Christian bookstore amid first Christmas season, feeling enhanced connection to community and purpose

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on December 18, 2024.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Over half a year since opening, and in the swing of their first Christmas, owners of Christian bookstore Believe Books are feeling profoundly blessed.

The story begins, says owner Renée Michiel, with inspiration from the Holy Spirit, to create a space where Christians of all denominations could find materials to learn and aid in their faith.

“The Lord just kind of gave me a vision, and I needed probably, like 30 confirmations before I could be sure that it was from him,” said Michiel. From there, she explained, came sign after sign, from prayer gatherings with her women’s ministry to their now iconic space unexpectedly becoming available for rent.

Michiel says that after the Book Nook closed, many members of the community had commented that it was a loss they felt keenly, and now often mention the old store to her when they come in.

As it is, Believe Books is something of a spiritual successor, allowing for the faith community of the city to find their favourite books and other goods, as well as get a tactile sense for things such as bibles before purchase.

“I feel like people really missed it, and there was a space that just hadn’t been filled. So people were shopping on Amazon, and I think for quite a few years that seemed appealing and convenient for people, but then you don’t get the experience of feeling a bible, especially,” said Michiel. “Sometimes things would come and they would be an unexpected size or an unexpected texture. And so I think more and more people were kind of missing that tangible aspect of a retail store.”

Support for the store has been phenomenal, Michiel says, especially as they move into the Christmas season, which has been busy in the best way.

“This time of year, it holds so much meaning to us,” said Michiel. “It’s so filled with grace and love, and we just feel blessed to be able to celebrate the true meaning of the season with our city.”

As they continue to get word out about their business and gather more of a community for this additional space for Christians, Michiel says the store will likely continue to grow and change based on the needs of the community, though they can’t say what that will look like just yet.

“When we first opened, we kept canvassing everyone who came in here, asking them to write down their most beloved books, and we tried to bring in them all,” said Michiel. Since then, the ‘suggestion’ box has become a place to collect prayer requests. “Now, when people come in and they say, ‘Wow, you have a really vast, diverse selection,’ we always say that’s because it’s a compilation of the community’s recommendations. So I think that’s just a testament that it’s not me and my husband who made this store what it is, it was first and foremost God, and then the Christian community, that has helped kind of create it.”

Believe Books and its iconic blue storefront is located at 62B Third St. NE.

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