Melissa Miller and Jamie Lucks prayed together for years prior to becoming business partners. Today, they continue to share their faith with others through their shop, The Nest of Kingwood.
The inspiration
After attending the same church for a while, the two stay-at-home moms became friends through a prayer group, which they said later inspired them to open their own faith-based boutique. The duo opened The Nest in July 2021.
“The vision was a place where people could come, get a cup of coffee, sit, linger and we could pray for them,” Lucks said.
Staying local
Offering complimentary coffee and fresh-baked cookies to all who visit, the boutique sells books, Bibles and devotionals as well as gift items including jewelry, candles, clothing and baby items.
“We’re very intentional about the things [we sell],” Miller said. “We started out purposefully having local artisans ... because we wanted to honor the [talents] that God put in them ... so that’s a big part of our store.”
Additionally, the store offers Bible embossing, complimentary gift wrapping and features a prayer wall where visitors are encouraged to write down their prayer requests, which are then prayed over by the shop owners.
“We have a lot of people come in and say ‘I just feel such peace here,’” Lucks said. “I’ve even had people call and say ‘I need prayer. Can you pray for me?’ And it’s such a blessing.”
Some context
The boutique is located in a former home-turned-business that previously housed a Penske truck rental and later a Christian counseling center. Located along Northpark Drive, Lucks said ongoing road construction has been a challenge for the business in recent years.
“Don’t forget us on Northpark,” Lucks said. “All the businesses—we still need you.”
In addition to the prayer wall, the business hosts prayer groups and Bible studies, which prompted the shop owners to expand with a second building. Located directly behind the original building, the addition offers gathering space for ministry groups and is set to debut a prayer room this fall.
The impact
While the boutique sells mostly Christian items, including items geared toward Spanish speakers, Miller said The Nest welcomes visitors from all walks of life.
“We just invite everyone in and I think common ground is kindness,” Miller said. “We’ve had a few people that come in and say ‘Oh, I’m not religious,’ and we say ‘That’s OK’ and we just build friendships. We’ve built so many friendships along the way.”
