4th Sunday of Advent – 21 December 2025
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19 • Isaiah 7:10–16 • Romans 1:1–7 • Matthew 1:18–25
Coming Events to Diarise:
SEP 2025 – 13 – 20 December 2025
Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 10 January 2026
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 Emmanuel!
As we enter the fourth week of Advent, we pause to marvel again at what truly happened two thousand years ago. Christmas is not merely a story to be remembered. It is a staggering, world-changing event. God did not remain distant. He decided to come and be with us. He came to be among us, and astonishingly, to be one of us.
This is the breathtaking truth of the birth of Jesus. The Creator of the universe stepped into his creation. He lived with us, depended on us, and allowed himself to be held, fed, and cared for by us. His name is Emmanuel which means God with us. People saw him with their own eyes, ate with him, embraced him, and spoke with him face to face. As Christians, we do not believe in a distant or invisible God, but in a God who chose to make himself visible, touchable, and knowable.
As the apostle John declares:
“We saw him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon him and heard him speak. Our hands actually touched him… the Living Expression of God… This Life-Giver (God) was made visible, and we have seen him.” (1 John 1:1–3, TPT)
This is the earth-shattering news of Christmas: God has come into our world. Light has entered the darkness. God has stepped into human history and became a historical figure who changed the course of history.
As we approach Christmas Day, may we not rush past this miracle. My prayer for this week is that we would be filled with fresh wonder and deep joy as we embrace the incredible truth of God becoming human—the invisible God becoming visible to us and for us. May He become more visible to you this Christmas! Amen.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
SEP: SEP started last weekend, and finishes this weekend. It has been a blessed time for all our youth who attended camp this year, both as campers and as staff. Please pray that lives are permanently changed, and that everyone travels safely back home on Saturday.
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 as we count down to the end of 2025. Income is still below budget. Please consider offering a once off Thanksgiving Offering for the blessed year we have had that is coming to the end.
Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!
Takalani
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National Office Closure
The National office closed on the 15th of Dec 2025 and will reopen on Jan 05, 2026.
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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.
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 10 January 2026 (2nd Saturday of the Month)
Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 10 January 2026. 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:
· January 10
· February 7
· March 7
· April 11
· May 9
· June 13
· July 11
· August 8
· September 12
· October 10
· November 7
· December 12
DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE OF FACE TO FACE PUBLISHED
Our December 2025 issue of the online Face To Face magazine has been published. Please find it here: Face To Face
Is Christmas pagan or a Gospel Proclamation?
Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study Closed
The biweekly Online Bible study is closed and will resume on 14 January 2026.
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.