Who we are
Poiema Microchurch Temecula is a network of small, home-based churches gathering in the Sommers Bend community and beyond. We are people who love Jesus and believe that authentic Christian community is worth pursuing — even when the surrounding culture makes it incredibly difficult.
We are not a program. We are not a building. We are a community of people learning to follow Jesus together in the everyday rhythms of life — around tables, in living rooms, over shared meals.
Our story
Poiema Temecula was planted out of a conviction that the church Jesus described — participatory, Spirit-led, gathered in homes — is not just an ancient memory but a living possibility today. After decades of ministry experience across different cultures and contexts, our planter Tom brought that conviction to the Temecula Valley, beginning in the Discovery neighborhood of Sommers Bend.
The name, "Poiema" comes from the original Greek Paul uses for the word "masterpiece" in Ephesians 2:10. In its most basic form, it means "something made" and gives us English words such as poem and poetry. Paul uses this word to teach that each of us is uniquely created by God with a specific intent and purpose.
For us, the name, Poiema, describes a community of discovery. We believe as God's masterpiece you have beauty. You have value. You have a reason for your being. Our desire is to walk with one another as we learn our unique worth as God's created.
Who leads us
Tom — Church Planter
Tom brings over three decades of ministry experience and a unique cross-cultural perspective shaped by years living and serving overseas. His upbringing in community-oriented cultures gave him a deep instinct for genuine community — the kind where words mean commitments and neighbors are natural friends. He planted Poiema Temecula out of a conviction that this kind of community is exactly what the American church, and the American suburb, most desperately needs.
Our Network
Poiema Temecula is part of the broader Poiema Network, planted in relationship with and under the oversight of Poiema OC. We are not independent — we believe accountability and relationship across the Network make us stronger, more sustainable, and more faithful.