4 minute read
Found by Jesus, committed to serve
With walls and tables adorned with figurines and cultural ornaments from around the world, David and Robyn Claydon’s home is warm, charming and a visual delight. But the trinkets on display aren’t just for decoration, each item holds rich significance and tells a story of their lifelong commitment and dedication to sharing the good news of Jesus with the world. Nestled on their bookshelf is a wood carving of a shepherd and his sheep. Robyn explains its significance to her husband, “It treasures David’s story. It reminds him that his identity is in Jesus.”
In a Christian hospital in Jerusalem, a 4-year-old orphan was recovering from measles and double pneumonia - it was David. Alone and belonging to no one, he vividly remembers the moment when he first heard of Christ’s love during a Sunday Bible story session. He remembers hearing the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and seeing a picture of a shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders. David recalls, “Jesus actually went to the trouble of finding the lost lamb. He had a hundred other sheep, why would He worry about one lost lamb? If Jesus could be bothered about one lost lamb, He could be bothered about me!” It was a message that resonated deeply and set the course of his life of ministry.
David gained his Crusader badge in Jerusalem in 1945 after memorising weekly verses and attending 21 consecutive weeks at the British High Commissioner’s home where the Crusaders’ Union (now known in the UK as Urban Saints) meetings were held.
After being saved from death multiple times, David made a commitment to serve God with his life and has done so in various ministries. Robyn recalls, “He’s done so many different things! He’s been an Anglican minister, headed up Christian non-profits, and has been very involved in international ministry.”
For Robyn, her identity in Christ started from a young age. Robyn’s father was an Anglican minister and her mother was a Christian speaker, so from very young she knew about Jesus. She shares, “From the very earliest days, I knew I belonged to Jesus. However, when I was about 10-years-old, my dad was preaching in church and that was the night I made a personal decision to follow Jesus. My identity has been rooted in Jesus from the beginning, and so has David’s, but in an entirely different way.”
David and Robyn are both passionate advocates for evangelism, teaching and discipling people in their walk with Jesus. For this reason, they continue to support CRU’s ministry in addition to the numerous other ministries they are heavily involved in. Robyn affirms, “CRU has been a very important part of our own Christian experience – supporting CRU is our commitment to young people learning about Jesus.”
Robyn has always been passionate about teaching, training and mentoring women. Her involvement with CRU ® has spanned over six decades, starting in 1957 when she ran a CRU Group at Queenwood School for Girls where more than 200 girls met every week. She has also led a CRU Group at Abbotsleigh, was the Crusader Girls’ Organising Secretary, and ran a number of CRU Camps including the Crusader Wyong Girls’ Camp in 1960-61. She clearly remembers, “It was a time when camps were fairly new and very big. The CRU Camps and CRU Groups were growing and overflowing - it was really a very exciting time!”
Robyn also describes the value of Summit Educational Camps, “Taking kids to CRU (Summit) Camps is just so important. It provides a free environment where they can ask the questions that they might not ask at school, and they may certainly not ask at home. I think schools ministry is very important too - it supports young people who get no support at home.”
David also adds, “Another benefit of CRU Groups and ISCF in schools is the leadership - children are learning to lead other children!” David remembers being given the opportunity to lead Sunday school as a 12-year-old and recognises its value, “By learning to lead as a child,
it meant that I was able to be useful and serve as time went on.”
As Robyn served God through CRU ® , one thing was very apparent. She recalls that a number of the girls who attended CRU School Groups and CRU Camps were from non-Christian families. Robyn shares, “For many of them, CRU was their church. CRU was their time of fellowship with other girls and teachers, and a time of learning about Jesus.” She continues, “CRU is vital, not only to build the faith of Christians, but it becomes “church” for so many boys and girls whose families don’t encourage it.”
In more recent years, both Robyn and David have dedicated their time and resources to international ministry and evangelism. They are both connected to The Lausanne Movement, a large Christian organisation committed to world evangelism and bringing together Christians from across the world. Robyn left the teaching profession in 1993 to start an international ministry with The Lausanne Movement, identifying and supporting Christian women all over the world to grow in leadership. Meanwhile, David has been actively helping Christian refugees flee persecution.
They both tell stories of the many challenges faced in their ministries, but one thing is certain: God provides and is faithful. Robyn reassures, “When you’re feeling that you’re doing God’s will, and you’re willing to sacrifice and step out in faith, it is amazing how God supplies your needs.”
We are thankful for the Claydons’ example of lifelong dedication to sharing Jesus with the world, and for their ongoing support of CRU. It is CRU’s hope and prayer that the next generation of young people would, like David, be found by Jesus and be able to echo Robyn’s words:
“My Christian identity has shaped who I am. I belong to Jesus and I am committed to sharing the good news of Jesus with others.”
