Les & Carolyn King
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When Carolyn and Les King visited Kingwood Christian Church in late 1997, they were welcomed by an exuberant Karen Cueni Tillett, who greeted them after the service.
That afternoon, Al Bilderback stopped by their house with a loaf of bread to welcome them. They had visited a few other churches in Kingwood, but none offered that kind of extravagant welcome. |
Anne Amis & Jaime Retamales
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Volunteer work led Anne Amis and Jaime Retamales to each other.
Years later, being neighborly led them to Kingwood Christian Church. Anne was a Jesuit Volunteer Corps member working as a social worker at a shelter in Arica, Chile, when she met Jaime in 1998. Jaime, a native of Arica, was working for a non-profit when he started volunteering at the shelter, Hogar de Christo (House of Christ). |
Dennis & Peggy Cook
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Dennis and Peggy Cook have belonged to Kingwood Christian Church since the church began on May 1, 1977, with a meeting at Frank and Joyce Coupal’s home.
When the Coupals advertised the idea of starting a Disciples church in Kingwood, it made sense for the Cooks to get involved. Dennis was raised in a Disciples church, but the closest congregations were in Cypress Creek or downtown Houston. |
Tiffany & Rogji Setia
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Tiffany and Rogji Setia joined Kingwood Christian Church in November of 2018, shortly after The Table service began.
Rogji, who owns an air conditioning business, heard about the church’s new contemporary service from Belinda Walls and Marianne Creveling, who were his customers. Although Rogji had grown up going to church, he hadn’t been to one in years. |
Susan & Raymond Diehl
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Ray and Sue Diehl moved to Texas to be closer to their daughter’s family. They left most of their extended family in New Jersey, where they’d spent much of their lives.
Little did they know they’d find a church that feels like family when they were introduced to Kingwood Christian Church in 2017. They learned about the church from Linda and Larry Gentry, who are their daughter Kim’s neighbors. |
Dennis & Kathy Moody
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Kathy and Dennis Moody were searching for a church home that was welcoming and inclusive when an online post brought them to Kingwood Christian Church about a year and a half ago.
“In the beginning we were just trying it out, we were leery,” Kathy said. “We were looking for like-minded people. We had gone to many churches, and gotten involved. We’re used to being way involved in our church. Then we would find out things that we didn’t agree with - like racial discrimination.” |
Kathy & Dave Johnson
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When Kathy Johnson joined Kingwood Christian Church in 2001, she was returning to her roots.
Both she and her husband, Dave, were raised and married in a Disciples Church in Speedway, Ind., home of the Indy 500 just outside of Indianapolis. They met in high school. Although Dave went to Purdue and Kathy went to Indiana University, they stayed together and have been married 55 years. “We were big rivals but got married anyway,” Dave laughed. |
Brenda & Wendy Hampton
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“I grew up in church, from birth to the time I left home,” she said. “It’s always been a part of who I am.”
When she and her wife, Brenda, had twin boys, she wanted church to be part of their lives too. But until a friend told her about Kingwood Christian Church in 2019, they had a hard time finding a church in Kingwood that was welcoming for their family. |
Ryan Nelson-Paryag
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When Ryan Nelson Paryag was growing up in Grenada, he saw many examples of people who gave of themselves without asking anything in return.
“That’s what I decided I want to do,” he said. His long history of volunteer work at Kingwood Christian Church is proof that he’s meeting that goal. He handled the church’s AV work for 28 years, after moving to Texas in 1994. He facilitated the installation of the big screens that the congregation now takes for granted every Sunday. He was a licensed electrician in Grenada so he had the know-how when he got here and jumped right into church volunteer life. |
Betty Garber
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Dozens of children who have grown up in Kingwood Christian Church have been lucky to hear Bible stories from Betty Garber.
She helps kids relate to Bible characters as real people. “When I was growing up, some of the Bible stories were taught in a fantastical way. But these people were supposed to be real people, so I teach them as real people. If they’re having political problems, I say they’re having problems with the government. Those Romans!” |