content. Don't forget we have all of the IKON Open resources, which you'll find at IKON dot Church forward slash open and we look forward to seeing you next time on the church explained podcast
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
