Staff Spotlight: Annie Michel
HOMETOWN: Edina
FAMILY: husband, Geoff; married 27 years; daughters Ellie (23), Lexie (21), Olivia (19), and Cassie (18) and son, James (5/20-5/22/1995).
HOBBIES: singing, reading, baking, going for long walks
GUILTY PLEASURE: chocolate and sweets; spending an afternoon reading a book
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG: “Mary, Did You Know?”
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL: Come Let us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp
How did you come to CPC?
I grew up and got married at Colonial Church, but after we got married, Geoff and I decided that we wanted to find a church for us. So we were going to do the big church search. A friend from high school recommended CPC, so we decided to try it out that first Sunday . . . and we never left!
Tell us about your role at Pathway bookstore.
The mission of Pathway is to be a resource for drawing people closer to Jesus. That includes coming alongside staff to help them with their ministries and studies, as well as our congregation. And now with so many Christian bookstores closing, we are serving even more people outside our congregation.
We are both a service and a ministry. The Pathway staff are often the first face and interaction that people have as they come to CPC during the week, so our ministry is being available to listen to people. They might be looking for a card to celebrate a birth or a wedding, or they might come in for really hard reasons—a sister’s kid just passed away or a neighbor’s son committed suicide or they are dealing with an aging parent. They are looking for a gift or a resource . . . or simply looking to share with someone. I’m grateful to be in a position where I can meet people in their joy and in their hard places.
Share about your faith journey.
I grew up in a Christian home and was always super involved in Sunday school and with the youth group. When I was eight, I heard a sermon by the pastor at Colonial. I don’t remember what exactly he talked about that day, but he must have said something about having Christ come into your life. And that afternoon, sitting on a swing in my backyard, I asked Jesus into my heart. The simplicity of that can seem boring, but I’ve learned that it’s a good story! I’m just so thankful for the fact that my parents knew Jesus and talked about Him at home and that I attended a church that taught about having a personal relationship with Him. And then to come to CPC, where I’ve had so many opportunities to grow and to serve others.
What are you learning about now in your walk with Jesus?
I tend to try to do things on my own—I’m a huge perfectionist, which is really hard when you are a Christ follower, because following Jesus is all about how we need Him and can’t do life on our own. I need to remind myself that it’s not about me and trying to be perfect, it’s about listening and loving Him and knowing that He’s got me. I’m working on letting Jesus lead me and to love people and see people with His eyes.
Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition in your family?
Cookies and more cookies. Lots of baking goes on in our house! But my favorite tradition is that each year we go caroling and deliver cookies with a group of CPCers. We visit people from our church, and it’s such a wonderful experience to hear their stories and to be invited into their homes and lives.
Annie Michel serves as Assistant Manager of Pathway Books.