Missions or Mission?

What does the word "missions" mean to you?

I suppose I sometimes get an image in my head of a group of the faithful missions minded people in a church planning a dinner to raise money or getting together a care package to send along with someone on a missions trip. There is a board or some kind of display that tells where my church has decided to support people in the world and I can make the effort to join with a trip that is going once a year. Maybe there is even a missions festival or a missions night to share more with people.

I don't think that there is anything wrong with any of these things, but I do think that it is not missions that God calls us to, but his mission. Somehow, we as the church have gotten confused about what God desires from us. He isn't looking for a commitment to a program. He isn't looking for us to put time aside in our lives to go to church and maybe to make a sacrifice and go somewhere on a work project instead of taking a vacation somewhere.
God wants everything from us. That means that my life at work and my life in my neighborhood and my life at school and my life when I am playing are all God's. He doesn't want me for two hours on Sunday, he wants me all week, every day.

Is the "s" really important? Of course the "s" isn't what this is about. The idea or image that we get of missions though, is important. If the word mission gives a clearer picture of our relational God with a plan and a purpose for our lives, we need to understand what God is doing and seek after that mission. Every person that proclaims Christ as the savior and follows him, must follow him and needs to be looking for understanding of the mission laid before us. The mission is laid out for every Christ follower in the Bible and we need to strive after a knowledge of God.

What is God's mission?
What does the Bible say to you about God's mission for you? for the Church?