A thought on missions

"There is no participation in Christ without participation in his mission to the world."

- Willingen Conference of the International Missionary Council

Missions have been enterprises that belonged to the exterior of church life. They were carried on somewhere else - in Asia, Africa, or the South Pacific, in the slums of the city, or among the gypsies, the vagrants, the marginal people... The church has approved of "missions" but has not been the mission.

- "The Open Secret", Lesslie Newbigin

What do you think? If we are not participating in mission to the world, does that have an effect on our belonging to Christ? And have we allowed for our churches here in America to push missions away? We feel good about throwing money at missions, but we would never do anything on our own to participate in missions.

Your thoughts?