10th Sunday after Pentecost – 17 August 2025
Psalm 80:1–2, 8–19 • Isaiah 5:1–7 • Hebrews 11:29–12:2 • Luke 12:49–56
Coming Events to Diarise:
Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 13 September 2025
Annual General Meeting – 31 August 2025
Regional Leadership Conference – 5 – 7 December 2025
SEP 2025 – 13 – 20 December 2025
Denominational Conference 2026 – 23-26 July 2026, Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When last did you pause to truly reflect on your baptism? Do you remember what it meant for you then, and what it still means for you now? For many, baptism is remembered as a joyful, symbolic event; a public declaration of faith. But its meaning runs far deeper.
Sadly, some churches teach that when you come to Christ and are baptized, all your problems will vanish. They preach a gospel of comfort, that God’s highest desire is for us to live our “best life now.” But that is not the message Jesus gave us.
One of this week’s scriptures is Luke 12:49–56. In it, Jesus says:
“But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!”
For Jesus, this baptism was not about water. It was about the cross. It was the suffering, rejection, and death he would endure for our salvation. When we are baptized, we are united with him in that death. As Paul writes in Romans 6, we are buried with Christ in baptism and raised with him to new life. Baptism is both a promise of resurrection and a call to a life of daily cross-bearing, a life where we deny ourselves and follow him, no matter the cost.
If God were to give us everything our hearts desired in this life, we might easily forget to long for his kingdom. Many people think their lives would be better if only they had more money, better health, a different relationship status, a certain career, or even a certain age. Yet nothing in this world, no matter how good it seems; can come close to the life of the kingdom of God. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
The truth is, even the very best moments of this life will one day look pale and empty compared to the joy of the kingdom. And the hardest struggles of this life will fade like a bad dream when we awaken in the fullness of God’s presence.
My prayer for us this week is that we never stop yearning for what truly matters. “Your kingdom come.” Amen.!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Sick Brethren: Please continue to pray for the brethren who are suffering from various sicknesses.
Offerings: Please continue to pray for the offerings and needs of the church in 2025. Our income in the first six months was 8.3% below budget.
Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!
Takalani
Regional Leadership Conference – 5 – 7 December 2025
We are pleased to announce a Special Regional Leadership Conference taking place from 5 to 7 December 2025 at Aruka.
GCI President, Dr. Greg Williams, and his wife Susan will be joining us as the special guests, along with the Superintendent for Africa, Pastor Kalengule Kaoma and all Africa Regional Directors.
A special worship service is scheduled for Sunday, 7 December, and all members are warmly invited to attend. Please watch out for more details soon.
SPIRITUAL EQUIPPING PROGRAM (SEP) 2025 – Applications Open
Applications for SEP 2025 are open. The closing date for applications is 21 September 2025. A non-refundable deposit of R600 is payable by 30 September 2025. The balance is payable by 31 October.
Please read the terms and conditions on the application form. The application form must be completed online by computer or mobile phone. To access the application forms click below:
Camper Application Form 2025 (13-18 years)
Vacation Bible School Form (9-12 Years)
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REPEAT ANNOUNCEMNTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES
NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW OVER R1.4 MILLION
The National Building Fund has now passed R1.4 million. The balances for the various congregation are as follows as at the end of July 2025:
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 13 September 2025 (2nd Saturday of the Month)
Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 13 September 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:
· September 13
· October 11
· November 8
· December 13
JULY 2025 ISSUE OF FACE TO FACE PUBLISHED
Our July 2025 issue of the online Face To Face magazine has been published. Please find it here: Face To Face
He is more than Enough
God’s Grace
Growing Older
Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study
Next Bible Study on 20 August 2025
Please diarise and join the biweekly Online Bible study every second Wednesday at 19:00. The current series is: The Book of Proverbs.
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.