Jamie Miller
Describe yourself in 5 adjectives.
Honest, loyal, trustworthy, bold, adventurous
Tell us about your family and how long you’ve been at Calvary.
I have been married to Ryan Miller for 19 years. I am a stay-at-home mom. We have two children who were adopted at birth through New Life Family Services. We are so thankful for God’s provisions and blessings over our courageous birth mothers who chose life. Our daughter Norah Noelle is 14 years old and Ethan James is 11 years old.
We are a homeschooling family of 10 years that loves family, nature, animals, travel, and good food.
Share a core childhood memory and a bit about your younger years and places you’ve lived.
I grew up in northern Minnesota about 1.5 hours from International Falls. It was a small town called Hines filled with 90 people, a post office, and a lumber yard. Mind you, your neighbor was about 1/4 of a mile away. It was a magical place to live as a child, where my brother and I were free to roam and explore for miles. I learned how to ride my bike on dirt roads, to duck/pheasant hunt, to fish, and how to help grow a garden and preserve food. We raised chickens, burned ditches, caught nightcrawlers, climbed trees, drove 3-wheelers, and swam in lakes. By 7th grade, I ran a chainsaw and drove a stick shift to my dad’s sawmill (and so much more). I also had a younger sister who was not old enough to venture with us. These were all life skills that I didn’t think about as a child because it’s just what we did, but now I understand their value. In 9th grade, my father moved up the ranks in his field of wastewater, and we turned to city living by moving to Pine Island. My parents still live there today.
If you had no limitations, what would you do with your life?
I would travel to remote places of the world and take photographs.
What are you most passionate about?
I love seeing people grow in any area of their lives and watching the change that transpires in them, teaching children basic skills for life and school, and coaching or leading physical activities for children.
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
Fall is my favorite season and hiking is number one.
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
My favorite holiday is Christmas, with the birth of the Savior, and more specifically, what His birth meant for me personally. Every year I do Advent with my children. Remembering. I love being with my faraway family, fresh falling snow, warm drinks, layers of clothes, homes with twinkling lights, and the glow of the Christmas tree.
Share one thing that you love to do that you get to do nearly every day.
That’s simple. If you know me at all you know how I love to take a nap every single day. I am early to bed and early to rise. Sleep is so lovely.
What do you appreciate about Calvary, and where do you serve?
We came about 10 years ago now. Wow, where does the time go? It was a transition from a small local church, and one that provided more depth in many ways from sheer numbers, multi-generational ages, and families that looked like ours from the adoption and homeschool perspective. It has been a blessing to our whole family.
I have served in many roles in children’s ministry from babies to high schoolers over the years. Since returning to the church building post-Covid, I have shifted gears to our Funeral Committee. I love coming alongside families and serving them as they grieve and celebrate the life of a loved one. We don’t always know how we inspire others when we are alive but this is a time when those stories come out. It’s always a blessing and honor to help celebrate who that person was and meant to others. I am always inspired to be more intentional and a better person here on earth by these stories.
Carolyn Whitford
Describe yourself in 5 adjectives.
I asked my husband and son, and they came up with these adjectives: kind, patient, caring, organized, and hospitable.
Tell us about your family and how long you’ve been at Calvary.
My husband Kevin and I have been married 37 years. We have 3 adult children: Sarah (Marc) in Evanston, IL; Daniel in Rochester; and Bryan (Jillian) in Roseville, MN. Soon we will be grandparents! Bryan and Jillian are expecting a baby boy in mid-November. We have been at Calvary for 17 years now.
Share a core childhood memory and a bit about your younger years and places you’ve lived.
A favorite childhood memory was our annual fall family reunion at the city park in Winterset, Iowa. I loved seeing my grandparents, aunts, uncles and our cousins. After a huge picnic dinner, we would hike to the stone tower in the park. The views of the rolling hillside with the colorful fall leaves from the top of the tower were so spectacular!
I grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa. I lived there until I went to college at Iowa State University in Ames and later to the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Kevin and I met our senior year at Iowa State in the biochemistry lab. We were lab partners. We never realized that we would be married someday! We married in 1986 after I finished Physician Assistant school. Kevin still had one year left of medical school. I worked as a PA as Kevin finished medical school and then later residency in Kansas City. Then we moved to Ames, Iowa, for Kevin to start working in a group private practice. All our children were born in Ames. We lived in Ames until 2000 when we moved once more to Rochester for work at Mayo Clinic.
What are you most passionate about?
I enjoy meeting people and hearing stories about their life. I also enjoy cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting, reading, and playing the piano.
What are your favorite outdoor activities?
My favorite outdoor activities are walking our Sheltie, hiking, gardening, and cross-country skiing.
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
One of my favorite holiday traditions is making Christmas cookies and decorating them with our family. I also love the candlelight Christmas Eve service.
Share one thing that you love to do that you get to do nearly every day.
I love to start the day with coffee with my husband and then spending time in prayer and reading/studying the Bible.
What do you appreciate about Calvary, and where do you serve?
I love the great expository preaching at Calvary. I love the people. Everyone is so encouraging and supportive. The pastors have such a heart for Jesus. I really appreciate this. Over the years, I have worked in AWANA and VBS. We have helped with the Children’s Heart Project and hosted several children. I also have helped with the refugee care ministry. I am a leader for the Precept women’s Bible study in Renovaré. Kevin and I are part of a small group also. Calvary has so many wonderful ministries and opportunities to serve Jesus.