Weekly Update – 4 October 2026

by Takalani Musekwa | Oct 2, 2026 | News

19^th Sunday of Pentecost

Psalm 19:1–14 • Exodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20 • Philippians 3:4b–14 • Matthew 21:33–46

Coming Events to Diarise:

Singles & Young Adults Retreat – 2- 4 October 2026

Bi-weekly Online Bible Study – 7 October 2026

Monthly Day of Prayer & Fasting – 10 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 this week’s Gospel passage we are reminded of one of the key themes of the Bible. The picture of a vineyard runs right through Scripture. Through Isaiah, God gives a love song about a vineyard he had planted with great care, and then he told us what it meant: “The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). Jesus took up the same picture and made it personal: “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). In Christ the vineyard has been renewed and widened, and today it includes us, the church.

In Matthew 21:33–46, a landowner plants a vineyard, rents it to tenants and goes away. At harvest time he sends servants to collect his fruit, and the tenants beat and kill them. Last of all he sends his son, and they kill him too. Then Jesus asks: “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” (Matthew 21:40)

His listeners answered that the owner will give the vineyard “to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time” (v. 41), not realising that they were the tenants who were unfaithful.

The vineyard has always belonged to God. We didn’t plant it and we can’t make it grow. Yet the owner has chosen to entrust it to us, the members of his church. Your congregation, the youth, the couples preparing for marriage, the member who can no longer attend and the neighbour who doesn’t yet know Jesus are all part of the vineyard in our care.

This is sobering, but it is also an honour. The owner trusts us, and he has given us everything we need: his Word, his Spirit and one another.

The parable doesn’t end in judgement alone. “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v. 42). Jesus is the faithful Tenant who gave the Father all the fruit of an obedient life on our behalf. We don’t tend the vineyard to earn our place in it. We tend it because we already belong to him and his life flows through us like branches to a vine.

So the owner’s question need not make us afraid. It wakes us up and reminds us that the harvest is real and our faithfulness counts.

“Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God”(Romans 14:12). Picture that day as the owner walking through his vineyard with you, seeing the fruit you helped bring in and saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Which part of the vineyard has God placed in our hands? What fruit is he looking for? Where have we been absent tenants?

Brothers and sisters, the work in God’s vineyard across Southern Africa is bearing fruit. Every prayer, visit and Bible study, every young person mentored, every offering given, is tending to the vines that belong to the Lord, and none of it is wasted. Let’s be faithful, fruitful and joyful tenants, drawing our life from the Vine.

My prayer for this week is that we may all be diligent tenants of God’s vineyard, and produce the fruit he is expecting from us. 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

SEP GROCERY DRIVE UPDATE

Thank you to those who have already pledged to support the SEP Grocery drive. The following items have been pledged to date:

Items	Kg, Litres Estimates	Pledged
Mealie meal	30kg (10kg bags)	2
Rice	10kg (1 x 10kg bag)	3
Samp	10kg (4×2.5kg bags)	1
Flour	10kg (2x5kg)	1
Longlife milk 6 pack	48	1
Baked beans	20 tins	20
Apples	2 boxes	2
Campers		2

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.

NB: Please see at the bottom of this update for the quantities required for each item, and what has already been pledged.

SEP Grocery Donations Pledge

https://forms.gle/CX1xJjXzSrMccgnd7

SINGLES & YOUNG ADULTS RETREAT.

A Singles and Young Adults Retreat is taking place this weekend at Aruka. Please pray for a successful retreat, and safe travels.

SPIRITUAL EQUIPPING PROGRAM (SEP) 2026 – Applications Open

Applications for SEP 2026 have closed. A non-refundable deposit of R600 was 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 10 October 2026

Our next Day of Prayer and Fasting is on Saturday 10 October 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:

· October 10

· November 7

· December 12

Online Bi-Weekly Bible Study – 7 October 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