REVIVAL HARVEST COMPAIGN 2026
Bibliata.com Celebrates 30 years in Ministry
Bibliata.com CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY
The history of our oldest website, known as the Bibliata.com project, began in 1996, when the vision was born to create the first Bulgarian Bible on the Internet. The website officially marks three decades of uninterrupted online presence and spiritual enlightenment for Bulgarians at home and abroad. Today, in addition to the digital text of Holy Scripture, the site maintains sections on Protestant history, biblical leadership resources, pastoral fellowship, prayer requests, as well as a special interactive portal featuring Bible stories for children. The project is developed under the leadership of Cup & Cross and over the years has grown from a digital library into a large-scale Christian web community. More than 300 documented biblical projects have been completed. Some of the most significant include:
- A unified literal translation of the Bible
- A literary translation of the New Testament
- A literal interlinear New Testament with translation and textual apparatus
- Two complete published revisions of the Bulgarian Bible
- More than 30 active popular Christian websites in Bulgarian – see the list here https://bibliata.com/
- More than 50 free biblical software products in Bulgarian, most of them now also available for mobile devices (https://bibliata.com/index.php?m=sw)
- To date, the only Christian video-sharing website in Bulgarian – Bibliata.TV, now also featuring live television broadcasts
Chronology and Key Milestones: The important events in Bibliata.com’s 30-year history include:
1996 – Digitization of the biblical text for online publication. The digitization and uploading of the Bulgarian biblical text to the Internet is completed for Bulgarian-speaking Christians around the world.
1997 – The first online edition of the Bible (version 1.0, New Testament).
1998 – Creation of the first “Computer Bible” (version 2.0), with the Old Testament added; the text was provided by Bibliata.com.
2000 – “Bulgarian Bible 2000” project – an important commemorative edition.
2001 – The first online Bulgarian Bible concordance (version 5.0).
2002 – Online “Bulgarian Bible Dictionary” (Constantinople, 1884) and the first Audio Bible (version 6.5).
2003 – The first WAP Bible for mobile phones; merger of bibliata.com and bgbible.com; launch of the Christian forum.
2004 – Multimedia expansion: The Bibliata.TV project was launched. It quickly became one of the largest interactive Christian media platforms in Bulgaria, broadcasting worship services and video materials.
2005 – Versions for Linux, Windows CE, and Palm OS; SMS Bible; children’s PDF Bible; and the commentary of Elias Riggs.
2006–07 – Radio.Bibliata.com, Bible tours in Bulgaria and the United States, the first Video Bible, DVD Audio Bible, and solar-powered “talking” Bible.
2008 – Bibliata.TV – online Bible television – was launched. Video Bible: An ambitious subproject began to record Holy Scripture in video format, chapter by chapter, read by different pastors, ministers, and believers.
2009 – Online worship services: The platform became established as a central portal for daily live worship services from churches in Sofia, Chicago, Atlanta, Haskovo, and other cities.
2010–2013 – Applications for Android, iOS, and Kindle; new New Testament translations; children’s Bibles; and Cyrillic mobile editions.
2014–2016 – Official Bibliata.com application; the “Great Bible Reading” campaign; series on Protestant history and the Pentecostal movement.
2017–2019 – Bibliata.TV 2.0, mobile version Bibliata.mobi, Greek-Bulgarian interlinear, and the Propoved.com website with more than 80,000 sermons.
2020–2021 – New applications (Bibliata.com, Bibliata.NEWS); scholarly series on 100 years of Pentecostalism and 150 years of the Bible in Bulgarian; 25 years of Bibliata.com.
2022–2023 – Children’s Bible 10.0, new Bible dictionaries, Audio Bible 5.0 (new recording), 20 years of the Audio Bible, 15 years of Bibliata.TV.
2024–2025 – Multilingual New Testaments (Bulgarian-English, Italian, Spanish, German, and French); digital discipleship; 29 years of Bibliata.com.
2026 – Officially announced anniversary celebration: “Bibliata.com CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY,” with new projects and special materials on the blog and Bibliata.TV.
20 Years of Military Ministry in Bulgaria
Military Ministry in Bulgaria is celebrating 10 years. The special events will be held in the Black Sea town of Varna, Bulgaria. Chaplains from around the country, as well as international colleagues and friends, are invited for a time of reunion and inspiration. Special speakers of the event are Paul Pettyjohn and Chaplain Bernie Windmiller from the International Association of Evangelical Chaplains. After serving the military in Bulgaria for a decade, the ministry is strategizing the legalization of chaplaincy and pastoral care in the Bulgarian professional army and police. Today, this difficult task seems closer than ever before, as ministers, pastors and caregivers are excited about the opening of such doors and the new opportunities which it will present for Bulgaria.
The CHURCH has LEFT the building AGAIN…
First Day of School in Bulgaria
Never Forget 25 Years Later
Thomas Aquinas: Works and Common Latin Abbreviations by Dr. Dony K. Donev
Thomas Aquinas: Works and Common Latin Abbreviations
Consolidated reference table with Latin titles, supplied Greek title translations, and English translations. Latin abbreviations follow common modern Thomistic citation practice; variants occur by edition and publisher. Greek titles are translations/short titles, not a universal Greek abbreviation system.
Scope: principal authentic works plus selected doubtful/probably authentic works included in the prior table. “Doubtful” reflects the status used in this working reference; consult the Corpus Thomisticum and the citation guide required by your publisher for definitive editorial decisions.
Major works
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| Super Sent. | Scriptum super libros Sententiarum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὰ βιβλία τῶν Ἀποφάσεων | Commentary on the Books of Sentences | — |
| ST | Summa theologiae | Σύνοψη τῆς θεολογίας | Summa of Theology | — |
| ST Suppl. | Supplementum tertiae partis | Συμπλήρωμα τοῦ τρίτου μέρους | Supplement to the Third Part | — |
| ScG | Summa contra Gentiles | Σύνοψη κατὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν | Summa Against the Gentiles | — |
| Comp. theol. | Compendium theologiae | Ἐπιτομὴ τῆς θεολογίας | Compendium of Theology | — |
| Lectura Romana | Lectura Romana in primum Sententiarum Petri Lombardi | Ῥωμαϊκὴ διάλεξις εἰς τὸ πρῶτον βιβλίον τῶν Ἀποφάσεων τοῦ Πέτρου Λομβάρδου | Roman Lectures on Peter Lombard’s First Book of Sentences | Doubtful |
Disputed questions
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| De verit. | Quaestiones disputatae De veritate | Διαλεχθεῖσαι ζητήσεις περὶ ἀληθείας | Disputed Questions on Truth | — |
| De pot. | Quaestiones disputatae De potentia | Διαλεχθεῖσαι ζητήσεις περὶ δυνάμεως | Disputed Questions on Power | — |
| Q. de anima | Quaestiones disputatae De anima | Διαλεχθεῖσαι ζητήσεις περὶ ψυχῆς | Disputed Questions on the Soul | — |
| De spir. creat. | Quaestio disputata De spiritualibus creaturis | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ πνευματικῶν κτισμάτων | Disputed Question on Spiritual Creatures | — |
| De unione Verbi | Quaestio disputata De unione Verbi incarnati | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ τῆς ἑνώσεως τοῦ σαρκωθέντος Λόγου | Disputed Question on the Union of the Incarnate Word | — |
| De malo | Quaestiones disputatae De malo | Διαλεχθεῖσαι ζητήσεις περὶ κακοῦ | Disputed Questions on Evil | — |
| De virtut. | Quaestiones disputatae De virtutibus | Διαλεχθεῖσαι ζητήσεις περὶ ἀρετῶν | Disputed Questions on the Virtues | — |
| De virtut. in comm. | Quaestio disputata De virtute in communi | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ ἀρετῆς καθόλου | Disputed Question on Virtue in General | — |
| De carit. | Quaestio disputata De caritate | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ ἀγάπης | Disputed Question on Charity | — |
| De correc. frater. | Quaestio disputata De correctione fraterna | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ ἀδελφικῆς διορθώσεως | Disputed Question on Fraternal Correction | — |
| De spe | Quaestio disputata De spe | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ ἐλπίδος | Disputed Question on Hope | — |
| De virtut. card. | Quaestio disputata De virtutibus cardinalibus | Διαλεχθεῖσα ζήτησις περὶ τῶν κυρίων ἀρετῶν | Disputed Question on the Cardinal Virtues | — |
| Quodl. | Quaestiones de quolibet | Ζητήσεις περὶ παντὸς θέματος | Quodlibetal Questions | — |
| De libro vitae | Quaestio De libro vitae | Ζήτησις περὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς ζωῆς | Question on the Book of Life | Doubtful |
Philosophical works
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| De ente | De ente et essentia | Περὶ τοῦ ὄντος καὶ τῆς οὐσίας | On Being and Essence | — |
| De princ. nat. | De principiis naturae | Περὶ τῶν ἀρχῶν τῆς φύσεως | On the Principles of Nature | — |
| De unit. intell. | De unitate intellectus contra Averroistas | Περὶ τῆς ἑνότητος τοῦ νοῦ κατὰ τῶν Ἀβερροϊστῶν | On the Unity of the Intellect, Against the Averroists | — |
| De aetern. mundi | De aeternitate mundi contra murmurantes | Περὶ τῆς ἀϊδιότητος τοῦ κόσμου κατὰ τῶν γογγυζόντων | On the Eternity of the World, Against the Grumblers | — |
| De subst. sep. | De substantiis separatis | Περὶ τῶν χωριστῶν οὐσιῶν | On Separate Substances | — |
| De mixt. elem. | De mixtione elementorum | Περὶ τῆς μίξεως τῶν στοιχείων | On the Mixture of the Elements | — |
| De motu cord. | De motu cordis | Περὶ τῆς κινήσεως τῆς καρδίας | On the Motion of the Heart | — |
| De op. occ. | De operationibus occultis naturae | Περὶ τῶν κρυφίων ἐνεργειῶν τῆς φύσεως | On the Hidden Operations of Nature | — |
| De iud. ast. | De iudiciis astrorum | Περὶ τῶν κρίσεων τῶν ἄστρων | On Astrological Judgments | — |
| De sort. | De sortibus | Περὶ κλήρων | On the Casting of Lots | — |
| De fallaciis | De fallaciis | Περὶ τῶν σοφισμάτων | On Fallacies | Doubtful |
| De prop. modal. | De propositionibus modalibus | Περὶ τροπικῶν προτάσεων | On Modal Propositions | Doubtful |
| De cogn. animae | De cognitione animae | Περὶ τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ψυχῆς | On the Knowledge of the Soul | Doubtful |
| De immort. animae | De immortalitate animae | Περὶ τῆς ἀθανασίας τῆς ψυχῆς | On the Immortality of the Soul | Doubtful |
Theology, church, and polemics
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| De art. fid. | De articulis fidei et Ecclesiae sacramentis | Περὶ τῶν ἄρθρων τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῶν μυστηρίων τῆς Ἐκκλησίας | On the Articles of Faith and the Sacraments of the Church | — |
| De rat. fid. | De rationibus fidei ad cantorem Antiochenum | Περὶ τῶν λόγων τῆς πίστεως πρὸς τὸν ψάλτην τῆς Ἀντιοχείας | On the Reasons for the Faith, to the Cantor of Antioch | — |
| De perf. | De perfectione spiritualis vitae | Περὶ τῆς τελειότητος τοῦ πνευματικοῦ βίου | On the Perfection of the Spiritual Life | — |
| Cont. impug. | Contra impugnantes Dei cultum et religionem | Κατὰ τῶν πολεμούντων τὴν λατρείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸν θρησκευτικὸ βίο | Against Those Who Attack the Worship of God and Religious Life | — |
| Cont. retrah. | Contra doctrinam retrahentium a religione | Κατὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας τῶν ἀποσπώντων ἀπὸ τοῦ θρησκευτικοῦ βίου | Against the Teaching of Those Who Draw People Away from Religious Life | — |
| Cont. err. Graec. | Contra errores Graecorum | Κατὰ τῶν πλανῶν τῶν Ἑλλήνων | Against the Errors of the Greeks | — |
| De forma abs. | De forma absolutionis | Περὶ τοῦ τύπου τῆς ἀφέσεως | On the Form of Absolution | — |
| De regno | De regno ad regem Cypri | Περὶ βασιλείας πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τῆς Κύπρου | On Kingship, to the King of Cyprus | — |
| De empt. | De emptione et venditione ad tempus | Περὶ ἀγορασίας καὶ πωλήσεως ἐπὶ χρόνῳ | On Buying and Selling on Credit | — |
| Ad Bernard. | Epistola ad Bernardum | Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Βερνάρδον | Letter to Bernard | — |
| Ad duc. Brab. | Epistola ad ducissam Brabantiae | Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς τὴν δούκισσαν τῆς Βραβάντης | Letter to the Duchess of Brabant | — |
| De 6 art. | Responsiones ad magistrum Ioannem de Vercellis de VI articulis | Ἀποκρίσεις πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον Ἰωάννην τὸν ἐκ Βερκελλῶν περὶ ἓξ ἄρθρων | Replies to Master John of Vercelli on Six Articles | — |
| De 30 art. | Responsiones ad magistrum Ioannem de Vercellis de XXX articulis | Ἀποκρίσεις πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον Ἰωάννην τὸν ἐκ Βερκελλῶν περὶ τριάκοντα ἄρθρων | Replies to Master John of Vercelli on Thirty Articles | — |
| De 36 art. | Responsiones ad lectorem Venetum de XXXVI articulis | Ἀποκρίσεις πρὸς τὸν Βενετὸν ἀναγνώστην περὶ τριάκοντα ἓξ ἄρθρων | Replies to the Venetian Reader on Thirty-Six Articles | — |
| De 43 art. | Responsiones ad magistrum Ioannem de Vercellis de XLIII articulis | Ἀποκρίσεις πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον Ἰωάννην τὸν ἐκ Βερκελλῶν περὶ τεσσαράκοντα τριῶν ἄρθρων | Replies to Master John of Vercelli on Forty-Three Articles | — |
| De 108 art. | Responsiones ad magistrum Ioannem de Vercellis de CVIII articulis | Ἀποκρίσεις πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον Ἰωάννην τὸν ἐκ Βερκελλῶν περὶ ἑκατὸν ὀκτὼ ἄρθρων | Replies to Master John of Vercelli on 108 Articles | — |
Philosophical commentaries
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| Super Peri herm. | Expositio libri Peryermeneias | Ἑρμηνεία τοῦ βιβλίου Περὶ ἑρμηνείας | Commentary on Aristotle’s On Interpretation | — |
| Super Post. An. | Expositio libri Posteriorum Analyticorum | Ἑρμηνεία τῶν Ὑστέρων Ἀναλυτικῶν | Commentary on Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics | — |
| Super Phys. | In libros Physicorum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὰ Φυσικά | Commentary on Aristotle’s Physics | — |
| Super De caelo | In libros De caelo et mundo | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸ Περὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κόσμου | Commentary on Aristotle’s On the Heavens and the World | — |
| Super De gen. | In libros De generatione et corruptione | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸ Περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς | Commentary on Aristotle’s On Generation and Corruption | — |
| Super Meteora | Sentencia super Meteora | Σχόλιον εἰς τὰ Μετεωρολογικά | Commentary on Aristotle’s Meteorology | — |
| Super De anima | Sentencia libri De anima | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸ Περὶ ψυχῆς | Commentary on Aristotle’s On the Soul | — |
| Super De sensu | Sentencia libri De sensu et sensato | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸ Περὶ αἰσθήσεως καὶ αἰσθητῶν | Commentary on Aristotle’s On Sense and the Sensible | — |
| Super De mem. | Sentencia libri De memoria et reminiscentia | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸ Περὶ μνήμης καὶ ἀναμνήσεως | Commentary on Aristotle’s On Memory and Recollection | — |
| Super Ethic. | Sententia libri Ethicorum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὰ Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια | Commentary on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics | — |
| Tab. Ethic. | Tabula Ethicorum | Πίναξ τῶν Ἠθικῶν | Table/Index of the Ethics | — |
| Super Pol. | Sententia libri Politicorum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὰ Πολιτικά | Commentary on Aristotle’s Politics | — |
| Super Metaph. | Sententia libri Metaphysicae | Σχόλιον εἰς τὰ Μετὰ τὰ φυσικά | Commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysics | — |
| Super De causis | Super librum De causis expositio | Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὸ Βιβλίον περὶ αἰτιῶν | Commentary on the Book of Causes | — |
| Super De div. nom. | In librum B. Dionysii De divinis nominibus expositio | Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ ἁγίου Διονυσίου Περὶ θείων ὀνομάτων | Commentary on Pseudo-Dionysius’s Divine Names | — |
| Super De hebd. | Expositio libri Boetii De ebdomadibus | Ἑρμηνεία τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ Βοηθίου Περὶ Ἑβδομάδων | Commentary on Boethius’s On the Hebdomads | — |
| Super De Trin. | Super Boetium De Trinitate | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸ Περὶ Τριάδος τοῦ Βοηθίου | Commentary on Boethius’s On the Trinity | — |
Biblical commentaries
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| Super Ps. | Super Psalmos | Σχόλιον εἰς τοὺς Ψαλμούς | Commentary on the Psalms | — |
| Super Iob | Expositio super Iob ad litteram | Κατὰ γράμμα ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὸν Ἰώβ | Literal Commentary on Job | — |
| Super Is. | Super Isaiam | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸν Ἠσαΐαν | Commentary on Isaiah | — |
| Super Ier. | In Ieremiam | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸν Ἱερεμίαν | Commentary on Jeremiah | — |
| Super Thren. | Super Threnos Ieremiae | Σχόλιον εἰς τοὺς Θρήνους τοῦ Ἱερεμίου | Commentary on Lamentations | Doubtful |
| Super Matt. | Super Matthaeum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸν Ματθαῖον | Commentary on Matthew | — |
| Super Ioan. | Super Ioannem | Σχόλιον εἰς τὸν Ἰωάννην | Commentary on John | — |
| Cat. Matt. | Catena aurea in Matthaeum | Χρυσῆ ἅλυσις εἰς τὸν Ματθαῖον | Golden Chain on Matthew | — |
| Cat. Marc. | Catena aurea in Marcum | Χρυσῆ ἅλυσις εἰς τὸν Μάρκον | Golden Chain on Mark | — |
| Cat. Luc. | Catena aurea in Lucam | Χρυσῆ ἅλυσις εἰς τὸν Λουκᾶν | Golden Chain on Luke | — |
| Cat. Ioan. | Catena aurea in Ioannem | Χρυσῆ ἅλυσις εἰς τὸν Ἰωάννην | Golden Chain on John | — |
| Super Rom. | Super Romanos | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Ῥωμαίους | Commentary on Romans | — |
| Super I Cor. | Super I ad Corinthios | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Αʹ Πρὸς Κορινθίους | Commentary on First Corinthians | — |
| Super II Cor. | Super II ad Corinthios | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Βʹ Πρὸς Κορινθίους | Commentary on Second Corinthians | — |
| Super Gal. | Super Galatas | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Γαλάτας | Commentary on Galatians | — |
| Super Eph. | Super Ephesios | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Ἐφεσίους | Commentary on Ephesians | — |
| Super Phil. | Super Philippenses | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Φιλιππησίους | Commentary on Philippians | — |
| Super Col. | Super Colossenses | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς | Commentary on Colossians | — |
| Super I Thess. | Super I Thessalonicenses | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Αʹ Πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς | Commentary on First Thessalonians | — |
| Super II Thess. | Super II Thessalonicenses | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Βʹ Πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς | Commentary on Second Thessalonians | — |
| Super I Tim. | Super I Timotheum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Αʹ Πρὸς Τιμόθεον | Commentary on First Timothy | — |
| Super II Tim. | Super II Timotheum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Βʹ Πρὸς Τιμόθεον | Commentary on Second Timothy | — |
| Super Tit. | Super Titum | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Τίτον | Commentary on Titus | — |
| Super Philem. | Super Philemonem | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Φιλήμονα | Commentary on Philemon | — |
| Super Heb. | Super Epistolam ad Hebraeos | Σχόλιον εἰς τὴν Πρὸς Ἑβραίους | Commentary on Hebrews | — |
Catecheses, sermons, and liturgy
| Abbreviation | Latin title | Greek translation | English translation | Status |
| In Symb. | Collationes in Symbolum Apostolorum | Διαλέξεις εἰς τὸ Σύμβολον τῶν Ἀποστόλων | Conferences on the Apostles’ Creed | — |
| Expos. Sal. ang. | Expositio Salutationis angelicae | Ἑρμηνεία τοῦ Ἀγγελικοῦ Ἀσπασμοῦ | Explanation of the Angelic Salutation | — |
| De dec. praec. | Collationes de decem praeceptis | Διαλέξεις περὶ τῶν δέκα ἐντολῶν | Conferences on the Ten Commandments | — |
| In orat. dom. | Expositio in orationem dominicam | Ἑρμηνεία εἰς τὴν Κυριακὴ Προσευχή | Explanation of the Lord’s Prayer | — |
| Off. Corp. Chr. | Officium Corporis Christi | Ἀκολουθία τοῦ Σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ | Office of Corpus Christi | Doubtful |
| Adoro te devote | Adoro te devote | Σὲ προσκυνῶ εὐλαβῶς | I Devoutly Adore You | Doubtful |
| Serm. | Sermones | Κηρύγματα | Sermons | — |
| Princ. bib. | Principium biblicum “Hic est liber” | Βιβλικὸν προοίμιον «Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βιβλίος» | Biblical Inaugural Lecture, “This Is the Book” | Doubtful |
Citation components
| Form | Meaning |
| pro. | prologue |
| q. | question |
| a. | article |
| obj. | objection |
| s.c. | sed contra / on the contrary |
| resp. | respondeo / central response |
| ad | reply to an objection |
| c. | chapter |
| lect. | lecture |
| dist. / d. | distinction |
| corp. | body of the article |
Sources and use
Primary reference points: The Thomist, “Abbreviations and Citations of the Works of Thomas Aquinas” (2025); Corpus Thomisticum, Opera omnia and synoptic catalogue. Citation abbreviations and exact Latin titles can differ slightly among the Leonine edition, Marietti editions, institutional style guides, and digital editions.
Example: ST I, q. 2, a. 3 = Summa theologiae, First Part, question 2, article 3.
A Summer of Serving: Bringing Hope and the Gospel to Appalachian Communities
by Cup&Cross Ministries, Intl.
Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains has made ministry to this region deeply personal. The people and the challenges faced by rural families are not distant realities to us as humble messengers of the Gospel. Because of our commitment to honoring the dignity of every individual, we have never been a ministry that uses images of poverty or vulnerable children to raise support. For ethical reasons and out of respect for the families we serve, this report will be presented through words rather than photographs.
This summer, we have been blessed with numerous opportunities to minister throughout the rural communities from Tennessee to North Carolina. Each opportunity has been a reminder that ministry is often found in simple acts of compassion and being open to the tug on your heart to act where and how He commands. Our summer outreach began with an invitation to participate in a community event held at the county courthouse, where we helped provide shoes, school supplies, and food for more than 150 children. This initial partnership opened the door for further ministry involvement, including helping prepare and pack more than 300 ministry bags filled with Bible devotions, crafts, and resources designed to encourage children spiritually.
Following, we partnered with a local Baptist church to distribute vitamins we donated to children participating in their summer program. This was an unplanned event that from start to finish literally happened within 24 hours. For many families, basic health resources that we often overlook are difficult to afford. These moments remind us of the many blessings we experience each day and the importance of sharing those blessings with others.
Through the Cup & Cross Homeschool Network, we were also able to provide homeschool curriculum and educational resources to families within our community. Supporting parents who are committed to educating their children while strengthening their faith continues to be an important part of our mission. And during this election season, we have had the opportunity to engage with several candidates and community leaders to raise awareness about the importance of homeschool independence, parental rights, and educational freedom. Building upon these conversations, we continued advocating for families and strengthening relationships with local leaders which is apparent by Cup & Cross successfully working with the county commissioners to adopt our county as the first homeschool sanctuary in the Nation. We also are continuing to serve in the Summer Serve Project of the First Lady of our State as well.
Throughout the summer, we have also had the privilege of volunteering with several local churches during their Vacation Bible School programs and three week-long summer camps one of which was personally hosted to teach the Eastern European community in our area. These opportunities have allowed us to invest directly into the next generation by teaching children the Word of God and building relationships within our community which is so important to us. Jesus did ministry by “walking around” and it is one that should not be overlooked.
Our passion for reaching children with Biblical truth throughout the summer led to a unique divine connection beyond our local area. We traveled to North Carolina to minister to children within the Cherokee community of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the only federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. This opportunity allowed us to share the love of Christ with our actions while learning from this historic community.
As we look ahead, we ask for prayer that God will continue to open doors and provide favor so that this relationship may grow and develop over the coming months. We are grateful for every opportunity to serve, knowing that even the smallest acts of kindness can become powerful expressions of God’s love.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
3 Sources of Spiritual Power
We need to have a spiritual awakening – we need a new power from God – the power of the Holy Spirit in us today, as on the Day of Pentecost! But the key which will release that power into our lives now is a new level of faith in Jesus Christ!
In Matthew 17, when Jesus’ disciples failed to cast out the demon from the epileptic boy and then asked him why, He rebuked them for their unbelief, ‘If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove’, AND AFTER IT DOES, ‘nothing will be impossible to you!’ (Matthew 17:20). What a challenge – while I was preaching this, God showed me the hidden key!
Unbelief brings failure: Jesus rebuked His disciples because they did not have the faith to do what they had to do – they had been given a specific job and when they were left to do it, they failed! Jesus spoke to them very strongly. Because they knew that they had failed publicly and He had rebuked them openly, they came to Him privately to ask what had gone wrong, in those immortal words, ‘Why?’ – ‘Why could we not cast out this spirit and heal the boy?’
Faith is the KEY: There is something hidden here. Yes, Jesus said in answer to their question, ‘If you had faith… you could move mountains.’ But the real secret of power is hidden. We get stuck at the thought that mortal man could move anything bigger than himself! We agonise over the reality of moving that mountain – call our friends to stand with us in believing prayer – because this mountain is proving harder than we thought to move. Then when it happens – that miracle, that healing, or financial solution – we become so excited (as I experienced so many times personally), that we drop the real key down the drain in our excitement!
The disciples had missed the opportunity of releasing the greatest power into their lives – Jesus was putting a key in their hands, and if they would only use this key, their lives would never be the same again! For me, searching and hungry for more of God’s power in my life, I saw what I have been waiting for – THERE IS A SPIRITUAL ‘REGION BEYOND’. Do you want more of God – a fresh bempoweremnt by the Holy Spirit? Whether you come alone, with friends, or as part of a church group, we invite you to be part of this significant day:
- A Day to Release the Full Power of the Holy Spirit.
- A Powerful Day of Impartation, Worship and Revival.
- Come expecting a fresh touch from Heaven, to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We have 3 Sources of Spiritual Power: The Holy Spirit, prayer, and the power of the blood…
Another denomination splits from the Bulgarian Church of God
One more denomination has split from the Bulgarian Church of God. After a year of struggles and dilemmas, the annual report indexing the state of the church shows a new denomination registered with the municipality court in the capital Sofia. The new Philadelphia church has emerged from an association of Romani pastors with a similar name that has existed and operated for almost 15 years. This is the 11th officially registered fraction leaving the denomination since the split of 2005. Two more churches, Mostar and Rebirth, too seem to have ceased meetings within the last year after the sale of the Bulgarian Ministry Center in the capital Sofia. The Center which broke ground in 2001 and was dedicated in 2011, hosted a number of strategic Church of God congregations during its decade of operation. Since 2005, most older Romani congregations exist with dual registration alongside the national alliance of Church of God-United (unitarian). With the current split, the total number of fractions separating from the original denomination now exceeds 13 (if not 14):
- Bulgarian Church of God (27.12.1990)
- Church of God in Bulgaria (23.01.2006)
- God’s Church (13938/2006: 07.02.2007)
- Church of God-12 (Sofia, Rodostono)
- New Generation Church of God (05.04.2000)
- Bethesda Church of God (27.12.2010)
- BulLiv Church of God (15.01.2000)
- New Life Church of God (06.11.2000)
- Bulgarian Church of God – Sofia (4996/2003 Sredetz, E.Georgiev Bul. 2, apt. 4)
- Bridge Church of God (50/2013)


















