ARISE is an international movement formed as a complement to the 4TH Musketeer which came into existence from one question asked by a wife (Ruth) to her husband (Henk), one evening in September 2007: “what will you do with the men in the Church? They are asleep”. Fueled by a vision to awaken men to their faith and formed around the person of Jesus Christ and inspired by the character D’Artagnan (the protagonist in Alexandre Dumas’ famous the book ‘The Three Musketeers’), the Extreme Character Challenge (XCC) concept was born. Men describe the XCC as “an epic adventure where men experience great physical challenge, mental exhaustion and wild inspiration; all for the greater cause of bringing fulness of life and justice to the world. A movement of awakening men’s hearts.”
Arise was formed in response to the women (i.e., wives, sisters, mothers and friends) witnessing the transformed lives of men who participated in the 4M XCC.
Arise was founded in Switzerland. Born out of the 4th Musketeer men’s movement launched in 2008. The Arise vision was born when a group of women climbed the rocky steps of the Swiss Alps, to start an inspiring journey.
Ten South African women developed a pilot of Arise Challenge in Krugersdorp, South Africa, with the support of 4M brothers. Two months later, the first Arise Life Challenge (ALC) was launched, with 107 participants.
A team of women launch the first Netherlands Arise event.
A team of women launch the fist Germany Arise event.
Women from USA, Canada and Ukraine attended the South African ALC weekend to learn how to Arise in their local context. This gathering, just before the COVID-19 lockdown, served as the spark to launch several Arise events, despite a global pandemic!
A team of women launch the first Germany Arise event.
A team of women launch the first Australia Arise event in Queensland, with the help of 4M brothers.
A team of women launch the first America Arise event in Virginia, with the help of 4M brothers.
Through pandemic restrictions in Alberta and under threat of forest fires, the Arise Challenge is launched by a team of brave women, with the help of 4M brothers.
The development team holds a second Arise Challenge in Alberta.
The development team makes the hard decision to cancel the event due to extensive logging activity on the planned Arise Challenge trail.
International Arise leaders from over eight countries, including a new Core Team from Canada, travel to the Franschhoek, South Africa.
A crew remnant from Canada joins Arise US in Virgina to job-shadow our American sisters.
A new Core Team pilots a reinvented Arise Challenge in Alberta, Canada.
Inspired and supported by the 4M movement, ARISE Canada aligns with the global mission to see women discover their identity and worth in God, to arise and live strong in their divine calling to impact their world.
Women do not need an XCC, the heart awakening we seek is not the same.
ARISE Canada exists to…
We live in a fallen world. Sadly, the intrinsic glory of women, their preciousness to God, and the value of their contribution continue to be debased. This brokenness is a story we all carry to varying degrees. Let us amplify the worth of women.
God named woman ‘ezer’, one mighty to rescue. For millennia, women have fulfilled that commission in their families, communities and workplaces. Yet, every woman knows the refrain to ‘be small’ in some form or other. Let us restore the dignity of women.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Feminism is advocacy, a human attempt to right wrongs. While some anger is righteous; when humans wrangle justice, it goes awry. Let us don the armour of God for the fight and inspire women into faith.
We are called to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. We are one body on-mission, to bring healing by extending ‘big-L’ love. Women carry hurts and harms; they are often burdened with trauma and legitimate fear. Let us serve women in sensitive and sacrificial ways.
Salt and light, that is what Christ asks us to be in the world. What we can do in our own strength is limited, and the capacity we muster is fragile. We are all weak, made strong. Let us point women to the true source of power (i.e., the True Vine).
To create an outdoor experience where women get inspired and challenged. Arise is an outdoor event that integrates adventure in nature with spiritual content. It is in the midst of this adventure, challenge, and fellowship, that we encounter God.
To see women discover their true identity and worth in God, arise and live strong in their divine calling to impact their world.
