Slave Lake Koinonia Christian School,
Slave Lake

Slave Lake is a prosperous town situated on the southeast corner of Lesser Slave Lake. The lake itself has many miles of beautiful sand beaches and shallow water which warms quickly on hot summer days. The surrounding forest is home to moose, deer, bear, elk, and a host of smaller forms of wildlife. The town has a population of approximately 8000, mostly young families whose income is derived from oil, gas, or lumbering. Many families come, stay for about five years, and move south to what they perceive as a “better” place to live. About a 2 1/2 hour drive from Edmonton, the town is very attractive with a shopping mall, Walmart, Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire.

The vision for Slave Lake Koinonia Christian School was given to a man named Gordon Ferguson a local accountant and business man. Together with other like-minded Christians in Slave Lake, he met with Dennis Punter and plans were made to open the school in September of 1993. Land was leased on the south side of Highway 2, within town boundaries but in an area undeveloped. Two portables with a connecting hall were purchased from a Christian school in Ponoka. The school opened in the basement of the local Abundant Life Assembly church as the portables had not yet been moved to Slave Lake. Three teachers and twenty-nine students, grades one to eight, along with a volunteer secretary, began the first year.

Within a few weeks the move was made to private land in Gloryland where it was situated until the Fall of 2010. With Gloryland just getting services students and teachers often had to be possessed with a pioneer spirit during the first year. Portable toilets were used well into November. Sometimes the road from the highway to the school (about one kilometer long) was impassible and students and teachers would have to walk part way in. Although the classrooms were warm, the secretary sat with a portable heater at her feet as she ran the school from her office in a nearby “shop”. Enthusiasm ran high, however. No sacrifice seemed too great. The Christian school was up and running!

Many changes have occurred over the years; the most recent being a move into the center of downtown Slave Lake. God has provided us with a more than adequate building which will meet our current and future needs, as well as the needs of some community groups who need a space to conduct their activities. This has afforded us greater access to community service which is an integral part of our mission statement. The school continues to work closely with a number of organizations including The Northern Haven Women’s Shelter, The Salvation Army and the Vanderwell Heritage Center for Seniors. New additions to our weekly chapel times include Community Outreach and Prayer Groups in which our senior students develop leadership skills.
God is faithful. Many students, teachers and parents have grown spiritually throughout these years as God has met our needs. A number of our students have been on short-term missions. God is good. He has provided us with blessings beyond our needs. God is love. It is this love that we seek to share with each other and with others in the community.
The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Psalms 126:3