Prairie Ridge Reformed Church’s Vacation Bible School concluded Friday afternoon after five days of programming that, by most available measures, constituted a success, and by a smaller number of measures constituted a situation requiring further discussion. Twenty-three children attended across the week. Forty-seven juice boxes were consumed. Three craft projects were completed in full. One was completed in spirit only, which Jess Kimball described as “a participation outcome” and Dorothy Vance described as “an incomplete.”

Pastor Williams, who authored the nine-word colon-inclusive VBS theme and delivered the daily teaching sessions, reported to the elder board Tuesday that the children demonstrated “meaningful engagement with the material.” He defined meaningful engagement, when pressed, as attentiveness, follow-up questions, and what he called “theological curiosity appropriate to the developmental stage.” Elder Hoffstead asked for clarification on the developmental stage range. Pastor Williams said four through twelve. Elder Hoffstead said that was a wide range. Pastor Williams agreed that it was.

Two children asked questions that Elder Hoffstead, who observed Thursday’s session from the back of the room, described afterward as “surprisingly sharp.” He did not elaborate on the content of the questions. He did note that he would be following up with the parents of both children, which in Elder Hoffstead terms is an encouraging sign.

The theological question of the week was posed on Wednesday by a seven-year-old attending his first year of VBS, who, following a teaching on the book of Jonah, raised his hand and asked whether the whale was Reformed. Pastor Williams paused for eleven seconds before responding. His answer, which ran four minutes and covered divine sovereignty, creational categories, and the limits of confessional attribution, was received by the child with what witnesses described as polite but total incomprehension. Brandon Keyes, who was present as a volunteer assistant, submitted a written follow-up explanation after the session. The child’s parents have not confirmed receipt.

The snack committee’s provisional goldfish cracker arrangement held through the week. Dorothy Vance confirmed the crackers were “adequate under the circumstances” and stated she would be revisiting the question for next year. The Dispatch notes that this is the closest Dorothy Vance has come to endorsing goldfish crackers and will report any further developments.

Brandon Keyes’s theology pre-screening process for VBS songs flagged three of the nine songs used during the week. Two were flagged for what Brandon called “synergistic anthropological implications” and one for a bridge he described as “worshipful in affect but imprecise in object.” All three songs were used regardless. Brandon filed his objections formally. They are on record.

AT PRESS TIME: The craft station incident — involving a glue gun, a felt banner, and what Haley Novak called “an ambitious design decision” — had been resolved without permanent damage to the fellowship hall wall. The word “permanent” in that sentence is doing considerable work.

DEVELOPING: Caleb Mercer completed his reading of the Prairie Ridge Reformed Church 1992 constitution on Tuesday evening. He has prepared a list of seventeen questions. Elder Hoffstead has been informed. He described the list as thorough and then asked to change the subject.

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