Weekly Update – 28 June 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | Jun 26, 2026 | News

5^th Sunday of Pentecost

Psalm 89:1–4, 15–18 • Jeremiah 28:5–9 • Romans 6:12–23 • Matthew 10:40–42

Coming Events to Diarise:

Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 1 July 2026

Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 11 July 2026

Women’s Monthly Bible Study – 14 July 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 Triune God.

Singing praises to God is one of the central elements of our weekly gatherings. When we gather as the church, we do not only come to listen to a sermon or to receive announcements. We come to worship the living God with our whole being—our hearts, our minds, our voices, and even our bodies. Without worship in song, our gatherings can easily become talk shops rather than celebrations of the goodness and faithfulness of God.

As we continue to think about building a healthy Hope Avenue ministry, we must not neglect the ministry of worship through song and dance. Worship helps us lift our eyes above our circumstances and remember who God is. It reminds us that we are not simply attending a meeting; we are joining the saints and the angels in declaring the greatness of our God.

Psalm 89 invites us into this kind of worship:

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.”(v. 1-2)

According to the psalmist, when we sing, we are making God’s faithfulness known. We are not informing God of something he does not know. We are reminding one another of what is true. Just as we preach to one another, we also sing to one another. Sometimes God speaks to our hearts through a song even before the sermon is preached. A line from a hymn, a chorus, or a worship song can strengthen our faith, comfort our pain, renew our hope, and remind us that God’s love stands firm forever.

That is why the songs we sing matter. We should be mindful of the words we place on the lips of the congregation. Our songs should proclaim the gospel, declare the faithfulness of God, and help us respond to him with gratitude, joy, reverence, and hope.

Paul reminds us of the purpose of our singing when he says:

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:19–20)

So, as you go to church each week, remember why we sing. Do not simply wait for the singing to end so that the “main part” of the service can begin. Worship in song is not a filler. It is not an opening item. It is not entertainment. It is a holy invitation to celebrate God’s love, proclaim his faithfulness, and encourage one another in Christ.

My prayer this week is that we will elevate our worship in song to what it is meant to be. May we sing with understanding. May we sing with joy. May we sing with gratitude. May we sing as people who have tasted the goodness of God and cannot keep silent. Let us sing of the Lord’s great love forever. Amen!

PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:

Offerings: Please remember to pray for the church’s offerings. There has been a drop in May. We are now 3.7% (3% end of April) below budget for the period January to May.

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 14^th of July. Please diarise it and join.

NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW OVER R1.7 MILLION

The National Building Fund has now exceeded 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 11 July 2026

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

· July 11

· August 8

· September 12

· October 10

· November 7

· December 12

May 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 – 1 July 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