2011: The Year of the Bamboo
While preparing our annual report of over 50 completed projects in 2010, we shared a few thoughts with a close friend and partner in the ministry. For one or another reason, our impression has been that things appear to be moving slower than expected while working with the Bulgarian Church of God in the context of some 40 various denominations in the period 2005-2010.
Our efforts in the ministry have contributed to several major developments like a ministry center in the capital Sofia, the start of a national Sunday school program and a master’s program in chaplaincy, the international X Youth Event, national youth ministry Bible camp and the Leadership Training Seminar (LTS) to mention a few. But this success in ministry has not been without many painful and exhausting days and nights of praying, planning, organizing, gathering the needed resources and trying to stay away from destructive politics and man-made divisions.
So it was not until the last quarter of 2010 that our efforts began reshaping the reality around us as we quickly realized the long-term projects had finally come to completion. As a result, just during the last three months in Bulgaria, we brought to finishing point major goals of our ministry and completed work which generally would have taken us a year time. And it was awesomely encouraging as we watched goal after goal being completed literally over night.
Our friend listened closely to this great testimony of the ministry and quickly compared it to the story of the bamboo. The strongest and fastest growing wood on the planet does not grow 20 inches over night without several years of long preparation. During this time, the roots spread rapidly in the soil clamping together in a strong underground system that will serve as the foundation to the future plant. They remain unseen under the surface until the day the first spurs shoot out of the ground.
2011 will be the year during which ministries with global vision that have worked hard and long for years, following Spirit led investing of time, efforts in resources in projects and goals that seem unreasonable, unnecessary and foolish to others, will see the spurs of their efforts shooting out of the ground over night. And then, no one will be laughing at the vision any longer.
For others, it will be a wonder, but these ministries will know that many years of hard labor and efforts have finally brought long waited results. For the only way to have a fast growing strong ministry is to take the time for preparation. 2011 calls for an end of preparation and a time of new growth.
Happy New Year
PROJECTS COMPLETED IN 2010
Rev. Dony & Kathryn Donev
Cup & Cross Ministries International
January 2010:
» Prophetic Conference for the Bulgarian Church of God in Gabrovo
February 2010:
» Regional Revivals for the Yambol and Sliven Regions in Bulgaria
March 2010:
» Society for Pentecostal Studies Research: Rev. Ivan Voronaev: Life & Ministry
» Annual Revival Services with the Bulgarian Churches in Minneapolis, Chicago
» WordPress for Churches Seminar in Chicago
» Lectures in the University of Nebraska
» Presented the New Bulgarian Bible Translation at the San Jose BibleTech Conference
April 2010:
» Palm Sunday Services with the Bulgarian Churches in Las Vegas
» Easter Services with the Bulgarian Churches in Houston
May 2010:
» Completed the New Bulgarian Translation of the Gospel of Matthew
June 2010:
» Revival with the Shelter Church of God in Ambrose, GA
» Revival with the Dunseith Church of God in Dunseith, ND
» Mission Services at the Stewart Road Church of God in Monroe, MI
» WordPress for Churches Seminar in Monroe, MI
July 2010:
» Mission Services at the Vineyard Church of God in Spartanburg, SC
» Mission Services at the Covenant of Faith Church of God in Pendleton, SC
August 2010:
» Mission Services at the North Greensboro Church of God in Greensboro, NC
» Bible Manuscripts Research in Ireland
» National Youth Ministers’ Camp in Katunishte, Bulgaria (Summer Module)
» National Celebration: 90 Years of Pentecost in Bulgaria
» Services and Bible Interpretation Seminar in Aheloy
September 2010:
» Gifts and Ministries National Seminar at the Bulgarian Church of God in Gabrovo
» Services at the Bulgarian Church of God in Veliko Tarnovo
» World of Miracles Annual Celebration
» Open Research Dialogue with Dr. Paul Johnson President of the American College in Sofia
» National Leadership Seminar for the Church of God of Prophecy in Rousse
» Regional Youth Service in Rousse
» Services at the Bulgarian Church of God in Rousse
» Services at the Bulgarian Church of God Yablanitza
» Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program (Chaplaincy Module) with the United Theological Faculty in Sofia
» Services in Sofia
» First Bulgarian Church in Bansko Research
October 2010:
» Services at the Bulgarian Church of God in Nikozia
» Services at the Bulgarian Church of God in Limasol
» Services at the Bulgarian Church of God in Paphos
» Open-air Evangelization Meeting at the City Coliseum in Paralimni
» National Leadership Seminar for the Bulgarian Church of God in Cyprus
» Services at the Nikozia Church of God of Prophesy
» 10.10.10 National Youth Event in Cyprus
» National Youth Ministers’ Camp in Haskovo (Fall Module)
» Services at Dimitrovgrad and Mirichleri
November 2010:
» Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program (Theology Module) in Yambol
» National Study of Leadership Research with the Bulgarian Churches in Spain
» Lectures at Bradley High School, Cleveland, TN
December 2010:
» Services at the North East Fellowship Church of God in Gaffney, SC
» Services at the Covenant of Faith Church of God in Pendleton, SC
» Published the New Bulgarian Translation of the Gospel of Matthew
Merry Christmas to All
Gospel of Matthew Released for Christmas
True Reformation does not start with preaching or theology, although they are both fundamental stones of every process that changes the people of the church. But in order for this to occur, both preaching and theology need a text; and not merely any text, but Divinely Inspired Scriptures – the Holy Bible.
In our humble ministry efforts, we have attempted to provide this text in the form of a new Bulgarian literal translation made from the Nestle-Aland critical edition of the New Testament. The initial work started in 1996 with brief interruptions until 2003 when the framework was completed and the project was successfully launched.
In 2007, we set course with a pilot edition of the new translation including the Gospel of John, which was printed for Christmas. Our team continued with a full edition of the Johannine works, which included The Gospel of John, Epistles and Apocalypse, published for Easter 2008. In 2009, we presented a partial methodology behind the translation at the Logos Software’s annual BibleTech conference in Seattle and at the 2010 BibleTech in San Jose, our team was able to show in an actual work setting the software used to prepare the Bulgarian interlinear text to the Nestle-Aland critical edition of the New Testament. Finally, we were able to publish in print the complete translation of the Gospel of Matthew for Christmas 2010. The printing of Mark and the Lukan Corpus are scheduled respectively for Easter and Christmas of 2011.
Other related project by Cup & Cross Ministries International:
JOHN: Gospel, Epistles and the Apocalypse (New Bulgarian Translation) released for Easter, 2008
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Bulgarian Churches in Western Europe
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I Shall Wear a Robe and a Crown
I Shall Wear a Robe and a Crown (MP3)
Bulgarian Churches in the United Kingdom
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Bulgarian Churches in Cyprus
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