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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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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations For Easter Sunday (2023) -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - A -- 2023
Jeremiah 31:1-6
Illustrations for All Saints Day (2023) -- Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- All Saints Day - A -- 2023
Revelation 7:9-17
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 (2023) -- Joshua 3:7-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, Matthew 23:1-12 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - A -- 2023
Joshua 3:7-17
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 (2023) -- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2023
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 2 (2023) -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2023) -- Judges 4:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-30 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A -- 2023
Judges 4:1-7
Sermon Illustrations For Easter 3 (2023) -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2022) -- Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Isaiah 35:1-10
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 4 (2022) -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Isaiah 7:10-16
Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2022) -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Nativity of our Lord - A -- 2022
Isaiah 9:2-7
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 1 (2022) -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Isaiah 2:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 2 (2022) -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Isaiah 11:1-10

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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 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 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 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 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 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 Transfiguration Sunday (2023) -- Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2023
Exodus 24:12-18
Sermon Illustrations For Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 (2023) -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2023
Genesis 29:15-28
Sermon Illustrations For Lent 1 (2023) -- Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11 -- Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
Sermon Illustrations for Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 (2023) -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 2023
Exodus 33:12-23
Sermon Illustrations For Easter Sunday (2023) -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Easter Day - A -- 2023
Jeremiah 31:1-6
Sermon Illustrations For Good Friday (2023) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Good Friday - A -- 2023
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2022) -- Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2022
Isaiah 35:1-10

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Object: This message will be based on a game you will play. See the note below.

NOTE: Ask three or more adults to come up and play the role of Simon for your group. Tell them to all speak at once, asking the children to do different things. The goal is to create a nice bit of confusion for the children to experience.

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

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“Hey!” Annie waved at the woman standing next to the open doorway. “Can you come here?”

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Call to Worship:

Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” In our worship today let us remember the little things in our lives and ask God to help us to be utterly faithful in them.



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Christ, have mercy.

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James Evans
This poignant prayer of lament and community grief gives expression to what it feels like to suffer as a person of faith. If we believe we are truly part of God's community, then the destruction of that community -- as was the case with Israel in 587 B.C. -- becomes a time for doubt, anger, and confusion. Furthermore, if we believe we are individual members of that community, our personal suffering also creates an opportunity for a crisis of faith: "Why didn't God protect me?" Of course, it does not take a national catastrophe to raise those sorts of questions.
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In the scripture lesson for today Jesus tells a perplexing parable about a thoroughly dishonest employee who was praised for his dishonesty. In this story Jesus not only seems comfortable suggesting that it is acceptable to compromise with moral failings, but our Lord appears to commend his disciples to "go and do likewise." For centuries, preachers, commentators, and scholars have struggled to make sense of this outrageous tale.

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