About

Poiema exists to help everyone we meet gain a deeper understanding of how they are both seen by God as His handiwork or masterpiece, and blessed with a purpose, or ‘vocation’, flowing from who He has made them to be.  This vision is based on Ephesians Chapter 2, verse 10, in the Bible:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The name of the community, Poiema, is derived from the Greek word for handiwork in this verse.

The Community is led by Andrea and Pete Ward.  During a sabbatical in 2015, Andrea and Pete spent time with both traditional and ‘new’ monastic communities, and the germs of an idea to create such a community in the Lake District were planted – if God opened a door for that to happen.  In late 2020, a conversation started with the Carlisle Diocese about the possibility of using the Vicarage in Loweswater, and a consensus quickly formed that this seemed to be the way God was leading us.  Many months later, and after some miraculous spiritual breakthroughs, Andrea and Pete received the keys to Poiema in January 2023.  Almost a year of renovations followed, the highest priority of which was the decoration and dedication of our chapel, so that we could begin the three times daily pattern of prayer, which is one of the cornerstones of our Community life.  Residential retreats formally started in November 2023, by which time we were also exploring a dispersed community aspect of the work of Poiema, too.

The life of the Poiema Community is assisted and enhanced by several volunteers and community explorers, without whom the work of Poiema would be impossible.

In terms of background, Pete has been deeply connected with Houses of Prayer and New Monastic Communities since the 1990’s, and for his day job, leads that stream of 24-7 Prayer’s Communities Network.  Having been around the 24-7 Prayer movement since the very beginning, he was one of the founders of the Reading Boiler Room, 24-7 Prayer’s first House of Prayer.  As a member of a dispersed New Monastic order, the Order of the Mustard Seed, he was part of the team that created the Order’s constitution and membership formation process, serving as their Associate Convener until 2023.  He is also a trained Spiritual Director.  Pete is passionate about seeing New Monastic Communities and other Houses of Prayer flourish in who God is calling them to be.

Prior to moving up to Cumbria, Andrea was in church leadership for 18 years in the Anglican church, and (back in the day!) served with YWAM Scotland.  Andrea’s personal journey over the past few years has given her a passion to see God’s people strengthened in their identity in Christ and their God-given vocation.  She is a Spiritual Director trained in the Ignatian tradition, and is a member of the Order of the Mustard Seed. 

Andrea and Pete are both licensed by the Diocese of Carlisle, in the Church of England.