First Sunday of Easter Preparation – 9 March 2025
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 · Deuteronomy 26:1-11 · Romans 10:8b-13 · Luke 4:1-13
Coming Events to Diarise:
Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 8 March 2025
Pastoral Conference: 20-23 March 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The season of Easter preparation starts this week. It is traditionally associated with Jesus’ fasting for forty days in the wilderness. It is through that period in the wilderness that Jesus was prepared for ministry. It was when he came back from the wilderness that he started his earthy ministry.
Historically, Christians have also used this time to embark on various kinds of fasts as they prepared themselves for the Easter celebrations, and often baptisms as well which took place at Easter. Baptism symbolises our being crucified with Jesus. We don’t just call this period Easter preparation – we must prepare ourselves to remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus instituted the communion meal, he said “Do this in remembrance of me”.
Although we remember Jesus each day, during the Easter period we spend time remembering or commemorating him in a special way. Special occasions require preparation and anticipation.
This Saturday is our monthly day of prayer and fasting. Perhaps as part of your Easter preparation you may embark on a “40-day fast” until Easter as well, starting this weekend. You may choose to fast from eating breakfast, or eating lunch, or eating supper. You may fast from television or entertainment in general or anything that is a comfort and a weakness for you. Jesus “was tempted by the devil for forty days” (Lk. 4:2 NLT). Yes, for 40 days – that’s five weeks of being subjected to various temptations by the devil every day.
When you fast from something that you are used to, it will be daily temptation for the next 40 days. It is hard, but it is cleansing and it brings our bodies under our control. That’s self-control – a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer for this week is that we may all spend the next 40 days of Easter preparation intentionally preparing ourselves to remember the events of Holy Week. Amen
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Building Fund: Please continue to pray for our building fund and other financial needs of the church in 2025.
Pastoral Conference 2025: Please pray for the pastoral conference coming up in March 2025.
Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!
Takalani
___________________________
REPEAT ANNOUNCEMNTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES
NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW OVER R1.2 MILLION
The National Building Fund has now passed R1.2 million. The balances for the various congregation are as follows as at the end of December 2024:
Please support your congregation’s Building Fund by contributing additional offerings monthly or once off to the dedicated bank account as follows:
· Bank: First National Bank (FNB)
· Name: GCI Building Fund
· Account No: 6304 180 7835
· Deposit Reference: Name and Surname
You can also fundraise as a group or alone. You may have items that you no longer need or use which you can pawn and donate the funds, or approach friends and family who may be able to donate to the fund. If you need a letter to request donations please feel free to contact me.
Monthly Day of Prayer and Fasting –Saturday 8 March 2025 (2nd Saturday of the Month)
Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 8 March 2025. Please see the dates for the rest of the year below, and diarise accordingly.
Please find some video links on Prayer and Fasting if you want to know more. Here are the links:
1. Fasting- The Forgotten Spiritual Discipline – https://youtu.be/7MgrVj_w9sY
2. Fasting Questions and Answers 1 – https://youtu.be/Mkk3U2KvPHg
3. Fasting Questions and Answers 2 – https://youtu.be/CghD-uxBbFk
4. Fasting Question and Answer #3 – https://youtu.be/ajKaWRgreLw (Question #3: How should I fast? Are there different types of fasts?)
Future Days of Prayer and Fasting:
· March 8
· April 12
· May 10
· June 14
· Jul 12
· August 9
· September 13
· October 11
· November 8
· December 13
January 2025 ISSUE OF FACE TO FACE PUBLISHED
Our January 2025 issue of the online Face To Face magazine has been published. Please find it here: Face To Face
Resolve to do good
The Light and the Darkness
Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study
Next Bible Study on 19 March 2025
Please diarise and join the biweekly Online Bible study every second Wednesday at 19:00. The current series is: The Book of Acts.
To connect to the biweekly Bible Study, here are the details: Click
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89054374373?pwd=NFZVaFJjVGxqQjc5K0YyeWEzVVZMUT09
OR enter the details below to join the meeting:
Meeting ID: 890 5437 4373
Passcode: GCI2021
Time: 19:00
OFFERINGS: (should Christians pay a tithe?)
Even though some churches are not able to meet, we urge you to continue to give your weekly Thanksgiving offering that you would normally give during church services. The bank details for EFT and Cash deposits are below:
The Banking details for both the weekly Thanksgiving Offerings and the monthly Freewill Offerings are as follows:
EFT PAYMENTS
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL-S.A –
Account No: 593 800 27523 – FNB Current Account Number
Ref. NameSurname Church
Please reference your offering so that we can send a receipt.
CASH PAYMENTS
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL-S.A –
FNB Account No: 74451599946
Account Type: 32 Day Notice account
Ref. NameSurname Church
Please reference your offering so that we can send a receipt.