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Dear AFM Colleague,
1. PENTECOSTAL WEEK AND PENTECOST SUNDAY
May has been a significant month for the AFM of SA. The AFM was birthed on 25 May 1908. It turned 111 years old on 25 May 2019. The 2019 Ascension Day was yesterday, 30 May 2019. Today (31 May 2019) the Pentecostal Week begins. It will continue until the Pentecost Sunday on 9 June 2019.
Pentecostal Week is a ten-day period which begins on the day following the Ascension Day and concludes on the tenth day which is traditionally known as Pentecost Sunday. Pentecostal Week is the Christian commemoration of the ten days leading to the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:4-5 (NIV) we read: “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with (or in) water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with (or in) the Holy Spirit.”
He said the above words after he had been with them for forty (40) days post his resurrection. My appeal to all pastors and AFM congregations is that we should make use of the Pentecostal week as a time of reflection on the significance of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Where possible let us have services that will focus on Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) and the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Pentecostal Sunday is the celebration of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). If you read the Old Testament, you will discover that Pentecost was one of the Jewish feast days. The Jews did not call it Pentecost (which is the Greek word for fifty). The Jews called it the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. We read about it in five places in the first five books of the Bible. These are Exodus 23, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16. It was the celebration of the beginning of the early weeks of harvest.
Many Christian churches observe Pentecost Sunday not to celebrate a wheat harvest, but to remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Let us make use of 9 June 2019 as a time of celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
2. INVITATION TO THE AFM NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Remember that the AFM National Conference will be in Cape Town at the Lighthouse Ministries, 275 Voortrekker Road, Parow. The theme is “Rooted in Christ”. It will start with the evening service on Sunday, 15 September and conclude with the evening service on Wednesday, 18 September 2019.
Apart from the inspirational evening services, there will also be PCD (Pastoral Continuous Development) sessions that will focus on those issues that are necessary for a pastor’s spiritual growth. It will cover “Prayer” presented by Suzette Hattingh, “Succession” by Dr. Anthony Jacobs and “Church Planting” by Danie Vermeulen. It will also include a session focused on the needs of Pastor’s wives.
You can find more information about the conference at:
http://afm-ags.org/
https://www.facebook.com/AFMOFSA/
Online registrations are also now accepted:
https://afm.easychurch.co.za/?page_id=365
We are looking forward to see you at the conference!
Blessings
M.G. Mahlobo