What is your worst mistake you have made in ministry?
No, not bad mistake, I mean really funny mistake.
Mine still makes me break out into a cold sweat. It is not the worst I have seen though, get ready for a Countdown. This is number 3, numbers one and two will make your toes curl!
Anyhow: I was doing notices, and a scrap of paper is thrust into my hand.
It reads: "Katie & Jon Pervy - new baby..." with details of birth weight etc.
I knew this new couple, and was eager to make sure they felt welcome. They had recently had a child, and we always try to welcome babies.
But I was not sure about the name. Pervy? That can't really be right can it?
So I passed the note to my colleague Terry, "what does this say?"
"Katie and John Pervy" came the reply. "P-E-R-V-Y, yep, Pervy is their name."
So with great warmth and kindness I welcomed Mr and Mrs Pervy back after the birth of their beautiful daughter, and everyone gave them a nice round of applause and they felt genuinely welcomed to the Church.
Over coffee I made my way to the family who had a small queue of people forming excitedly wanting to see the new child.
"Hi, great to see you, what a lovely baby"
"Thanks for welcoming us so warmly" he said shaking my hand firmly.
"No worries I said, we are delighted you're here and like to welcome all new additions that way"
"Great he said. Just one thing though"
A pause.
"My name is Perry"
3 comments:
Did you reference it the next week and apologise and get the name right? Because that would have been hilarious too.
Yes!!! This had me practically rolling around helpless with laughing. I am on a prayer rota at church, and about once a month, I lead the intercessions. I have also received little bits of paper with scrawled names on- usually last minute additions to the prayers for those who are ill. So far I haven't had one to rival "Pervy/Perry"- but there's time! ;-) Really enjoying this series. It does us all good to laugh! Pauline
In my previous church we got returning and retiring missionaries to Africa up the front to pray for them and at the end of the prayer they handed me a long stick with a wooden round handle on the end "Charles we brought you back a present... this is a bonking stick!!!!" I bit my lip so hard it bled..everyone else laughed the missionaries wondered what they had said! happy memories!
Charles
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