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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 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 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 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 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 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 Illustrations for Epiphany 4 (OT 4) Cycle C (2025) -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2025
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (OT 5) Cycle C (2025) -- Luke 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2025
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)

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 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
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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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
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?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
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)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

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

Larry D. Powell
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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