3D mission is the framework through which we want to help students evangelise within their Christian Unions (CUs). Our mission is never simply to ‘get the word out’ about the gospel. Instead, we long to help students delight in Jesus’ love and, from that delight, display His character and declare His gospel more boldly.
In one sense, 3D mission is simply what it means to live as a Christian. But it’s also helpful language for describing the kind of holistic evangelism we’re aiming for – and it all begins with delight.
Tom Mawdesley, CU Staff Worker in Oxford, has seen first-hand how a culture of delight in Jesus can transform student mission. We caught up with him to explore what it looks like when joy in Christ becomes the fuel of everyday CU life.
How do you encourage delight as a CU Staff Worker on campus?
Practically speaking, we are far more likely to share Jesus with our friends if we are regularly delighting in Him ourselves. That’s our most effective tool for evangelism – it comes from a place of authenticity.
As a CU Staff Worker, I’ve noticed that student leaders often love to talk about the business of CU life, which is completely understandable. With the demands of university, it’s natural to focus on logistics and events. But my role isn’t only to help them with the practicalities – it’s to help them grow in their personal delight in Jesus.
This means, in my one-to-ones with students, being quick to ask questions like, ‘What’s something you’ve loved about Jesus this week?’ and opening the Bible together before diving into planning or strategy.
In Oxford CUs, my hope is to cultivate a culture of prayer. Yes, prayer is essential because we can’t do mission without it, but also because it’s the means through which students will find deeper delight in Jesus. That delight, in turn, fuels students’ mission and their lives as a whole.
Of course, there is a tension to hold. As we delight in Jesus, we mustn’t lose sight of declaring Him to others. Delight isn’t a means to an end, but for CUs the goal remains the same: to spread the gospel to more and more students on campus.
My hope as a Staff Worker is to help students delight in Jesus, and also to encourage them to find that same joy through their local churches. Ideally, the work students do within their CU should overflow from their growing love for Jesus, which is nurtured and fuelled by their church community.
What does 3D mission on campus look like in action?
I see 3D mission at work when students speak about evangelism as a privilege, not a burden. It’s visible when they draw friends into relationship with Jesus simply by displaying His love in their everyday lives. It’s there when student leaders are relaxed yet bold, confidently declaring that Jesus is Lord without striving or fear.
These are the fruits of students who are delighting, displaying and declaring – students whose mission flows naturally from their relationship with Christ.
Any final thoughts?
It’s important to have a deep and balanced understanding of what it means to delight. It’s easy to imagine it as a kind of emotional enthusiasm or energy, and that’s certainly part of it. But delight is also expressed through trust.
We want to help student leaders become people who celebrate when things are going well, but who also don’t despair when things aren’t, because their joy is rooted in a deep trust in the Lord.
At UCCF, we want to help students become life-long disciples who can say, ‘Yes, what we’re doing is important, but ultimately, we entrust this work into the Lord’s hands. We trust that He is sovereign.’
In summary
3D mission reminds us that evangelism starts not with activity but with affection. When students delight in Jesus, they will display His love and declare His gospel – naturally, joyfully and with lasting impact.
You can read more about 3D mission here
