Sweet Publishing

What Sweet Publishing does

Sweet Publishing, legally operated as Ruthart, Inc. and headquartered at a P.O. Box in Hurst, Texas, is a privately-held, family-owned religious publisher and church supplies distributor that has served the Churches of Christ denomination and the broader Christian church market for over half a century. The company's revenue derives entirely from direct e-commerce sales (sweetpublishing.com) supplemented by inside-sales phone orders through a toll-free retail line (1-866-816-3114) and a dedicated wholesale line (800-433-7507). Shipping is fulfilled via FedEx Ground, FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx SmartPost (domestic, including APO/FPO and PO Boxes) and USPS (international).

The product portfolio spans four categories. Communion supplies include disposable plastic cups (including the first disposable communion cup made in America, New Covenant, dating back over 70 years), patented pre-filled cups such as The Fellowship Cup and Simply Communion Cups with bottom-of-the-cup bread slot technology, traditional and gluten-free unleavened bread and wafers (sized 1/2" x 1/2"), and ecclesiastical ware in silvertone and brasstone finishes from the RemembranceWare line (trays, disc covers, bread plates with Latin cross finials, offering plates with felt liners, and one-pass serving trays). Bibles comprise select ASV and NKJV editions, including a 1,615-page Teacher's Edition and a compact New Testament Checkbook Bible. The publishing arm holds exclusive rights to high-circulation Church of Christ titles — 'Now That I'm A Christian' by R.B. Sweet (over 2 million copies sold, available in English and Spanish), 'Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ' by Leroy Brownlow (over 1 million copies), and additional devotional and doctrinal works. A supporting church supplies line offers attendance cards, member/visitor badges, embroidered visitor stickers, and portable communion sets for homebound ministry.

The business operates with no institutional backing, no disclosed headcount, no app presence, no public social media, and no paid digital marketing program, relying instead on organic word-of-mouth and intra-denominational referrals. Manufacturing of communion cups uses state-of-the-art robotic equipment domestically, and the underlying website runs on standard SSL-secured e-commerce infrastructure. Customer concentration is structurally diffuse across thousands of individual congregations and believers, though the brand is most deeply embedded in the Churches of Christ vertical.

Name

Sweet Publishing

Legal name

Ruthart, Inc.

Website

https://sweetpublishing.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sweet Publishing, a privately-held religious publisher and church supplies distributor based in Hurst, Texas, serving Churches of Christ and broader Christian congregations for over 50 years with communion supplies, Bibles, and denominational books via direct e-commerce and phone orders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing and Church Supplies

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras) (MPAJAHAA), Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Communion supplies
• Religious publishing
• Church supplies
• Communion cups
• Christian books

Headquarters

HQ city

Hurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Sweet Publishing generates revenue through direct sales of communion supplies, church supplies, bibles, and religious books. Products are sold as one-time purchases at fixed unit prices. The company operates a B2C e-commerce model selling directly to churches and individual consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Sweet Publishing manufactures and retails communion supplies (disposable communion cups, communion bread/wafers, communion ware in silver and brasstone finishes, portable communion sets, offering plates) and publishes Christian books and Bibles for churches and individual Christians. The company sells these products directly through its e-commerce website (sweetpublishing.com) and via phone-based retail and wholesale ordering. It holds exclusive publishing rights to several long-running Church of Christ titles including 'Now That I'm A Christian' and 'Why I'm A Member of the Church of Christ'.

Product overview

Sweet Publishing is a religious publisher and church supplies distributor serving churches for over half a century. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of communion supplies (including communion cups, communion bread, communion ware in silvertone and brasstone finishes, portable communion sets, and offering plates), Bibles (including ASV, NKJV, New Testament, and Pocket Bible editions), and Christian books covering topics like Christianity basics, Christian living, and the Church of Christ. The product line also includes church supplies such as badges, attendance cards, and Spanish-language materials. The communion supplies segment features both disposable products (cups and bread) and durable serving ware (trays, plates, and accessories), while the publishing segment includes both English and Spanish-language titles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Covenant Communion Cups - 1000 Count Standard 1-1/4-inch disposable communion cups made from highest quality plastic with clear diamond finish simulating polished glass. Manufactured using state-of-the-art robotic equipment and 100% recyclable. For churches conducting communion services.
• The Regal Cup - 1000 Count Tall 1 5/16-inch communion cup with 1 1/4-inch width design and larger base. Clear diamond finish simulating polished glass. Manufactured using state-of-the-art robotic equipment and 100% recyclable. For church communion services.
• The Fellowship Cup - 500 Count Box Pre-filled communion cup containing 100% grape juice and unleavened wafer. Ready to serve with no refrigeration needed, designed to perfectly fit in communion trays with one-pass serving capability. For churches administering communion.
• Chalice Style Pre-filled Communion Cups - 600 Count Pre-Filled Chalice Communion Cups with 100% Concord grape juice and full 1/2" x 1/2" unleavened square bread. Hermetically sealed with easy-to-open tabs for no-spill opening. Gluten-Free, Wafer, and Wine options available. For churches.
• Simply Communion Cups Prefilled - 600 and 1,600 Units Pre-filled communion cup with patented bottom-of-the-cup bread slot design, enabling easy open seals for both juice and bread. Contains Concord grape juice and unleavened bread. Gluten-free variant available. For churches conducting communion services.
• Communion Bread - Traditional Square Individual bread portions in 1/2" x 1/2" size, made from flour, water and vegetable oil. Box contains 500 pieces. For churches serving communion.
• Communion Bread - Gluten Free Gluten-free communion bread alternative for those with food allergies. Each package contains approximately 200 pieces in a resealable bag. For churches serving members with gluten sensitivities.
• Communion Wafers - Round with Cross Round communion wafers in eight clean sealed tubes. Made with flour, water. Three crosses on wafer. 1-1/8" diameter. Available in white flour and gluten-free variants. For churches.
• Communion Ware (Silvertone and Brasstone) Communion serving ware including trays, discs, bread plates, plate covers, and bread inserts in silver-tone and brass-tone finishes. Includes one-pass trays for serving both juice and bread in one easy pass. For churches serving communion.
• Offering Plates - Brass and Silver Quality stainless steel offering plates with remarkable shine and durability. 12" plate, 2.25" deep with felt pad in center (green or red). Five-year guarantee. Curved edge for comfortable passing. For churches collecting offerings.
• Portable Communion Sets Portable communion kits including Lord's Supper Carrying Kit (with 6 disposable cups, bread container, juice bottle) and Maroon Portable Communion Set (with 25 disposable cups, juice container, bread server). For small groups, hospital visitations, or homebound ministry.
• Bibles (ASV and NKJV editions) Bibles including the 1901 American Standard Version Reference Bible Teacher's Edition with Bible Dictionary, Concordance, Atlas and Notes Section (1,615 pages, faux calfskin cover); NKJV New Testament Large Print Checkbook Bible (Imitation Leather, 11.5 point font, 416 pages); and NKJV New Testament Glossy Paperback Pocket Bible. For churches, Bible study groups, and individual Christians.
• Now That I'm A Christian Book by R. B. Sweet taking new believers on an introductory journey through basics including books of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, worship, organization and work of the church, and basic Christian living. 48 pages. Over 2 million copies sold. For new Christians, Bible study groups, and as gifts.
• Why I'm A Member Of The Church of Christ Book by Leroy Brownlow on why Churches of Christ best represent Bible-based, non-denominational Christianity. Result of heartfelt sermons after more than fifty years with over a million copies distributed. For Church of Christ members and prospective members.
• Introducing The Church Of Christ

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Christianbook.com (CRBC): The largest U.S. direct-to-consumer retailer of Christian books, Bibles, and church supplies. Operates the same online catalog model as Sweet Publishing but at far greater scale, with broader SKU breadth and denominational coverage across evangelical and mainline Protestant audiences.
• 21st Century Christian: Church of Christ-affiliated publisher of Christian books, periodicals, and educational materials. Closely comparable on target customer (Churches of Christ), publishing scope, and doctrinal content positioning.
• Mardel Christian & Education: Retail chain and e-commerce operator selling Christian books, Bibles, curriculum, and church supplies directly to consumers and churches. Highly comparable on product mix (books + church supplies) and B2C/bulk-purchaser go-to-market motion.
• Gospel Advocate Company: Historic publisher serving Churches of Christ with periodicals, books, and curriculum. Directly comparable on denomination focus, content type (religious nonfiction and Bible study materials), and B2B/B2C distribution to Church of Christ congregations.
• ChurchSource: Online retailer of church supplies, VBS materials, and ministry resources. Directly comparable on the church-supplies vertical, target buyer (church administrators), and online-first distribution model.
• Randall House Publications: Church of Christ-affiliated publisher producing books, curriculum, and discipleship resources. Comparable as a denomination-specific religious publisher serving the same primary buyer as Sweet Publishing.

Broad incumbents

• Concordia Publishing House: Publishing arm of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod producing books, Bibles, curriculum, and church supplies. Comparable as a long-established denominational publisher-retailer with vertically integrated content and supplies, though at materially larger scale and in a different denomination.
• Abingdon Press: United Methodist-affiliated publisher of religious nonfiction, Bibles, and church resources. Comparable as a denominational publisher with both trade books and church-supply adjacent offerings, but at broader scale across mainline Protestant audiences.
• Thomas Nelson (Nelson Bibles): Major Bible and Christian book publisher with broad retail and church-channel distribution. Comparable on Bible SKU range and church-buyer distribution, but operates at significantly larger scale with multi-denominational reach.

Emerging players

• Dayspring (Hallmark): Faith-based greeting card and gift retailer extending into inspirational books and accessories. Comparable as a religious gift/content retailer serving church and individual Christian buyers, though with minimal overlap on communion supplies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sweet Publishing