This comes up in a minor way in later chapters, but I have to say I can sort of see Pam not wanting to tell the vicar that Nicola doesn't want to come to church because she's not sure she believes, and "she can't think up a new excuse for me every Sunday or come clean and hurt his poor feelings" and on the other hand think it's demented that "Actually my daughter's having a bit of a crisis of faith at the moment" is something far too embarrassing to mention to the vicar.