3rd Sunday of Easter Preparation
Psalm 95:1–11 • Exodus 17:1–7 • Romans 5:1–11 • John 4:5–42
Coming Events to Diarise:
Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 7March 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.
The Easter weekend is now only four weeks away. God willing, Margaret and I will spend this sacred time in the city of Musoma in Tanzania. We have been invited to attend the official opening of a church building that has been under construction for the past few years. It is always a joyful moment when a congregation sees the fruit of years of prayer, sacrifice, and faith become a place where God’s people can gather for worship.
Across parts of our continent, churches are required—like other organisations—to have a formal physical address in order to operate. In some places, the absence of a recognised place of meeting has even led to churches being closed down, as we have recently seen in Rwanda.
In the modern legal world, a physical address is not merely a convenience—it is often a requirement. Individuals cannot open bank accounts, obtain cell phone services, or conduct many ordinary aspects of life without a recognised address. Organisations face the same reality. For this reason, part of our vision as a church is to ensure that our congregations have stable and recognised places where they can meet, worship, and serve their communities, rather than constantly moving from place to place.
Yet we must remember something even more profound. During Jesus’ time, the great debate between Jews and Samaritans was about the correct address for worship. Should it be on Mount Gerizim, or in the temple in Jerusalem? When the Samaritan woman asked Jesus this question, his response lifted the conversation to a higher level. He said that a time was coming when true worship would not be confined to a particular mountain or temple, but would be offered in Spirit and in truth.
Because of Christ, we do not make pilgrimages to a single holy location. Wherever the Spirit of God is present, God is there among his people. We ourselves have become the temple of God. When believers gather together, whatever place they occupy becomes a place where God is worshipped.
At the same time, the New Testament reminds us that while the Spirit dwells in each of us individually, we are also God’s temple together. Each of us is like a living stone in a spiritual building that God himself is constructing. A church building therefore becomes a visible testimony of a deeper reality: God’s people gathered, rooted in a community, and shining the light of Christ in that place.
As we count down to Easter, I want to encourage all our congregations to prepare meaningfully for this sacred season. The crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus are the central events of our faith. They are not ordinary moments that should pass as just another weekend with a Sunday service. They are moments for reflection, worship, celebration, and proclamation.
I encourage every congregation to consider how they might mark the Easter weekend with special worship gatherings, moments of reflection, and opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with their communities.
My prayer this week is that God will inspire and bless the plans that each of our churches are making for the celebration of the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. May this season renew our faith, strengthen our fellowship, and deepen our commitment to the mission God has given us. Amen!
PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:
Sick Brethren: Please continue to pray for the brethren who are suffering from various sicknesses.
Easter Celebrations: As we count down to the Easter celebrations, please pray that we may all personally and collectively experience God’s goodness that are revealed through the cross and the resurrection. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!
Takalani
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REPEAT ANNOUNCEMNTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES
NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW ABOUT R1.6 MILLION
The National Building Fund has now reached R1.6 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 March 2026
Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 7 March 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:
· March 7
· April 11
· May 9
· June 13
· July 11
· August 8
· September 12
· October 10
· November 7
· December 12
February 2026 ISSUE OF FACE TO FACE PUBLISHED
Our February 2026 issue of the online Face To Face magazine has been published. Please find it here: Face To Face
Parable of the Vineyard Workers
The Church Is A Temple
I Will Hold Your Hand
Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study – 4 March 2026 – New Series on Ephesians
Please diarise and join the biweekly Online Bible study every second Wednesday at 19:00. The current series is: The Book of Ephesians.
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.