Two things happening this morning — Father’s Day and a visit from one of our supported missionaries.
First, the dads. Happy Father’s Day. Whether you’re a dad, a stepdad, a granddad, or the guy who stepped in when someone needed one — we see you and we’re glad you’re here. Fatherhood doesn’t always look the way the greeting cards say it does, and that’s fine. What matters is that you showed up.
Now, our guest.
Scott Raab is with us this morning. Scott and his wife Shirley have spent years serving as missionaries in the Lowlands of Europe — Belgium and the Netherlands. They serve a church in Maastricht, Netherlands and are involved in a variety of ministries across that region. MCoC is one of their supporting congregations, and when Scott is back in the States, he makes time to visit and share what’s happening on the ground.
If you’ve never thought much about mission work in Western Europe, this morning will open your eyes. This isn’t a developing country where the challenge is resources. Belgium and the Netherlands are wealthy, educated, and deeply secular. Church attendance across Europe has been declining for decades. The challenge isn’t building a building or funding a school — it’s reaching people who have decided they don’t need God at all.
That’s the work Scott and Shirley do. Relationships, conversations, Bible studies, patient presence in a culture that isn’t hostile to Christianity so much as indifferent to it. It’s slow, unglamorous, faithful work. And it matters.
Scott will share an update on the ministry in Maastricht — what God is doing, what the needs are, and how the support from churches like ours connects to real people and real progress. These aren’t abstract mission reports. This is a brother we know, doing work we believe in, in a place most of us will never go.
Other than that, it’s a regular Sunday morning. We’ll sing together, take communion, pray, and be glad we’re in the same room. Happy Father’s Day. Glad you’re here.
