Weekly Update – 13 September 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | Sep 11, 2026 | News

16^th Sunday of Pentecost

Psalm 114:1-8 • Exodus 14:19-31 • Romans 14:1-12 • Matthew 18:21-35

Coming Events to Diarise:

Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 12 September 2026

Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 23 September 2026

Singles & Young Adults Retreat – 2- 4 October 2026

Women’s Monthly Bible Study – 13 October 2026

GCI Africa Regional Conference, Harare, Zimbabwe – 11-13 December 2026

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In 1994, South Africa lived through a defining moment as a nation. Our history can never be told without it. This week’s scripture readings point us to another defining moment, this time for the nation of Israel. As the Israelites fled Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his mighty army after them to bring them back. When the people saw the Egyptians closing in, they panicked and cried out to Moses. God told Moses to have them stand still, because He was about to free them permanently. The Red Sea parted, Israel crossed on dry ground, and hours later the entire Egyptian army was swallowed by the sea. For years afterward, Egypt had no army left to chase Israel through the wilderness.

That moment became a defining moment for Israel — a story every Jewish child grows up hearing. They are told of Moses, of the Passover, of the crossing into freedom from slavery. Psalm 114 even sings the story back: “The Red Sea waters saw them coming and ran the other way! Then later, the Jordan River too moved aside so that they could all pass through” (Ps. 114:3 TPT).

Two thousand years ago, another defining moment took place. This time it was not for one nation, but for every nation on earth. It changed the course of history itself. Jesus Christ was hung on a cross. For three hours, from midday, the sun hid its light and darkness covered Judea. The ground shook, graves broke open, and some of the dead rose to life. Three days later, Jesus Himself rose from the grave. That single event is the reason you and I know each other today. Left to ordinary history, we might never have met. I would never have met my wife, with whom I celebrated 32 years of marriage this past Sunday, the 6th. This year would not even be called 2026. Do you see how central Jesus is to everything that has unfolded in the world these last two thousand years?

That is why we call Him Lord. His Lordship stretches over time and space, over all life, and over every human being. As Paul writes, He is “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:6 NIV).

My prayer for us this week is that we would grasp, more fully than ever, just how central our Lord Jesus Christ is — to our lives, and to our world. Hallelujah! Amen!

PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES:

Offerings: Our budgeted income is now 3.2% above budget as at the end of August 2026. It is now 7.9% higher than 2025. Thank you for your continued generosity as God has blessed you. May your blessings overflow.

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

Have a blessed weekend!
Shalom!

Takalani

NATIONAL OFFICE UPDATE

Gill Khoury will be away from 9 – 30 September. Any disbursement requests will be processed as normal by Carrie and Nowakhe. Please let me know if there is anything you need assistance with during that time.

SEP GROCERY DRIVE.

In order to keep the cost of SEP low, we are asking for donations of grocery in kind or cash. If you are able to donate a bag of potatoes, rice or mealie meal, please complete the attached form and indicate your selection. Please add a comment on how many items you are able to provide, for example, 2 bags of 10kg rice, etc. The attached form will guide you on how to indicate your donation. The donation can be delivered to a Pretoria address which we will provide to those who have pledged at the end of November.

SEP Grocery Donations Pledge

https://forms.gle/CX1xJjXzSrMccgnd7

SINGLES & YOUNG ADULTS RETREAT.

A Singles and Young Adults Retreat is being planned as follows:

Date: 2-4 October 2026

Venue: Aruka, Bela Bela

Cost: R1600 per person, including all meals, plus a complimentary copy of Marriage is Not Obsolete by Pastor Takalani Musekwa. To book, please complete the booking form here: Singles & Young Adults Retreat.

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

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REPEAT ANNOUNCEMENTS NOT TO BE READ IN CHURCH SERVICES

Women of Faith Monthly Online Bible Study – 2^ndTuesday 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 13^thof October. Please diarise it and join.

NATIONAL BUILDING FUND NOW OVER R1.7 MILLION

The National Building Fund has now exceeded R1.775 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 12 September 2026

Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 12 September 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:

· September 12

· October 10

· November 7

· December 12

Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study – 23 September 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