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Bonnie Bates

The Reverend Doctor Bonnie Bates currently serves as the Associations Associate for Congregational Vitality and Development for the Eastern Ohio and Western Reserve Associations of the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ.  The Reverend Dr. Bonnie Bates received her Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Colgate Rochester Divinity School.  The focus of her doctoral work was transformational leadership and her dissertation is titled, Navigating the River of Grief.   She has served churches in New York both as a licensed and ordained minister.  She directed and taught in the Graduate Human Resource Development program at St. John Fisher College in Rochester.  She has worked for several non-profits and has served on several not-for-profit Boards including the Dunkirk Camp and Conference Center in western New York.  She has been an active member of the associations where she has served as well as numerous leadership positions within the New York Conference including its work in becoming a Global Mission conference and designing its current governance structure.   She has recently completed the development and implementation of a Boundary Training model for local congregations.

Her hobbies are singing, reading, fly fishing. She once sang with a national choir in Carnegie Hall, Constitution Hall, the White House, Royal Albert Hall, and a variety of locations in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.   She and her husband, Steve Vulcheff, have one son Samuel and two grandsons Kiel and Jakob.
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Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2018) -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20, Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25, Mark 13:1-8 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 1:4-20 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Pentecost (2018) -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27, John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2018
Acts 2:1-21
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (2018) -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2018
Isaiah 40:21-31
Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King Sunday (Proper 29) (2018) -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 18:33-37, Psalm 132:1-12 (13-18) -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2018
2 Samuel 23:1-7 and Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)
Sermon Illustrations for Trinity Sunday (2018) -- Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Ron Love -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2018
Psalm 29
Sermon Illustrations for The Transfiguration (2018) -- 2 Kings 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9 -- Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2018
2 Kings 2:1-12
Sermon Illustrations for Thanksgiving (2018) -- Joel 2:21-27, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 6:25-33, Psalm 126 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2018
Joel 2:21-27 and Psalm 126
Illustrations for Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 (2018) -- Mark 2:23--3:6, 2 Corinthians 4:5-12, 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 3:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2018) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2018
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2018) -- Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36 -- Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Illustrations for Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 (2018) -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20, 2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1, Mark 3:20-35 -- Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) and Psalm 138
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2018) -- Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15 -- Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Genesis 9:8-17
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2018) -- Baruch 5:1-9, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Baruch 5:1-9For they went out from you on foot,
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 3 (2018) -- John 2:13-22, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Exodus 20:1-17 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Exodus 20:1-17
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 6 | OT 11, Cycle B (2018) -- 1 Samuel 15:34--16:13, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17, Mark 4:26-34, Psalm 20 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 and Psalm 20
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2018) -- John 3:14-21, Ephesians 2:1-10, Numbers 21:4-9 -- Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Numbers 21:4-9
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2018) -- Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18 -- Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 7 | OT 12, Cycle B (2018) -- 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2018) -- John 12:20-33, Hebrews 5:5-10, Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2018) -- Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Micah 5:2-5a
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 8 | OT 13 (2018) -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2018
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 and Psalm 130
Sermon Illustrations for Passion/Palm Sunday (2018) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2018
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for The Nativity of Our Lord (2018) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2018
Isaiah 62:6-11
Sermon Illustrations for First Sunday after Christmas Day (2018) -- 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2018
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 9 | OT 14 (2018) -- 2 Samuel 5:1-15, 9-10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2018
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 and Psalm 48
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Advent 3
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 4
36 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christmas!
27 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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