30 April 2025| Bracknell, UK [Ivana Mendez with tedNEWS]
In a world increasingly divided and in need of hope, Christian mission stands as a powerful reminder of what it means to engage with humanity in its deepest struggles. As we reflect on the journey of mission, we can look to the town of Bethlehem, a place that plays a central role in the story of God’s work on Earth. Through the lives of three key figures—Ruth, David, and Jesus—Bethlehem reveals to us the Three Rs of Christian Mission: Refuge, Resource, and Redemption.
R for Refuge: A Safe Place for the Broken
Our story begins with the Book of Ruth, where we find two women, Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, journeying from Moab to Bethlehem. They are not simply making a geographical return; they are returning to a place where hope is hard to find. Ruth, a Moabite widow, chooses to leave behind the land she knows, and despite Naomi’s bitterness and sense of loss, Ruth stays by her side. “Where you lodge, I will lodge,” Ruth declares (Ruth 1:16), not with expectations of comfort, but simply with the willingness to endure hardship alongside Naomi.
Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem, vulnerable and exposed, and the town is stirred by their return. The people of Bethlehem do not offer judgment or cold reception. Instead, they extend care and kindness to these broken women. A nameless servant allows Ruth to glean in the fields, and Boaz, the landowner, ensures her safety. Through the simple act of welcoming these women into their community, Bethlehem becomes a place of refuge.
The first R of the Christian Mission is Refuge. It’s a reminder that mission is not always about grand gestures or far-reaching initiatives—it often begins on the micro-level, where we open our hearts to the broken, offering them safety, dignity, and care. Just as Bethlehem welcomed Naomi and Ruth, we too are called to create spaces of refuge for those who walk through the doors of our churches and into our lives. Here, people can experience the love of God through our actions, and perhaps, just like Ruth, they will come to know God in a deeply personal way.
While the Book of Ruth is known as a short love story, it is also a short record of a mission project in which Bethlehem became a place of refuge. And because broken people like Ruth and Naomi so frequently cross our path or turn up at the doorstep of our churches, I believe the first R of Christian Mission can indeed stand for REFUGE. A friend of mine recently reposted on Facebook “If you see me at church, don’t ask me where I have been. Just say, I’m glad to see you home!”
R for Refuge reminds us of the MICRO-level of Christian Mission, on which every follower of Christ is to contribute to creating a safe space into which other people can enter. Here, care
and kindness ought to be experienced, provisions shared, and blessings uttered. Here, all kinds of life stories are heard. R for Refuge is simply another way of saying ‘being with’. And as the days go by, there is a chance that the broken people (and others we spend time with) will invite the living God to step into their life stories and make them part of His own story. In the atmosphere of refuge, the true character of God can be re-evaluated, even restored.
I wonder how many of us are a part of the church community today, because when we returned or entered for the first time, the little people at this-and-that location became a place of refuge for us. The first R of Christian Mission stands for Refuge.
R for Resource: An Asset to the Wider Community
The second R of Christian Mission takes us to the time of Israel’s monarchy, where we encounter the story of David. Samuel is sent by God to Bethlehem to anoint a new king after Saul’s failure. At first, it seems as though none of Jesse’s sons will fit the bill, but when the youngest, David, is called from the fields, God declares, “He is the one!” (1 Samuel 16:12). David, once a shepherd, would become an asset not just to his family, but to the whole nation.
Bethlehem, the little town that seemed insignificant, becomes the place where God raises up a leader who would unite the people of Israel, bringing them both victory in battle and peace in the land. Through David’s faith and leadership, Bethlehem becomes a resource for the wider community, a symbol of how God’s plan can transform even the smallest and most overlooked places into sources of blessing.
The second R, Resource, challenges us on a macro level. As followers of Christ, we are called to be resources to the wider community. Our mission is not only about personal salvation but also about how we contribute to the flourishing of the world around us. We are called to be assets in our families, workplaces, and communities, sharing what God has entrusted to us for the benefit of others. Whether it’s our time, talents, or treasures, we must ask ourselves: Are we living as resources for the communities we are a part of? In a world that often prioritises self-interest and accumulation, we are called to reflect God’s generosity and love.
R for Redemption: God’s Ultimate Response to the Crisis
Finally, the third R brings us to the most well-known story of Bethlehem—the birth of Jesus. It is here, in this humble town, that God Himself enters into the crisis of humanity. A global crisis, not of geography or politics, but of sin and separation from God, requires a response that no human or community can provide. As the prophet Micah foretold, “But you, O Bethlehem… from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel” (Micah 5:2).
In the birth of Jesus, we see that God’s solution to the crisis of sin is not found in human effort or ingenuity, but in divine intervention. Jesus, the Son of God, comes to redeem the world, to restore what has been broken, and to offer salvation to all. The third R of Christian Mission, Redemption, is the heart of our faith. It is what sets our mission apart from any other. While other organisations may offer refuge and resources, only the gospel offers true redemption—the reconciliation of humanity with God.
In Bethlehem, we see the ultimate act of God’s love and grace: the Redeemer entering our world, not as a king in a palace, but as a baby in a manger. This is the redemptive story we are called to proclaim. It is the cosmic level of mission—one that transcends time and space and speaks to the deepest needs of the human heart.
Living the Three Rs
As we consider the Three Rs of Christian Mission—Refuge, Resource, and Redemption—we are invited to reflect on our own role in God’s mission. Are we creating spaces of refuge for the broken? Are we living as resources for our communities? And are we actively sharing the story of redemption that has transformed our lives?
The mission of Christ is not confined to a specific time or place; it is a living, breathing invitation for all of us to participate in. Wherever we are, we are called to be places of refuge, sources of resources, and bearers of redemption. As we live out these Three Rs, may we reflect the heart of God’s mission to the world.
Let us pray that our lives, like Bethlehem, become a beacon of hope, offering refuge to the hurting, resources to the needy, and the message of redemption to all who need it. May it be so. Amen!
The Saturday (Sabbath) morning sermon at the Trans-European Division Mission150 Conference was given by Pastor Ivana Mendez (Lecturer in Biblical Languages at Newbold College of Higher Education). This article is a summary of her sermon, “The Three Rs of Mission.”
Featured image: Ivana Mendez delivering the sermon at the TED Mission150 conference on 26 April 2025. [David Neal, Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)]. [Other photos: Shutterstock]
