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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 Epiphany 4 (2024) -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 -- Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2024
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 5 (2024) -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2024
Isaiah 40:21-31
Sermon Illustrations for Transfiguration Sunday (2024) -- 2 Kings 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9 -- Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2024
2 Kings 2:1-12
Sermon Illustrations for Ash Wednesday (2024) -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2024
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 1 (2024) -- Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15 -- Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Genesis 9:8-17
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 2 (2024) -- Mark 8:31-38, Romans 4:13-25, Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 3 (2024) -- John 2:13-22, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Exodus 20:1-17 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Exodus 20:1-17
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 4 (2024) -- John 3:14-21, Ephesians 2:1-10, Numbers 21:4-9 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Numbers 21:4-9
Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2024) -- John 12:20-33, Hebrews 5:5-10, Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Sermon Illustrations for Passion Sunday (2024) -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2024
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2024) -- 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 - B -- 2024
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Sermon Illustrations for Good Friday (2024) -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42 -- Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen -- Good Friday - B -- 2024
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Sermon Illustrations for Easter Day (2024) -- Isaiah 25:6-9, Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, John 20:1-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Easter Day - B -- 2024
Acts 10:34-43
Sermon Illustrations for New Year's Day (2024) -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Mark Ellingsen -- New Year's Day - B -- 2024
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Sermon Illustrations for Second Sunday of Easter (2024) -- Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 1:1--2:2, John 20:19-31 -- Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
Acts 4:32-35
Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2024) -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bill Thomas, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2024
Genesis 1:1-5
Sermon Illustrations for the Third Sunday of Easter (2024) -- Acts 3:12-19, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
Acts 3:12-19
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 (2024) -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20), 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas, Bonnie Bates -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2024
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
Sermon Illustrations for Easter 4 (2024) -- Acts 4:5-12, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
Acts 4:5-12
Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 3 (2024) -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20 -- Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2024
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Sermon Illustrations for the Fifth Sunday after Easter (2024) -- John 15:1-8, 1 John 4:7-21, Acts 8:26-40 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
Acts 8:26-40
Sermon Illustrations for the Sixth Sunday of Easter (2024) -- Acts 10:44-48, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17 -- Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
Acts 10:44-48
Sermon Illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2024) -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 -- Mark Ellingsen, Bonnie Bates, Frank Ramirez, Bill Thomas -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2024
Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Illustrations for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (2024) -- Acts 1:15-17, 21-26, 1 John 5:9-13, John 17:6-19 -- Mark Ellingsen, Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Illustrations for Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 (2024) -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20, Psalm 138, 2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1, Mark 3:20-35 -- Frank Ramirez, Bonnie Bates, Bill Thomas, Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2024
1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20 (11:14-15)
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The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For July 28, 2024:

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John Jamison
Object: Twelve baskets. Have two of the baskets out to show everyone, but keep ten of the baskets hidden until you need them in the message.

* * *

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

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
Regardless of who we are and where we live, we will all one day face some form a wilderness. A modern example is “Wendy”, amiddle-aged woman who has had to relocate from the communities she was born, raised, attended school in and worked for many years. Changing circumstance of family employment forced Wendy to relocate to unfamilarcommunities that do not align with her values.  This urban community she currently resides, feels foreign to her in terms of loss of friends, family connections, different businesses. They are quite different values from the small college town she was raised in.
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Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
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2 Samuel 11:1-15
About David’s sin and sin in general, John Wesley wrote: “See how all the way to sin is downhill! When men begin, they cannot stop themselves.” (Commentary On the Bible, p.199) We are all as sinful as David, maybe more so. Martin Luther explained why:

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle…. (v. 1)

Most people, even those who don’t like Shakespeare, will recognize some of his most famous lines. Like:

“To be or not to be. That is the question.”

“Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears.”

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

“To thine own and be true.”

One line they may especially recognize, even if they don’t know what play it’s from, is “My horse! My horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus was able to produce enough food to feed all the people, and he was able to calm the storm. In our service today let us receive his nourishment and allow him to calm any storms that we might have.


Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we reject the food you offer and blame our storms on you.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to trust that you always have our best interests at heart.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Kai M. Mcclinton
I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. (vv. 16-17)


My family is very close. We depend on one another and do all that we can for each other. When one is in trouble, we all come running to assist in any way that we can. We learned this kind of love and support from our grandmother, Elsie Burton. She was a hard working woman who loved her family and all people.
Michael D. Wuchter
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.
Sue Anne Steffey Morrow
Above my desk at home is a single pine shelf that holds a row of books, books which through the years have meant a whole world to me. You may have such a collection of such treasures, too, volumes by favorite writers of poetry, prose, narrative, non-fiction. Some of my books are so old that the covers are frayed and the pages yellowing. There is a volume I read for the first time last summer that is crisp and clean. Some have markers to note a beloved section or a poem I'd like to find with dispatch. Some are helpful in a direct manner, some reflective.
Charles And Donna Cammarata
Call To Worship
A general Call To Worship.
Leader:
Call upon the Lord.
People:
God is present in the company of the righteous.
Leader:
God is our refuge,
People:
And our salvation,
Leader:
Our strength,
People:
And our song.
Leader:
Let us rejoice,
People:
And be glad!

Ephesians passage.
Leader:
Come, let us worship God.
People:
Let us kneel before the Father,
Leader:
From whom his whole family,

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