Login / Signup

Bonnie Bates

Advent Sale - Save $131!
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.
Hold down Ctrl (Windows) / Command (Mac) for multiple selections (scroll list to see all options)

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

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
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 (2017) -- Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2017
Genesis 45:1-15
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 6 (2017) -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21 -- Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2017
Acts 17:22-31
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 (2017) -- Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2017
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 5 (2017) -- Acts 7:55-60, 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14 -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2017
Acts 7:55-60
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 (2017) -- Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2017
Exodus 3:1-15
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 4 (2017) -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10 -- Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2017
Acts 2:42-47
Sermons Illustrations For Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 (2017) -- Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2017
Exodus 12:1-14
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 3 -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 -- Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2017
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 (2017) -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2017
Exodus 14:19-31
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 2 (2017) -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2017
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2017) -- Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2017
Exodus 16:2-15
Sermon Illustrations For Easter Sunday (2017) -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - A -- 2017
Acts 10:34-43
Sermon Illustrations For Good Friday (2017) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - A -- 2017
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations For Maundy Thursday (2017) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2017
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 (2017) -- Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, Philippians 3:4b-14, Matthew 21:33-46 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2017
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Sermon Illustrations For Passion Sunday (2017) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2017
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 (2017) -- Exodus 32:1-14, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14 -- Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2017
Exodus 32:1-14
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 5 (2017) -- Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2017
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2017) -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2017
Exodus 33:12-23
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 4 (2017) -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2017
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2017) -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2017
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 3 (2017) -- Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42 -- Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2017
Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 2 (2017) -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17 -- Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2017
Genesis 12:1-4a
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 (2017) -- Joshua 3:7-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, Matthew 23:1-12 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - A -- 2017
Joshua 3:7-17

Sermon

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Baptism of Our Lord
29 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
40 – Children's Sermons / Resources
25 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 2 | OT 2
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 3 | OT 3
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
25 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Tom Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For January 18, 2026:

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Jackie thought Miss Potter looked something like a turtle. She was rather large, and slow and ponderous, and her neck was very wrinkled. But Jackie liked her, for she was kind and fair, and she never seemed to mind even when some of the children were quite unpleasant to her.

StoryShare

Keith Hewitt
Larry Winebrenner
Contents
"The End and the Beginning" by Keith Hewitt
"John's Disciples become Jesus' Disciples" by Larry Winebrenner
"To the Great Assembly" by Larry Winebrenner


* * * * * * * *

SermonStudio

Mariann Edgar Budde
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 ...
E. Carver Mcgriff
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

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.
Robert A. Beringer
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.
Wayne H. Keller
Adoration And Praise

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?
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP
Do not keep the goodness of God hidden in your heart: proclaim God's faithfulness and saving power.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Emphasis Preaching Journal

William H. Shepherd
"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.
R. Craig Maccreary
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.

At first I was quite put off by the show's title with an instant dislike for Hyacinth, and a

CSSPlus

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

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL