Weekly Update – 15 March 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | Mar 13, 2026 | News

4^th Sunday of Easter Preparation

Psalm 23:1-6 · 1 Samuel 16:1-13 · Ephesians 5:8-14 · John 9:1-41

Coming Events to Diarise:

Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 11 April 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.

Before becoming one of the most influential evangelists in history, D. L. Moody was an uneducated shoe salesman with poor grammar. Many people doubted that someone like him could be used powerfully in ministry. Yet God saw something that the people around D. L. Moody missed—a heart fully devoted to Him. Through that heart, Moody reached millions with the gospel.

When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel naturally looked for someone who looked like a king. When he saw Eliab, David’s older brother, he thought to himself, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” Eliab had the height, the presence, and the appearance that seemed suitable for leadership.

But God interrupted Samuel’s assumptions with a powerful correction: “Do not consider his appearance or his height… The Lord does not look at the things people look at.” (1 Sam. 16:7)

As human beings we are easily impressed by what we can see—education, confidence, charisma, age, social standing, or outward strength. Yet God sees something deeper. God sees the heart.

When Samuel finally anointed David, it must have seemed surprising to those who were watching. David was the youngest son, a shepherd boy who had not even been invited to the gathering. Yet God had already seen something in David that others had missed—a heart that was responsive to Him.

This passage carries an important lesson for all of us, especially those entrusted with leadership in the church. For pastors and ministry leaders, this reminds us not to evaluate people only by outward appearance. Some of the people God is calling into ministry may not initially look like the obvious candidates. They may be quiet, young, inexperienced, or overlooked by others. Yet God may already be at work in their hearts. Our task is to prayerfully discern where the Spirit of God is moving and help nurture those whom God is calling.

For all of us as members of the church, this passage is also deeply encouraging. Sometimes we rule ourselves out of serving God because we feel we do not have the right background, personality, education, or confidence. We compare ourselves with others and conclude that God must surely prefer someone else. But God’s calling has never been based on outward appearance. God calls people whose hearts are open to Him.

If God could call a shepherd boy from the fields and raise him to become king, then none of us should disqualify ourselves from being used by Him. The question God asks is not, “How impressive do you look?” The question God asks is, “What is in your heart?”

My prayer this week is that we may all learn to see people the way God sees them—beyond appearances, beyond first impressions, and into the place where God is shaping hearts for His purposes. 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 11 April 2026

Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 11 April 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:

· 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