Written by: Erin Georgiou; Editor of JOY! Magazine
This month, we celebrate 20 years of ministry at JOY! Magazine, publishing the Word of God every single month and distributing through supermarkets nationwide. Though the journey has not always been easy, it has been incredibly blessed.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58
As I reflect over the past 20 years, so many profound and happy memories flood my mind. Remembering the calling, the wonderful people, the spiritual mentors, the challenges and the opportunities that arose – all so incredible. How can anyone ever question God’s goodness, support, guidance, strength, and faithfulness?
Steadfast, immovable, always abounding
This Scripture above (1 Cor 15:58) was so motivating and meaningful for me – it drove me to always do my best, to always trust and obey the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit when I doubted my own skills and competencies. I’ve experienced miracles, divine opportunities, unexpected salvations, blessings, and kindness from so many unexplained sources – it could only be God. He sent incredible blessings disguised as staff and opened doors we could never have imagined.
A personal gift of support and loyalty
The greatest gift for me, personally, was to have the privilege of support and loyalty in the form of my two daughters, Jackie and Gillian, who have been part of this ministry for decades. They were educated at excellent schools and then both went on to study journalism (both daughters), political science (Jackie), and English literature (Gillian) at UCT, and later theology through the Lionheart Bible School. With their help and input, we even operated an evening Bible school at the JOY! offices for many years.
Making way for a new era
Then at 65, in a different era, the time came for me to make way for them to take the ministry to new heights. Jackie, together with her husband, Gawie, own and operate JOY! Travel – previously a division of JOY! Magazine but now an autonomous, fully fledged Biblical travel company offering pilgrimage tours to Israel, Turkey, and Greece, and offering inspiring Christian cruises. They share and operate out of the JOY! offices in Somerset West and thus bring their expertise and presence to JOY! each day.
A faithful leader in the engine room
Gillian, my youngest daughter, has been the chief journalist, production manager, and editorial director at JOY! for many years, and has now also taken on full responsibility for JUIG! Tydskrif too (a completely separate publication). Her dedication, loyalty, and commitment to the publications is evident. My heart is full.
Grateful for what God began
What God started in 2006 is continuing with a generational transfer of expertise and anointing and I am so grateful. I will always be around in a mentorship and intercessor capacity to the ministry and, upon insistence of the children, will continue to hold the position of honourary editor. I will further continue in my passion for personal evangelism and my quest for salvations.
A heartfelt thank you
I take this opportunity to personally thank all the pastors who have supported me in my call, and who have prayed for me and the ministry over the years. Your belief in me and the encouragement and support I received have kept me steadfast. May the Lord bless you for your role in the success of this ministry and may you too share in the Heavenly rewards of the many salvations we have witnessed.
This article is featured in the April 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 13/03/2026
Feature images sourced from original article
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JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.
