Weekly Update – Trinity Sunday 31 May 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | May 29, 2026 | News

Trinity Sunday

Psalm 8:1–9 • Genesis 1:1–2:4a • Matthew 28:16–20 • 2 Corinthians 13:11–13

Coming Events to Diarise:

Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 3 June 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 the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, which is celebrated every year on the Sunday after Pentecost. As I have mentioned before, the Christian calendar is a discipleship tool. For centuries, the church has used it to teach the people of God about Jesus Christ, his saving work, and the life we share in him.

Trinity Sunday reminds us that the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ is not distant, lonely, or impersonal. He is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — three persons, yet one God. This is not merely a doctrine to be explained; it is a truth to be worshipped, celebrated, and lived.

Many ancient civilisations believed in many gods who were always fighting against one another. Their gods were often portrayed as jealous, selfish, and competing for power. There is no real love in such gods — only domination, fear, and conflict.

Others believed in one god, but imagined him as a solitary being, alone in the universe before creation. Such a god would need to create in order to have someone to love. But the God revealed in Jesus Christ is very different. God did not become loving after creating human beings. God is love from all eternity.

Before anything was created, the Father loved the Son in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Son loved the Father. The Spirit shared and expressed that eternal communion of love. God is not loneliness. God is not isolation. God is eternal relationship, eternal communion, eternal love.

This means that when God created humanity, he did not create us because he lacked something. He created us out of the overflow of his love. We were made to share in the love that already existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This is why the gospel is such good news. The Father does not love us apart from Christ, as though we are strangers trying to earn his attention. The Father loves us in Christ. Through Jesus, we are brought into the love the Father has always had for his Son. In Christ, we become children of God and co-heirs with him.

That means the Father does not have two different kinds of love — one for Jesus and a lesser one for us. In Christ, we are included in the Son’s relationship with the Father. We are embraced by the same love, welcomed into the same fellowship, and drawn by the Spirit into the life of God.

This is why the Trinity matters. It tells us who God is, and it tells us who we are because we were created in his image. We are not accidents. We are not outsiders. We are not spiritual orphans. We are beloved children of the Father, included in Christ, and held by the Holy Spirit.

And because we are created in the image of this triune God, we are called to reflect his life in our relationships. If God is communion, we cannot live in isolation. If God is love, we cannot live in hatred. If God is unity without confusion and distinction without division, then the church must become a community where love, unity, humility, and mutual honour are visible.

As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, let us remember that the Christian life is not merely about believing correct doctrines. It is about being drawn into the life of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit — and then reflecting that divine love in the way we treat one another.

My prayer this week is that we may become living images of the God we worship: one God, three persons, perfect love. 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

SPIRITUAL EQUIPPING PROGRAM (SEP) 2026 – Applications Open

Applications for SEP 2026 are open. The closing date for applications is 27 September 2026. A non-refundable deposit of R600 is payable by 30 September 2026. The balance is payable by 31 October.

Please read the terms and conditions, camper and staff fees, and other details on the application form. The application form must be completed online by computer or mobile phone. To access the relevant application form click below:

Camper Application Form 2025 (13-18 years)

Vacation Bible School Form (9-12 Years)

Staff Application Form

___________________________

REPEAT ANNOUNCEMNTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES

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.

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 – 3 June 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