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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 Thanksgiving Day (2019) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Philippians 4:4-9, John 6:25-35 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2019
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 15 | OT 20 (2019) -- Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:29--12:2, Luke 12:49-56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 5:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (OT 5) Cycle C (2019) -- Luke 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 6 (OT 6) Cycle C (2019) -- Jeremiah 17:5-10, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 6:17-26 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2019
Jeremiah 17:5-10
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2019) -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 2:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 7 (OT 7) Cycle C (2019) -- Genesis 45:3-11, 15, 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50, Luke 6:27-38 -- Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2019
Genesis 45: 3-11, 15
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2019) -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 11:1-10
Sermon illustrations for Transfiguration Sunday, Cycle C (2019) -- Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2019
Exodus 34:29-35
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2019) -- Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 35:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2019) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2019
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2019) -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 7:10-16
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2019) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2019) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2019
Isaiah 9:2-7
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2019) -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Philippians 3:17--4:1, Luke 13:31-35 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 1 (2019) -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2019
Isaiah 63:7-9
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 3 (2019) -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Rarmirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Isaiah 55:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2019) -- Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Joshua 5:9-12
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2019) -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Isaiah 43:16-21
Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2019) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2019
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2019) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2019
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2019) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - C -- 2019
Isaiah 52:13--53:12

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Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | OT 27 (2019) -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2019
Lamentations 1:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2019) -- Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 43:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | OT 17 (2019) -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2019
Hosea 1:2-10
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | OT 2 (2019) -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 62:1-5

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For July 6, 2025:

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Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

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Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

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But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

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(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

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The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

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In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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