Crane Community Chapel to host vacation Bible school for area children

At Crane Community Chapel in Austin, a long-standing focus on youth has created a strong community of worshippers.

The church began in 1935 when John Hormel bought a piece of property to be a Sunday school parish for kids. Seventy-six years later, the church still focuses on bonding youth with Christ.

Ask Roxanne Dunham, Christian education director at Crane. Though her title shows she’s qualified to speak about youth programs within the church, her experiences tell more. Dunham started attending Crane when she was 7 years old and has never left. Now, at 58, she heads a youth program at Crane so busy, she can’t always remember everything that’s going on. But she clearly understands the church’s goal. Crane has used a decades-long approach that keeps young people close to God, even when they’re working, going to school or tackling other busy schedules.

“Our main goal is to introduce these children and teens to Jesus,” she said. “We want them to know Jesus; we want them to follow Jesus and have a personal relationship with him. And in order to do that they need to have many opportunities to be exposed to the gospel, so that’s why we offer so many different venues for them to do that.”

From Aug. 14 to 19, Crane will have its vacation bible school, Kickin’ it Old School, where kids to adults will all experience something fun. There will be games, snacks, stories, prizes, music and a picnic for families at the end.

“It’s kind of reintroducing the next generation to some of the traditional songs and teachings of the church, but doing it in a way that reaches them in a style that they understand,” said Pastor Dale Christiansen.

Though many churches hold vacation bible schools each summer, Cranes vacation bible school is only a sliver of its youth program. Like other churches, Crane has Sunday school. But Crane’s Sunday school runs all year long — broken up into different sessions with the seasons.

“Our children’s programs are heavily emphasized, and we run that all year long,” Dunham said about yearlong Sunday school.

Dunham said yearlong programs combined with special events create a support system for youth, so the gospel stays in their daily lives. Furthermore, Crane encourages new members to get involved with the youth programs, volunteer or make themselves available to kids.

“The new ones who come, they immediately also see the importance and the emphasis (on youth),” Dunham said. “They usually get involved in some way, too.”

The system Crane has built over the years has never failed, either. The once small Sunday school expanded to a full church. As a lifelong Crane member herself, Dunham has seen plenty of others remain faithful to the church and their beliefs. She continues to watch it through many of those members’ children.

“It’s amazing to watch that history,” she said.

Among Sunday and vacation bible schools, Crane completed a mission trip in South Dakota this summer, will hold a program through the youth-supporting group known as Awana next month, and will also have a fishing trip for youngsters at the end of this month. They may be busy, but they’re using the system that has worked for decades.

“It’s always been that way,” Dunham said. “We have always provided these venues for children and teens.”

Whether Crane’s youths stay in the church, quit, or leave temporarily, they will take something with them. No matter what they do in life, Dunham said, they are going to remember their religion.