MODULE 2: WHY WE ARE A MOVEMENT

To grow a garden you need good soil. Alongsiders is a discipleship movement that will grow out of a clear understanding of who God has made us to be.

Love and discipleship come from the heart and cannot be bought or sold. We can’t pay people to love their neighbours. We shouldn’t pay Christians to make disciples. So, let’s agree that we won’t be using money to grow the movement. Instead we’ll use local resources and rely on the Holy Spirit to move people’s hearts.

That's why we avoid words like "NGO" or "non-profit", “project” or "charity". Every aspect of what we do is designed to be more Movement than Project.

But what exactly is a movement?

You can think of a movement as a garden that is constantly growing. Your garden (movement) might be small and carefully managed, or it might be wild - almost like a forest. But no matter what, your garden is a place full of life.

Watch this video for more insight into Alongsiders as a movement.

As you learned in the video, there are some important differences between a Movement and a Project. Alongsiders is designed to be a movement for very practical reasons. Only a discipleship movement that relies on local resources can grow and expand rapidly without requiring a lot of outside funds and resources. So we say that a movement is more scalable and sustainable than a Project.

In the video you learned some practical ways that the Alongsiders movement is different from a Project. Review these differences again here:

Think about your own Alongsiders movement and compare it to the list above. Is it more of a movement or more of a project?

Bible Study

For a great example of a movement that grew without needing any outside funds, take a look at the early church and this example from Acts 3. This is a wonderful story about the transformation of a beggar. Read the story in Acts 3:1-10 then answer the questions below.

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

QUESTIONS

Group Leader Name

First Name

Last Name

Who is doing this training with you today? Write their names below:

1. In Acts 3, how was the man’s life like before he received healing, physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually?

2. In this story, where do you see signs of a movement (instead of a project)?

3. Was money an important factor in transformation in this story? Why or why not?

4. Where do you see the man being healed wholistically in this story (eg. physically, spiritually, socially, etc.)?

In a movement, not only is a solution offered for a problem or need, but it also potentially transforms the whole person.

5. Is your Alongsiders movement more of a Project or more of a movement? Why?

Any other comments, questions or concerns about the movement mindset?

ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY & DISCUSSION:

Take turns acting out different aspects of either a project or a movement. Those who are watching should try to guess if you are acting out a project or a movement. For example, you could act like someone feeding people (project) or sharing a meal (movement).

INSPIRATION

Finally, watch the story of Darath together, a young Alongsider who sacrificed for the movement. Movements are made up of thousands of people just like Darath, who are committed to the cause.

What’s Next?

The next four modules will cover the four core values of Alongsiders - we believe these are the keys God has given us to unlock the power of a grassroots discipleship movement. The first one is Purpose….

Mobilizer 201: Module 2