2nd Sunday of Epiphany – 18 January 2026
Psalm 40:1-11 • Isaiah 49:1-7 • 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 • John 1:29-42
Coming Events to Diarise:
Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 7 February 2026
Denominational Conference 2026 – 23-26 July 2026, Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA. (Registration Open) – To Register, Click Here:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of the Triune God revealed in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This week we continue walking through the season of Epiphany—a season that invites us to pause and reflect on how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was revealed to the people of his time, and how he continues to reveal himself to our world today.
One of the clearest and most powerful revelations of who Jesus is came through the witness of John the Baptist. Even Jesus himself affirmed John’s testimony when he said, “He has testified to the truth” (John 5:33). John knew exactly why he had been sent. His life was not about drawing attention to himself, but about preparing the way for Jesus and pointing others to him.
When religious leaders questioned John about his identity, asking whether he was the Messiah, John answered with humility and clarity. He told them, “I am not the Messiah,” and then added these striking words: “There is one among you whom you do not know” (John 1:26). The very next day, when Jesus appeared, John could not keep silent. He declared, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). And when Jesus passed by again the following day, John repeated the announcement: “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36).
Because John was faithful in testifying to Jesus, people listened. Ordinary men like Andrew and Peter encountered Jesus—and their lives were changed forever—because someone pointed them to him.
That same Jesus has now revealed himself to us. And just as John was sent to testify, we too are sent. Not because we have all the answers, but because we have encountered the Living Christ. This is the heart of why the church exists—not first to maintain structures or programmes, but to joyfully announce Jesus to the world.
Epiphany reminds us that revelation is never meant to stop with us. The Jesus who has been revealed to us is the Jesus the world is longing to see.
My prayer for this week is that we would be attentive and ready—that in everyday conversations, simple moments, and unexpected opportunities, we would gently and confidently testify to Jesus. May our words, our lives, and our love cause others to say, “We want to come and see this Jesus too.” Amen.
PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:
Sick Brethren: Please continue to pray for the brethren who are suffering from various sicknesses.
Aruka: Aruka continues to face serious financial challenges. We need significant volume of bookings in 2026 to keep it afloat. Please pray for the success of Aruka.
Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!
Takalani
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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 7 February 2026
Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 7 February 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 – 28 January 2026.
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.