📢 Parish Notices
- The SECOND COLLECTION this weekend is for Mission Sunday (PMS) Collection.
- The 2027 BENEDICT DASWA Bible Diaries are available in the Repository. They are on sale for R150 each.
🙏 A Prayer for our Students
Dear God, we pray for our 2026 Matriculants and all students preparing for exams.
Calm their nerves, focus their minds and guide their thoughts.
Help them to recall what they have learned and to apply it with wisdom.
Give them Strength, Confidence and Peace.
May their efforts be fruitful and may they glorify You in all they do.
We ask all of these things in Jesus name.
AMEN.
Parish Census
Dear Parishioners, our parish census continues.
We kindly ask every family & individual members to complete the census form.
The Negative Impact of Gossip in the Church/Workplace
[mitratech.com]
“Have you ever walked past a room or place while at church/work and noticed a small group of people speaking in low, hushed tones? There’s a good chance that they might be engaging in gossip.”
While gossip may appear harmless, it can be very destructive, especially for the person who serves as its unwitting target.
According to one study gossip is 2.7 times more likely to be harmful than positive, it’s easy to see how damaging it can be. And negative chatter tends to spread quickly and can infiltrate the entire church/organization.
How to identify Gossip when you hear it?
- The conversationalists seem to be taking pleasure in the misfortune suffered by another person
- The conversation is taking a negative tone or appears to be perpetuating conflict
- You would be uncomfortable telling what you’ve heard to the person being discussed by the individuals
- You’re hearing unsubstantiated rumors about another person’s life, status, work or personality
The harmful effects of gossip
- Erosion of trust: trust is essential to creating a positive environment, gossip erodes trust. All who engage in it will wonder if the others are gossiping about them too. Will the person targeted find out and never trust them again
- Low morale: gossiping creates a backstabbing environment that can become an unbearable place to be in; and leads to low morale putting the church/organization in an unproductive state
- Hindering teamwork: gossip is detrimental in situations that require collaboration. When people find out they are less likely to want to collaborate or work together – creating a toxic environment
- Litigation: When gossip turns malicious, the individual being gossiped about may view it as harassment – it could lead to a lawsuit which damages the reputation of all
- Disciplinary action: gossip doesn’t always involve a personal attack against another; it can also entail disclosing sensitive or proprietary information to others who should not have access to it – this can result in violation of privacy or policy and can lead to disciplinary action.
Several actions to take to prevent getting caught up in destructive gossip
- Change the subject
- Say something positive
- Address the perpetrator
- Talk to the person in charge
“Before you spread gossip about somebody’s life and their failures; remember there are chapters of your life you don’t want read out loud either”
🤝 Hospitality Ministry
We are in the process of establishing a Hospitality Ministry to create a welcoming, reverent, safe and inclusive atmosphere, making all visitors and parishioners feel welcome, comfortable and at home.
If you feel you would like to help us achieve this, please contact either:
Paula Lang: 0828968913
Debbie Derby-Lewis: 0829403232
We would love to hear from you.
