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Bonnie Bates

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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 18 | OT 23 (2018) -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23, James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17, Mark 7:24-37 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2018
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 (2018) -- Proverbs 1:20-33, James 3:1-12, Mark 8:27-38, Psalm 19, Song of Solomon 7:26--8:1 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2018
Proverbs 1:20-33
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2018) -- Proverbs 31:10-31, James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a, Mark 9:30-37, Psalm 1 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2018
Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalm 1
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2018) -- Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2018
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 (2018) -- Job 1:1; 2:1-10, Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12, Mark 10:2-16 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 2018
Job 1:1, 2:1-10 and Psalm 26
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 (2018) -- Job 23:1-9, 16-17, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31, Psalm 22:1-15 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Ron Love -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2018
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2018) -- Job 38:1-7 (34-41), Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45, Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c -- Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 2018
Job 38:1-7, 34-41
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2018) -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17, Hebrews 7:23-28, Mark 10:46-52 -- Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2018
Job 42:1-6,10-17
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2018) -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2018
Genesis 1:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 (2018) -- Ruth 1:1-18, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 2018
Ruth 1:1-18
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 (2018) -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 (2017) -- Genesis 28:10-19a, Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2017
Genesis 28:10-19a
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 (2017) -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2017
Genesis 29:15-28
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of Our Lord (2017) -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2017
Isaiah 60:1-6
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 (2017) -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2017
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 7 (2017) -- Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2017
Acts 1:6-14

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Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 (2018) -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2018
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
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
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 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,
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 Maundy Thursday (2018) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2018
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | OT 17 (2018) -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-21, Psalm 14 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2018
2 Samuel 11:1-15 and Psalm14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2018) -- Proverbs 31:10-31, James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a, Mark 9:30-37, Psalm 1 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2018
Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalm 1
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2018) -- Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50, Psalm 124 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2018
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22

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Epiphany 2 | OT 2
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
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Epiphany 3 | OT 3
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God." And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him ...
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Lesson 1: Isaiah 49:1-7 (C, E); Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 (RC)
Paul E. Robinson
A man by the name of Kevin Trudeau has marketed a memory course called "Mega-Memory." In the beginning of the course he quizzes the participants about their "teachability quotient." He says it consists of two parts. First, on a scale of one to ten "where would you put your motivation to learn?" Most people would put themselves pretty high, say about nine to ten, he says.
Charles L. Aaron, Jr.
The first chapter of John bears some similarity to the pilot episode of a television series. In that first episode, the writers and director want to introduce all of the main characters. In a television series, what we learn about the main characters in the first episode helps us understand them for the rest of the time the show is on the air and to see how they develop over the course of the series. John's narrative begins after the prologue, a hymn or poem that sets John's theological agenda. Once the narrative begins in verse 19, John focuses on identifying the characters of his gospel.
Dallas A. Brauninger
E-mail
From: KDM
To: God
Subject: Enriched
Message: I could never be a saint, God. Lauds, KDM

The e-mail chats KDM has with God are talks that you or I might likely have with God. Today's e-mail is no exception: I could never be a saint, God. Lauds, KDM. The conversation might continue in the following vein: Just so you know, God, I am very human. Enriched, yes; educated, yes; goal-oriented, yes; high-minded, yes; perfect, no.
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Charles Swindoll in his popular book, Improving Your Serve, tells of how he was at first haunted and then convicted by the Bible's insistence that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)." The more he studied what the Bible says about servanthood, the more convinced Swindoll became that our task in this world, like that of Jesus, is not to be served, not to grab the spotlight, and not to become successful or famous or powerful or idolized.
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Invitation to the Celebration

(In advance, ask five or six people if you can use their names in the call to worship.) Remember the tobacco radio ad, "Call for Phillip Morris!"? Piggyback on this idea from the balcony, rear of the sanctuary, or on a megaphone. "Call for (name each person)." After finishing, offer one minute of silence, after asking, "How many of you received God's call as obviously as that?" (Show of hands.) Now, silently, consider how you did receive God's call. Was it somewhere between the call of Peter and Paul?
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CALL TO WORSHIP
Do not keep the goodness of God hidden in your heart: proclaim God's faithfulness and saving power.

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"Who's your family?" Southerners know this greeting well, but it is not unheard of above, beside, and around the Mason-Dixon line. Many people value roots -- where you come from, who your people are, what constitutes "home." We speak of those who are "rootless" as unfortunate; those who "wander" are aimless and unfocused. Adopted children search for their birth parents because they want to understand their identity, and to them that means more than how they were raised and what they have accomplished -- heritage counts. Clearly, we place a high value on origins, birth, and descent.
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One of my favorite British situation comedies is Keeping Up Appearances. It chronicles the attempts of Hyacinth Bucket, pronounced "bouquet" on the show, to appear to have entered the British upper class by maintaining the manners and mores of that social set. The nearby presence of her sisters, Daisy and Rose, serve as a constant reminder that she has not gotten far from her origins in anything but the upper class.

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Good morning, boys and girls. Do you remember a few weeks ago when we were talking about the meaning of names? (let them answer) Some names mean "beautiful" or "bright as the morning sun." Almost every name has a special meaning.

Good morning! What do I have here? (Show the stuffed animal
or the picture.) Yes, this is a lamb, and the lamb has a very
special meaning to Christians. Who is often called a lamb in the
Bible? (Let them answer.)

Once, when John the Baptist was baptizing people in the
river, he saw Jesus walking toward him and he said, "Here is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Why do you
think he would call Jesus a lamb? (Let them answer.)

To understand why Jesus is called a lamb, we have to go back
Good morning! How many of you are really rich? How many of
you have all the money you could ever want so that you can buy
anything you want? (Let them answer.) I didn't think so. If any
of you were that rich, I was hoping you would consider giving a
generous gift to the church.

Let's just pretend we are rich for a moment. Let's say this
toy car is real and it's worth $50,000. And let's say this toy
boat is real and it's worth $100,000, and this toy airplane is a

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