“What is mission?”

Volumes have been written attempting to articulate what mission means. It can be easy to be confused with words like mission and missions. A simple “s” can change the focus.

• Missions (plural) are the missionary activities of the church (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, collecting school supplies, supporting missionaries around the world, participating in the free produce market, etc.). Missions involve more than money; missions are our engagement with people, or participation in the mission of God.
• Mission (singular) refers to the mission of God. God’s mission expresses the good news that God is with us and for us.  God’s mission gives the church purpose and direction.

The mission of the church flows from the mission of God. The church is an instrument for the mission of God, from which we take our direction.