A Name, A Story, and A Hope for Our School

March 27, 2025

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13

I don’t remember being born. I don’t think many people do, but I know the date—June 10, 1976. A quick search tells me that Tim Kneale won the 49th National Spelling Bee that day with the word narcolepsy (a skill that, unfortunately, did not transfer to my own spelling abilities). The number one song was Paul McCartney and Wings’ Silly Love Songs. Which, if I’m honest, might explain my sappy tendencies. It was also the bicentennial year for our country, a momentous occasion, though I can’t say that fact had any bearing on my infancy.

I was born at Mercy Hospital in Mason City, Iowa, and brought home to a modest acreage outside of Manly, Iowa. There, I spent my childhood, shaped by the quiet rhythms of small-town life. I was baptized as an infant at Trinity Lutheran Church and given the name Jason B Miner. And yes, that middle name is just the letter B—no period. I’ve repeated that explanation countless times, and I always enjoy the confused looks when people insist on punctuating something that was never meant to be punctuated.

As I looked into it, I found that this middle name has been a tradition in my family, given to the firstborn Miner son for at least three generations. But with me, the line ends. I have all daughters. So, when my time on earth is done, someone can finally put a period after the B—the sentence will be complete.

Why do I share this? Because names tell stories, and stories shape who we are. As I step into this season of transition at our school, I find myself thinking a lot about the story we are writing together.

Heritage Christian Academy is not just a school. It’s a community, a family, a place where students are known, loved, and nurtured to reach their God-given potential. My heart for this school is rooted in hope—hope that our students will not only grow in knowledge but also in faith, character, and purpose. Hope that every child, regardless of background or ability, will find belonging here. Hope that, as we continue forward, we will build on the strong foundation laid before us and step boldly into the future God is preparing for us.

Transitions can be challenging, but they are also opportunities—opportunities to reflect, refine, and renew our commitment to the mission God has given us. My prayer is that, in this time of change, we remain steadfast in our calling to provide an education that is Christ-centered, academically excellent, and deeply relational.

I invite you to join me in this next chapter, not just as parents, students, or faculty, but as fellow storytellers shaping a legacy of faith and learning. Together, let’s continue building a school that embodies the hope and love of Christ, one student at a time.

Thank you for walking this journey with me. The story is still being written, and I am grateful to be writing it with all of you.

In Christ,
Jason B Miner (still no period…yet)

Jason Miner

Jason Miner, Chief Administrator at Heritage Christian Academy, has been serving and leading in Christian education since 2009.  Partnering with families to raise their kids to become lifelong servants of Christ and achieve their God given potential.