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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 Transfiguration Sunday, Cycle C (2025) -- Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2025
Exodus 34:29-35
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2025) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2025
Isaiah 58:1-12
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 7 | OT 12 (2025) -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a, Galatians 3:23-29, Luke 8:26-39 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2025
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42-43
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2025) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2025
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 8 | OT 13 (2025) -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2025
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 and Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 9 | OT 14 (2025) -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, Psalm 30 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2025
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2025) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2025
Isaiah 50:4-9
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 11 | OT 16 (2025) -- Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2025
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2025) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2025
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 12 | OT 17 (2025) -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2025
Hosea 1:2-10 and Psalm 85
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2025) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Good Friday - C -- 2025
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Day (2025) -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, Isaiah 65:17-25 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - C -- 2025
Isaiah 65:17-25
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 2 (2025) -- Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4b-8, John 20:19-31, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 5:27-32
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 3 (2025) -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)
Sermon illustrations for Easter 4 (2025) -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 9:36-43
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 5 (2025) -- Acts 11:1-18, Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 11:1-18
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 6 (2025) -- Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5, John 14:23-29 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 16:9-15
Sermon illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2025) -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2025
Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 7 (2025) -- Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2025
Acts 16:16-34
Sermon Illustrations for Day of Pentecost (2025) -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17, John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2025
Genesis 11:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 2 (2025) -- Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C -- 2025
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of the Lord (2025) -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2025
Isaiah 60:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2025) -- Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2025
Isaiah 43:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | OT 2 (2025) -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2025
Isaiah 62:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (OT 3) Cycle C (2025) -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2025
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Sermon

SermonStudio

Living Through Hard Times -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10 -- Bonnie Bates -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2021
Sometimes it is hard for us to accept the hardships of this life.
Faithfulness In These Days -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2021
As we enter the Lenten season, we reflect on the life of Jesus, his ministry, his sacrifice, and his
Standing Firm -- Philippians 3:17--4:1 -- Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2021
The call of Paul in this letter is to stand firm in the Lord, to not falter, to not align our minds
Seeking The Presence Of God -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2021
It is a well-known cliché that “God never gives us more than we can handle”, but I have sometimes fo
A New Creation In Hope -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2021
In Christ, we are a new creation.
Pressing On In Faith -- Philippians 3:4b-14 -- Bonnie Bates -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2021
Recently at the gym, working out with my personal trainer, and straining to finish the third set of
Love Lives -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Bonnie Bates -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2021
My friends, as we gather this Sunday to recall the passing of the weeks of Lent and move ourselves i
At The Table -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Bonnie Bates -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2021
In my faith tradition, Maundy Thursday usually involved a remembrance of the first communion service
We Build The Tomb -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Bonnie Bates -- Good Friday - C -- 2021
All my life I have struggled with the concept of calling this day of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion a
We Live In Hope -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - C -- 2021
Good morning! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Happy Easter!
Visions Of Hope -- Revelation 1:4-8 -- Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2021
Welcome to the Second Sunday of Easter.
My Redeemer Lives -- Revelation 5:11-14 -- Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2021
We continue in our Easter season to celebrate and reflect on John’s vision of heaven.
Peace In The Presence -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2021
How large is your worshiping community?
Transformed And Transforming -- Revelation 21:1-6 -- Bonnie Bates -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2021
We continue this Easter season with the epistolary readings from Revelation.
The Mountain Top -- Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5 -- Bonnie Bates -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2021
I love to hike and there is nothing more amazing to me than to climb to the top of a mountain trail
The Balcony View -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Bonnie Bates -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2021
This section of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is a note of thanksgiving.
The Beginning And The End -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Bonnie Bates -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2021
This reading from the book of Revelation, the vision of John, reminds us that Jesus is the beginning
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 16 | OT 21 | Pentecost 11
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 17 | OT 22 | Pentecost 12
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 18 | OT 23 | Pentecost 13
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – 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 September 14, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A sheep stuffy or toy.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started!

Did you know that Jesus traveled around and hunted for people who were doing something illegal and breaking the laws? (Let them respond.) He really did.And when he found someone who was doing something illegal, do you know what he did with them? (Let them respond.)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Our text tells us that we are skilled in doing evil (v.22). An anonymous late medieval treatise titled German Theology tells us why:

It is the nature and property of the creature to seek itself and its own things, and this and that, here and there, and in all that it does and leaves undone as desire is to its own advantage and benefit. (Varieties of Mystic Experience, p.162)

Martin Luther King, Jr. offers an alternative to this vision:
David Coffin
All three of today’s texts can be viewed as good news that God never gives up on God’s people. This is despite their resistance to repent or simple straying from the community of faith. We can observe family and loved ones at various points of their faith journey through the lens of each of these texts. Jeremiah 4 informs the people their neglect of honoring their covenant with God is about to result in disastrous consequences. Paul recalls in 1 Timothy 1 how he thought he was falling God’s will until he had his literal come to Jesus moment!

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (vv. 6-7)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told stories to illustrate to the people God's gladness whenever anyone turned to him and chose life. There is still rejoicing in heaven whenever any one of us turns to God.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes I think I'm too insignificant for you to bother with me.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with you.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes I don't bother with other people, but only with myself.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Proper 12/Pentecost 10/Ordinary Time 17, Cycle B, for an alternative approach.)

The psalm writer has an interesting perspective on the origin of injustice in our world. He begins this psalm with the assertion that those who do not believe in God are "fools." He goes on to accuse them of corruption and of being incapable of doing good. Later on he writes, "Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord?" (v. 4).

Elizabeth Achtemeier
"Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them" (v. 12). Ours is a society that does not accept that as the Word of God. Many people do not believe that God judges anyone. Rather, the Lord is a forgiving God, a kindly deity who overlooks all wrong. As in the Gospel lesson for the morning, the Lord searches for the one lost sheep and returns it gently to the fold, or he hunts for the one lost coin until he finds it. God accepts the lost as they are, we think, overlooking Jesus' teaching about repentance and transformation of life.
Scott Suskovic
We usually don't spend too much time thinking about our own sinfulness. On occasion, of course, our feelings of guilt overwhelm us. We can't stop thinking about our sinfulness. If we are in that situation, we may need to talk that out with someone. Apart from times like that, we don't think much about our own sinfulness. We have ways of getting around that.

R. Robert Cueni
Back before the ways of the Taliban became common knowledge, there was a fascinating little article about how they jailed barbers when they didn't do culturally correct haircuts.1 The newspaper reported that young men in Kabul, Afghanistan, have started wearing their hair the way the actor Leonardo DiCaprio wears his. Long, not only on the sides, but so long in the front that hair can drop over the eyes. They call the style, "the Titanic," named for the blockbuster movie starring DiCaprio about the 1912 sinking of the cruise ship by that name.

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