Wheat Ridge Ministries, through its Center for Urban Education Ministries, sponsored a special "Flock of Eagles Gatherings" for 20 outstanding Lutheran urban elementary school administrators.

The goal of the "Flock of Eagles" gathering was to recognize and encourage the attendees for their strong leadership in challenging circumstances.  The forum gave participants the opportunity to network and share experiences with others with similar passion and expertise and allowed them to consider the ingredients that make up a successful urban Lutheran school.

Attendees were selected from a pool of nominees submitted by national educational leaders and possess the qualities of:  faith facilitator, instructional leader, person of wellness, team minded, risk taker, person of vision and person of accountability.

The first "Flock of Eagles" event took place in late November 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"It was both extremely inspiring and informative to be a part of the conversations that took place throughout the weekend," said Dr. Richard Herman, president of Wheat Ridge Ministries.  "Each of these educators is a dedicated and talented servant of the Lord who is bringing health and hope to the lives of children and families in highly urban settings.  I am very pleased that this initial event for the Center for Urban Education Ministries was valued by the participants and that Wheat Ridge Ministries was able to recognize and honor their significant ministry efforts."

2006 "Flock of Eagles" attendees were:

• Philip Amt, Bethlehem Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Jack Bartels, Ascension Lutheran School, Landover Hills, Maryland
• Bettye Brown, Trinity Lutheran School, Mobile, Alabama
• Teresa Bustos, Redeemer Lutheran School, South Gate, California
• Aaron Dickerson, Christ Lutheran School, East Point, Georgia
• Gary Dittmar, Lakewood Lutheran School, Lakewood, Ohio
• Robert Groth, Emmaus Lutheran School, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Christine Hauge, Leif Ericson Day School, Brooklyn, New York
• Jeffrey Howell, St. Paul Lutheran School, Chicago, Illinois
• Sandra Kalin, Bethel Lutheran School, St. Louis, Missouri
• Donna Lucas, Zion Lutheran School, Glendale, California
• Carrie Miller, Mt. Calvary Lutheran School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Paul Miller, Unity Lutheran Christian Elementary School, East St. Louis, Illinois
• Sue Ophardt, St. John Lutheran School, Cleveland, Ohio
• Sue Schiller, St. Paul Lutheran School, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Dave (Roy) Siefker, Detroit Urban Lutheran School, Detroit, Michigan
• Margaret Stuenkel, Luther Memorial School, Cleveland, Ohio
• Henry Tyson, St. Marcus Lutheran School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Michael Williams, Redeemer Lutheran School, Glendale, New York
• Sarah Wippich, Trinity First Lutheran School, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"I am honored to have been included with such a talented group of individuals," said Carrie Miller, principal of Mt. Calvary Lutheran School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  "It was wonderful to be able to network with others in similar ministry circumstances as me.  The time to discuss, share and learn from each other was much more valuable than many administrative/ teacher conferences I've attended."

"It was a mountain-top experience for me," said Phil Amt, principal of Bethlehem Lutheran School, Fort Wayne, Indiana.  "I could have spent additional hours 'around the table,' listening to the uniqueness of the ministries.  Realistically, this event could have gone on an additional day and no one would have minded."