Weekly Update – 17 May 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | May 15, 2026 | News

7^th Sunday of Easter (Ascension Sunday)

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 • Acts 1:6-14 • 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11 • John 17:1-11

Coming Events to Diarise:

National Church Board – 16-17 May 2026

Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 20 May 2026

Women’s Monthly Bible Study – 9 June 2026

Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 13 June 2026

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

Women’s Retreat 2026 – 4-6 September 2026

Spiritual Equipping Program (SEP) – 12-19 December 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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

This Sunday is the 7th Sunday of the Easter Season, which concludes next Sunday with Pentecost. As I mentioned in last week’s update, we are now in Ascension Week. Sadly, many Christians are not even aware that the church throughout the world remembers and celebrates the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Yet the ascension is not a minor detail in the gospel story. It is one of the great saving acts of God. Without the ascension, the story of salvation is incomplete.

The Christian calendar exists because human beings forget. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly commanded his people: “Remember.” Remember the Exodus. Remember the covenant. Remember the Lord your God. Why? Because forgetfulness is one of humanity’s deepest spiritual problems. When people forget God’s acts, they slowly drift away from the reality of who they are and whose they are.

That is why the church walks through the life of Christ every year. Advent reminds us that Christ came for us. Christmas reminds us that the Son of God became one of us. Epiphany reminds us that he revealed God to the world. Lent reminds us to repent and follow him. Easter reminds us that he conquered sin and death. Ascension reminds us that humanity has been taken into the very presence of the Father in Christ. Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon the church.

These are not empty religious traditions. They are teaching tools for the people of God. They continually bring us back to the gospel. They remind us that salvation is not merely about forgiveness of sins, but about our union with Christ in every aspect of his saving work.

The apostle Paul says that we were crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, raised with Christ, and even seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). Think about that! The ascension of Jesus is not simply about Jesus going somewhere far away. It is about humanity, in Christ, being lifted into fellowship with the Father. In Jesus, humanity now sits at the right hand of God.

This means our lives can no longer be defined merely by earthly fears, anxieties, ambitions, and divisions. Our true life is hidden with Christ in God. We belong to another kingdom. We are citizens of heaven even while living on earth. The ascension tells us that Christ reigns now. He is not struggling for authority. He has already been enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords.

If we forget these realities, we begin to live as though we are abandoned, defeated, or without hope. We begin to define ourselves by our failures, our suffering, our politics, our tribes, our fears, or our material circumstances. But when we remember Christ and his saving acts, our vision changes. We remember that we are baptized into Christ, united to him, and destined for glory.

Even after walking with Christ for more than 41 years, I still need to remember. Every year I must once again hear the gospel story. I must remember that Jesus was born for me, lived for me, died for me, was buried for me, rose again for me, ascended for me, and will return for me. The Christian life is not about moving beyond the gospel; it is about going deeper into it.

And one day, the story will reach its glorious conclusion. Christ will return. The kingdoms of this world will pass away. Death itself will die. Time as we know it will give way to eternity. As John describes in Revelation, there will be no more night, for the Lord himself will be our light. What a hope! What a future awaits the children of God!

So brothers and sisters, let us not be people who forget. Let us REMEMBER. Let us remember Christ every season of the year. Let us teach these truths diligently to our children, our congregations, and our communities. Let us live daily in the reality that we are already seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father.

My prayer for all of us this week is that the Holy Spirit may open our eyes to see where our true life is hidden, and that our thinking, our conduct, our worship, our relationships, and our witness may reflect the reality that we belong to the ascended Christ, who reigns forever and ever. Amen!

PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:

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

Women’s Retreat 2026

The Women’s Retreat 2026 will be held as follows:

Date: 4-6 September 2026

Venue: Rocklands Centre, Simon’s Town, Cape Town

Cost: R1,600, payments due by 31 July

Registration Form

Further details: Speak to your local Women’s Ministry Coordinators for payment details. There are no private rooms available, only shared accommodation. Bedding is supplied. Bring own towels.

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REPEAT ANNOUNCEMENTS 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 9^th of June. 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 13 June 2026

Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 13 June 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:

· 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

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