The most common sound passing a quaint church in the English countryside is church bells or maybe even a hymn. If you walked by Holy Trinity Church in Colne, just outside Burnley in Lancashire in the UK, on a Saturday morning you’d hear the beep of a clock, 3,2,1 go, wall balls dropping and kettlebells thudding against rubber mats. In the middle of it all, Scripture is read, prayers are shared, and a community of men, some churchgoers, some not, find purpose in a place they never expected: a church-based CrossFit community.
This is Faith Rx’d HTC (Holy Trinity Colne), a new fitness and faith initiative that blends Christian discipleship with CrossFit. It all started with a long-distance cyclist who didn’t want to slide towards having a “dad bod.”
How it stared:
About 3 and half years ago, the project’s founder, Robert Clegg, began CrossFit after years of riding 600km, 400km and 300km endurance events. Feeling unfit and wanting to change course, he walked into CrossFit Pendle for an intro session. He found community, challenge, and an impetus to return to his physical prime.
At the same time, his Christian faith was growing. Watching a Rich Froning documentary, he spotted the CrossFit champion’s Galatians 6:14 tattoo and began noticing how Froning’s Mayhem community blended worship with fitness. “It really felt like something I was being called to pursue” he says.
He discovered Faith Rx’d, an international network combining Christian teaching with fitness and soon connected with the men at CrossFit Delta Fox in Darwen and their 180 Project, an initiative helping people rebuild their lives. The monthly Faith & Fitness event that the 180 project had been doing made an even deeper impact on Rob. The seed was planted.
In late 2024, the idea of launching a local chapter began to take shape. By March 2025 he completed his CrossFit Level 1. Equipment arrived that September and weekly sessions began. Meanwhile, he completed lay minister training and received backing from the Blackburn Diocese, which supports urban ministry initiatives like this one.
Mission:
A significant ally from day one has been Reverend Alex Oehring, Holy Trinity’s vicar. Ex-military, a trained PT and also a dad reclaiming his fitness, Rev. Alex immediately saw the potential. Together they shaped a vision: reach men who feel disconnected, offer purpose, build resilience, and open the door to faith in a setting that doesn’t feel like a traditional church.
“Before I came to faith, something was missing,” Rob says. “There are lost generations of men with no sense of purpose, hope, or aspiration. Look at the prison and unemployment figures and you can see how many fall through the gaps. We wanted to create something that builds confidence and connection.”
Rob explains the mission simply and clearly, stating that it is designed to “encourage physical wellbeing in a way that complements Christian discipleship and supports spiritual growth. Promote safety, fellowship, and community.”
Bible and burpees:
Each Faith Rx’d HTC session revolves around a Scripture passage. The workouts are tough but accessible, built around teamwork and discussion. One example:
Temptation WOD – inspired by 1 Corinthians 10:13
In a 45-minute window, teams of three complete:
1,013-meter row/assault/ski
10 burpee box jumps each
1,013-meter row/assault/ski
13 lengths farmer’s carry with kettlebells
1,013-meter row/assault/ski
10 wall balls each
1,013-meter row/assault/ski
10 kettlebell presses each (5 per arm)
It’s sweaty, challenging and, by design, deeply communal.
Why Fitness? Why CrossFit?
Rob believes that fitness and faith share the same pathways. “Both require self examination. Both demand discipline and consistency. Both reveal character under pressure and both are profoundly rewarding.” he explains.
“It’s not the pub and it’s not another event that revolves around food,” he says. “Fitness becomes a form of worship. It’s a relaxed environment where men can explore faith without walking into a formal church service alone.”
Growth:
The sessions currently run with around nine participants at a time, a limit set by equipment. Teams of three encourage camaraderie, shared effort, and natural rest periods. Many men attending don’t feel comfortable at a typical church service, but here they feel safe to open up.
Participants have reported getting fitter, making new friendships, growing spiritually, finding encouragement, developing confidence, building discipline and discovering faith at their own pace.
The initiative now includes a community run every Saturday at 8:30am, open to anyone which covers about 2.5 miles. There are men’s CrossFit workouts on Saturdays (10–11am) and Mondays (7–8am). Plans are underway to launch women’s and mixed sessions when additional leaders can be trained.
Only two Faith Rx’d chapters in the UK operate out of churches rather than commercial gyms. The team hopes that Holy Trinity Colne inspires more congregations across the country to explore similar efforts.
Faith Rx’d HTC is free and grant-funded, with early donations from CrossFit Pendle helping get them off the ground. But, like any growing fitness programme, it needs more equipment like barbells, rigs, dumbbells, mats, and conditioning machines to expand.
Anyone who wants to support, donate equipment, or simply learn more can get in touch:
Email: faithandfitnesscolne@gmail.com
Instagram: @holytrinitycolne
TikTok: @holytrinitycolne
