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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 Lent 1 (2016) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 (2016) -- Jeremiah 18:1-11, Philemon 1:1-21, Luke 14:25-33 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2016) -- 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 -- 2016
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 (2016) -- Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-10 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2016) -- 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, R. Robert Cueni -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2016) -- Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, R. Robert Cueni, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 3 (2016) -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Rarmirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Isaiah 55:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2016) -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2016) -- Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Joshua 5:9-12
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | OT 27 (2016) -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- R. Robert Cueni, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2016
Lamentations 1:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2016) -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- R. Robert Cueni, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2016
Isaiah 43:16-21
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 23 | OT 28 (2016) -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, R. Robert Cueni, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2016) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2016
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermons Illustrations for Proper 24 | OT 29 (2016) -- Jeremiah 31:27-34, 2 Timothy 3:14--4:5, Luke 18:1-8 -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 31:27-34
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2016) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- R. Robert Cueni, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2016
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2016) -- Joel 2:23-32, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14 -- Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, R. Robert Cueni -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2016
Joel 2:23-32
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2016) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - C -- 2016
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 26 | OT 31 (2016) -- Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Luke 19:1-10 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, R. Robert Cueni, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2016
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Day (2016) -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, R. Robert Cueni, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Easter Day - C -- 2016
Acts 10:34-43
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 27 | OT 32 (2016) -- Haggai 1:5b--2:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, Luke 20:27-38 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 2016
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
Sermon illustrations for Easter 3 (2016) -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2016) -- Isaiah 65:17-25, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2016
Isaiah 65:17-25
Sermon illustrations for Easter 4 (2016) -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, R. Robert Cueni -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Acts 9:36-43
Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King / Proper 29 (2016) -- Jeremiah 23:1-6, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43 -- R. Robert Cueni, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2016
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Sermon illustrations for Easter 5 (2016) -- Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35 -- R. Robert Cueni, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Acts 11:1-18

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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Christopher Keating
For November 23, 2025:
  • If You Really Are Him by Dean Feldmeyer. Like a loving parent, God does not always solve our problems. Rather, God walks with us as we endure them.
  • Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Chris Keating, and Mary Austin.

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Frank Ramirez
In 2014 Hannah Cotton, professor emerita of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was volunteering her time at the Israel Antiquities Authority’s scrolls laboratory, looking through some ancient documents written in Nabatean, a form of ancient Arabic. It was one of many documents which have been discovered in the desert caves of Judea, where people stashed valuables both during the Jewish War of 67-70 AD (in which the temple was destroyed), as well as the Bar Kokhba Rebellion of 132-135 AD.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Luke 1:68-79
Frank Ramirez
God reigns, now and always, but that is not always immediately apparent. Jeremiah warns the false shepherds, earthly rulers who plunder the flock, that God is watching, and someday the true Shepherd will be revealed! Paul reveals to the Colossians, who have no idea that the geological clock is ticking and an earthquake will devastate their city, that the man on the cross is the head of the body, the beginning and the end, and the first-born of the dead. And in Luke’s gospel we see that Jesus reigns, even from the cross, dispensing mercy and reward to a fellow sufferer.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A simple gift for each child. Depending on your group, this could be a piece of candy, a cookie, a simple toy or book, or any other object you choose to give. Have them in a bag or box.

* * *

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

A thief asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into his kingdom. In our worship today, let us explore those qualities which make Jesus a king.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I fail to worship you as king.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I'm not interested in any kind of royalty.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Lord, have mercy.


Reading:

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
I admit I like it when people are articulate. I like a leader to show a wealth of knowledge on a certain subject. Many people feel the same way. We like the flamboyant skater with a glittery costume and dramatic moves. We like the politician who shakes hands, has good debates, and shows up in the right photos. We admire the celebrity who gives selflessly.

So then, why have we been attracted to Jesus as our authority? Jesus was born in a barn. His father could not hold a job and was therefore demoted to the lowest trade at that time: carpenter. His mother was a teenager.
Schuyler Rhodes
"Be still and know that I am God."

How difficult it is to be still. The world in which we live conspires to make of us a blur as we rush about doing all the things we feel called to do. Indeed, it is difficult to be still. Today, the average worker in the American work force puts in fifteen to twenty more hours a week than a worker did a generation ago. Today, the demands of parenting and community are overwhelming as many find themselves also caring for aging parents. Being still? Sounds nice, but when would that happen? During sleep?
John W. Clarke
Although we are going to concentrate on Jeremiah 23:1-6, it is important to note that these verses are a part of a larger section that is best understood in its entirety. This section contains a collection of prophecies concerning the Davidic kings. It is not important that it be broken down verse by verse, but rather theme by theme.
Scott Suskovic
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created ... in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell...
-- Colossians 1:15-16, 19

Julia Ross Strope
If we love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and strength,
we are going to have to stretch our hearts, open our minds,
and strengthen our souls ... God cannot lodge in a narrow mind;
God cannot lodge in a small heart. To accommodate God they must be palatial.
-- William Sloan Coffin, Credo

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