Grapevine communications role in our churches

Grapevine communications in our parish helps the place tick over. In it's healthiest forms it happens when someone passes on news that they heard "johnny was sick and in hospital". For those involved in visiting the sick, a few discrete phone-calls can lead to finding out the truth of the matter and, if in fact,Johnny has been taken ill then he can be visited at home to see if he needs any help. Sudden or unexpected illness is where the grapevine can be very helpful in caring for the needs of the congregation. Other times it is helpful is when someone starts experiancing financial, emotional or job related hardship. A word on the grapevine can lead to helping someone in real need. This is on top of the normal help organisation that you have official access to as a minister. I see the 'grapevine' supporting the helping organisation work in parishes. It is fast information sharing.
Where it is unhelpful is when there is too much holding onto 'this is my patch' approach to leading in a parish and not sharing your power/knowledge with others that want to grow the parish both spiritually and physically. Where people are left in the dark besides losing interest, they can also get rather disillusioned and antagonistic. This can lead to false or exagerated grapevine rumour mongering or character assasination on the part of those left in the dark, or out of the information loop. This does hinder real community grawth. Another unhelpful spin off of not sharing power/ knowledge is that you as a leader can become increasingly isolated and removed from the very people you are meant to be available to. The result is chaking the life out of the developing of real, life-giving community activities.
A motto is, keep people informed in as many ways as possible.