Weekly Update – 10 May 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | May 8, 2026 | News

6^th Sunday of Easter

Psalm 66:8–20 • Acts 17:22–31 • 1 Peter 3:13–22 • John 14:15–21

Coming Events to Diarise:

Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 9 May 2026

Women’s Monthly Bible Study – 12 May 2026

Ascension Day – 14 May 2026

National Church Board – 16-17 May 2026

Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 20 May 2026

Denominational Conference 2026 – 23-26 July 2026, Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Dallas, Texas, USA. (Registration Closed on 15 April)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our ascended Lord, Jesus Christ.

This Sunday is the 6th Sunday of the Easter Season, a season that steadily draws us toward Pentecost which is a powerful reminder that God is not distant, but present with us through his Spirit.

Last week, the RCL passage from Acts reflected on Stephen, who spoke boldly to people who knew the one true God, yet resisted him. This week, we turn to Paul in Athens with a very different audience. The Athenians did not reject God outright; instead, they multiplied their options. They worshipped every god they could find, just in case they might miss the right one. Their sincerity was not in question, but their knowledge was.

Athens was filled with idols. And just in case they had overlooked one, they erected an altar “To the Unknown God.” However, before we dismiss them, we must pause and ask: Are we really that different?

Today, confusion about God is not expressed through statues, but through divided loyalties and spiritual uncertainty. Many live cautiously between beliefs:

· There are those who still appease their ancestors—just in case.

· There are some who attend church—just in case.

· There are those who run after various self-proclaimed prophets—just in case.

· And others are searching online for truth—just in case they are missing something.

The result is not peace of mind. It is restlessness, lack of clarity and confusion.

Brothers and sisters, the resurrection of Jesus Christ has ended the era of the “Unknown God” and “Unseen God.” God has finally made himself known fully and clearly in Jesus Christ. He is not one option among many. He is the revelation of God.

Paul did not leave the Athenians in their uncertainty. He called them to repentance—to turn from guessing about God to knowing him. And that same call comes to us today.

We are not called to hedge our bets spiritually. We are called to commit our hearts fully to the God who has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We need to move from curiosity to conviction, from spiritual “just in case” faith to confident faith, from knowing about God to truly knowing him. Let your faith not be scattered across many voices and choices, but let it be anchored in Christ alone.

Like Paul, I pray for you: “I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. My prayer is that light will flood your hearts…” (Eph. 1:16–18, CEV). May this not remain a prayer only, but become your lived reality.

My prayer for you this week is that you may turn away from all “unknown god” beliefs in your life, and come to know—deeply, personally, and confidently—our Triune God, revealed in Jesus Christ. Amen!

PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:

Protests: Please pray that the current public protests against foreigners do not escalate into civil unrest, and for the safety of those affected.

Offerings: Please remember to pray for the church’s offerings. There has been an improvement in April. We are now 3% (5% end of March) below budget for the period January to April.

Sick Brethren: Please continue to pray for the brethren who are suffering from various sicknesses.

Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!

Takalani

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REPEAT ANNOUNCEMNTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES

Women of Faith Monthly Online Bible Study – 2^nd Tuesday of the month

The National Women’s Ministry has started a women’s monthly bible study every second Tuesday of the month, from 7pm to 8pm. The next Bible Study will be on the 12^th of May. Please diarise it and join.

NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW OVER R1.7 MILLION

The National Building Fund has now exceede R1.7 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 9 May 2026

Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 9 May 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:

· 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 May 2026 issue of the online Face To Face magazine has been published. Please find it here: Face To Face

Hands Held Out

Mission Possible

Stop Doubting and Believe

Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study – 20 May 2026 – Ephesians (Cancelled until 20 May)

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