Guest blog - Roy Crowne : Holy huddle?

Roy Crowne is executive director of Hope - an organisation that encourages Churches and Christians do put word and deed together in mission. Here he gives us an insight into his dreams for the Church and young people over this Easter period


Saturday afternoons have been exciting for me over the last few weeks, as I am a bit of a rugby fan and Six Nations is probably the most exciting tournament, apart from the World Cup.

As I sat watching the intense game last Saturday there was a ‘ruck’ in which players were engaged which seemed to last for ever. No-one was moving and actually they were starting to move back.

My mind went off to a thought I had, maybe from a book or some speaker I had heard, where they were talking about the church getting stuck in a ‘huddle’, with no ability to move forwards. ‘Huddles’ or ‘rucks’ are quite important for planing or developing a strategy, but not to stay there. If you stay there you will always end up going backwards. You see – in the end the ball has to come out and go forwards with the goal, the touch down, and the try, then the conversion.

The church in many places remains as a ‘huddle’. My dream for you as young people is that you throw the ball out, stating that’s where we are heading. Then with all the energy, drive of the forward, the middle row and the back row, everyone works towards the end of the conversion.

I think this is a really exciting time for us to throw out the ball and for people to follow with the goal of the conversion. Jesus made an amazing statement, when he says to his disciples that the way to change the world is one by one, but the only way to achieve it is to throw the ball out into the deep and let God achieve the try and convert.

There was a fantastic little comment I heard once, when I was fishing – which I don’t enjoy – when someone put a worm on a hook, and I said to them ‘I don’t like worms’. They agreed, but said that whether you like them or not is not the issue. The fish like worms and the worms will catch the fish. So when we step out we may not always like some of those God has called us to embrace, but by doing so you will discover that there is a God in heaven who catches the fish.

So, this week, today, this month, this Easter, let’s throw the ball forwards against the opposition, and see what Jesus will do to mobilise the team to action.

Roy will be speaking at our next eq:uip event on 11th June. For more details check out www.nottinghamyfc.co.uk/eq