School’s out for summer, but bible school has only begun.

Many area churches have week-long day camps, or vacation bible schools, this summer, and they’re not all about books and homework either.

Next week, three area churches kick off their week-long activities with some events that aim to keep kids engaged. Part of the reason churches offer camps the week after schools are out is to keep kids engaged while they’re still focused.

“Students are still kind of in a school mode,” said Troy Miller, director of Christian education at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Austin. “They’re still in that mode of listening and obeying, and there’s not as much stuff going on in the summer yet.”

However, St. John’s week-long event can’t quite be considered school. The camp centers around a gold rush, every day from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17. According to Miller, it’s not a gold rush of possessions; it’s about realizing what one already has.

“Lots of things people search after are treasures, but that rock that will never fade away is Jesus Christ, and that’s the message we want to try to communicate to students this next week,” he said.

Unlike Sunday school, St. John’s will employ more hands-on activities that younger kids can remember better through interaction. Like its Stations of the Cross, St. John’s will have stations of bible study, crafts, games and snacks for breaks. At the end of each day, the church will also serve lunch to ease the workload of some parents. Kids will break up into two groups of ages 3 to 5 and another of to-be first-graders through sixth-graders.

“Vacation bible school is a little bit more hands-on — engaging, lively, movement based,” Miller said.

Faith Evangelical Free, has an engaging and lively camp commencing this Friday, and another one from June 13 to 17, as well. Faith’s programs focus on the arts. Friday night, the elementary kids’ Music and Drama camp finishes with a musical at 7 p.m., for which the kids spent all week practicing.

And next week, the Performance arts Camp for middle and high school students will follow the same format, with a final performance on June 17. The entire week allows students to practice what they want, and it gives them solo opportunities to perform.

“It caters more toward the students’ talents and gifts,” said Greg Atkins, youth Pastor at Faith Church. “We want to give our musical high school and middle school students a way to do that.”

Although they’ll practice the arts all week long, the message they’ll receive is different but still faith-based.

“The goal of it is to really elevate our students in terms of building more fellowship with their peers, but also giving them an opportunity to use the gift that God has given them,” Atkins said.

Atkins added the program will also teach them that they don’t have to be the best at something if they want to do it. The program offers unique opportunities in several areas as well. For example, one student, Atkins said, wants to get into music production. The student hasn’t had many opportunities to work hands-on with production equipment, but next week’s camp and performances will offer just that.

While students at Faith Church will learn more about themselves and their peers, students at Westminster Presbyterian’s bible school will learn about others.

Every year, Westminster brings in an outside ministry group that takes charge of the program. For several years, Pathways Day Camp Ministries has organized events for Westminster’s kids. The organization comprises college students, which allows the students to learn from young people.

“It’s very well organized; and having people teach to the children that are more on their age level, it gives the children a mentorship,” said Cinde Goskeson, Christian education director.

This year’s theme, “Every Step,” ties in with the group’s activities, which will be all around Austin. Every day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 13, through June 16, kids will complete various projects, such as sending colorings to soldiers, writing letters, visiting Primrose Homes and Bandshell Park, collecting shoes for Soles 4 Souls and sharing what they’ve learned with their families.

Goskeson hopes that aside from a week of fun activities, the kids will learn it’s good to be around worshippers and that church can be fun, too.

Next week is perhaps the busiest week of summer bible study for Austin, but several other studies happen in the coming months, as well.

Grace Lutheran Church will have a vacation bible study July 25 through 28. St. Augustine and area Catholic churches have teamed up to hold a vacation bible school Aug. 1-5, and First United Methodist Church has moved its summer vacation bible school to Aug. 22 through 25.