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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 Advent 1 (2023) -- Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Isaiah 64: 1-9
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 6 (2023) -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21 -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 17:22-31
Sermon Illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2023) -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2023
Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2023) -- Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Isaiah 40:1-11
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 7 (2023) -- Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, John 17:1-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 1:6-14
Sermon Illustrations For Day Of Pentecost (2023) -- Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, John 20:19-23 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2023
Acts 2:1-21
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 1 (2023) -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2023
Isaiah 63:7-9
Sermon Illustrations for Third Sunday of Advent (2023) -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Sermon Illustrations For Trinity Sunday (2023) -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2023
Genesis 1:1--2:4
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany of Our Lord (2023) -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2023
Isaiah 60:1-6
Sermon Illustrations for Fourth Sunday of Advent (2023) -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
2 Samuel 7:1-11,16
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2023) -- Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - A -- 2023
Isaiah 42:1-9
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2023) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2023
Isaiah 9:2-7
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 5 | OT 10 (2023) -- Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2023
Genesis 12:1-9
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 (2023) -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2023
Isaiah 49:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas 1 (2023) -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2023
Isaiah 61:10--62:3
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 3 (2023) -- Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - A -- 2023
Isaiah 9:1-4
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 6 | OT 11 | Pentecost 3 (2023) -- Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7), Romans 5:1-8, Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2023
Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7)
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 4 (2023) -- Matthew 10:24-39, Romans 6:1b-11, Genesis 21:8-21 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2023
Genesis 21:8-21
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 4 | OT 4 (2023) -- Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2023
Micah 6:1-8
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 (2023) -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2023
Genesis 22:1-14
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 (2023) -- Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2023
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 5 (2023) -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16), Matthew 5:13-20 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2023
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 (2023) -- Genesis 25:19-34, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2023
Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 119:105-112
Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 (2023) -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2023
Deuteronomy 30:15-20

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The Immediate Word

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For July 6, 2025:
  • Who Is My Neighbor? by Tom Willadsen based on 2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Psalm 30.

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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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2 Kings 5:1-14
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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?

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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.

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(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.

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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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