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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

Sermons Illustrations for Proper 13 | OT 18 (2019) -- Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2019
Hosea 11:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 4 (OT 4) Cycle C (2019) -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Luke 4:21-30 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2019
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King (Proper 29) (2019) -- Jeremiah 23:1-6, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2019
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 14 | OT 19 (2019) -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 1:1,10-20
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (OT 5) Cycle C (2019) -- Luke 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)
Sermon Illustrations for Thanksgiving Day (2019) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Philippians 4:4-9, John 6:25-35 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2019
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 15 | OT 20 (2019) -- Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:29--12:2, Luke 12:49-56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2019
Isaiah 5:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 6 (OT 6) Cycle C (2019) -- Jeremiah 17:5-10, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 6:17-26 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - C -- 2019
Jeremiah 17:5-10
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2019) -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 2:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 7 (OT 7) Cycle C (2019) -- Genesis 45:3-11, 15, 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50, Luke 6:27-38 -- Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2019
Genesis 45: 3-11, 15
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2019) -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 11:1-10
Sermon illustrations for Transfiguration Sunday, Cycle C (2019) -- Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Bob Ove, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2019
Exodus 34:29-35
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2019) -- Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 35:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2019) -- 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 -- 2019
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2019) -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2019
Isaiah 7:10-16
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2019) -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2019) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2019
Isaiah 9:2-7
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2019) -- 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, Ron Love -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 1 (2019) -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23 -- Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2019
Isaiah 63:7-9
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 3 (2019) -- Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Frank Rarmirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Isaiah 55:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2019) -- Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bob Ove, Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Joshua 5:9-12
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2019) -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8 -- Ron Love, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Isaiah 43:16-21
Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2019) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2019
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2019) -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Ron Love, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2019
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2019) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Bob Ove, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Ron Love, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - C -- 2019
Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 28 | OT 33 | Pentecost 23
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Christ the King Sunday
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Thanksgiving
34 – Sermons
80+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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* * *

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Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

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Lord, in your mercy
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With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
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John W. Clarke
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Whoever does not work should not eat!
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Freedom is such a lovely word, a compelling image. What is freedom? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Webster's New World Dictionary defines freedom as being exempt from control or from arbitrary restrictions. Freedom is said to be the ability to choose or determine one's own actions.

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