Ketchum Prepares to Launch Grand Lake Christian School

On Nov. 16, 1907, the joining of Oklahoma and Native American territories was complete—Oklahoma had achieved statehood.

Three months earlier, just 64 miles northeast of Tulsa, 30 children walked to school to meet their teacher, Thomas Baker. For a town made up mostly of farmers and ranchers, Ketchum Adventist School had a surprising number of students in grades one through eight.

To have a school where kids could grow in academic learning and spiritual instruction was a triumphant moment for the Adventist families who had dreamed of having a place for their children to experience wholistic education.

Through the years, Ketchum Adventist School went through peaks and valleys, the most notable being the fire of 1916 that rendered the building unusable and the closure of the school after the 2020 pandemic.

The church members, some of whom attended the school themselves, were deeply saddened by its closing. “Jesus has always been the focus for teachers of the Adventist schools I have attended,” said Kathy Beats, a longtime church member who attended seventh grade at the school. “I always felt welcomed and included, which wasn’t the case at public school.” 

The 9,000+ sq. ft. building remained in great condition, complete with children’s books, toys and a full-size gymnasium. They had the space—now was the time to plan what to do with it.

“With such a need in the community for daycares, pre-K, and kindergarten options, we knew just what to do,” said Kris Knott, who has served as the Ketchum Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor for about a year.

Members gathered at the school building to clean, organize, decorate, redo carpets and bathrooms, pray, plan and meet with professionals to get their school open to students from pre-Kindergarten through grade 8.

“Church members have worked really hard to get this together,” shared Knott. “We even built a 3D tree in our story room.” 

The building is ready, but now comes the hard part—finding the kids. The school needs to have 10 full-time students by August 2025.

Teresa Kelchner, an expert in revitalizing Adventist schools, was hired to help facilitate these plans. One idea she suggested was to start with a weekly story hour at the school building to get  local families in the door.

The first Family Storytime led by Ketchum church volunteers took place in October 2024. Children and families meet every Wednesday at 10 a.m. for stories, games and fun. The fourth Wednesday of the month is reserved for “Discovery Days,” which feature everything from scavenger hunts to animal encounters. 

“We are so excited to have kids here,” exclaimed Beats, “and be right in the middle of what God is doing with this school!”

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