MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Riverside Community Church reported 47 salvation decisions at the conclusion of its annual Vacation Bible School program last Friday, while church administration confirmed that attendance records account for one child.
The decisions were recorded during the closing program of the five-day event, themed "Deep Sea Discovery: Diving Into God's Love," through a show-of-hands count conducted by children's ministry director Patricia Wallen, 44. Wallen asked children to raise their hands if they had prayed to accept Jesus during the week. Forty-seven hands were raised.
Total registered attendance for the week was 48 children. One child, identified in registration records as Cody Burnett, age 7, was present for all five days and did not raise his hand.
"We had an incredible week," said Wallen. "The kids were really engaged, especially on Thursday when we did the Jonah craft."
The church's newsletter reported the 47 decisions as the highest single-week salvation count in the ministry's 14-year history, surpassing the previous record of 31 decisions set in 2019, when registered attendance was 33 children.
Wallen said the church plans to follow up with families over the summer to discuss next steps in each child's faith journey. A list of participating families has been requested from the registration coordinator.
The registration coordinator position is currently vacant.