Write your next chapter in the story.

Act Five offers an 8 month Christian gap year program filled with adventure, travel, service, learning and mentorship.

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Travel
Worship
Live
Learn
Work
Serve

Find Direction from
New Experiences

Place yourself in a close-knit and locally rooted community as you discover who you are, why your Christian faith matters, where you are going next, and how you want to engage in the world around you.

Through ACT FIVE You Can...

  • Discover future pathways
  • Deepen your faith and relationship with God
  • Explore outside your comfort zone
  • Form lasting relationships with peers and mentors
  • Take courses on Scripture, the Christian Life and more Course Info
Read Act Five's storyRead the FAQs

“I learned to cook, to clean an old house, to deal with people… I learned about creation and the people of this country who were here before we were. I learned of God, stories and people, about stairs, parks, factories, and life. I learned about the beauty of life…”

Caleb Bouma

Act Five Student — Class of '21

“To put investment into mentors and teachers and housemates that will only love your child and want the best for them, and to invest in a community that is a safe place for them to grow, to fall, and to learn who they are… I ask myself, ‘What’s the rush?’ Act Five is a program that sets you up only for success. It is such an intentional program.”

Rosanna & Joo-Meng Soh

Parents

“No other way of living captured me so much so that I found myself re-thinking my entire lifestyle and vocation in the produce section at No Frills, and I thank God for that often as I try to figure out how to carry forward the long list of things I've learned.”

Rieneke Helder

Act Five Student — Class of '21

“Along the way I’ve met many dreamers, people who think something up and somehow turn it into a reality. I’ve met professors and authors, poets and environmentalists, pastors and guides, and perhaps the most significant one — I’ve met Jesus and through him God.”

Arissa VandeBurgt

Act Five Student — Class of '20

Program Highlights

Live, eat and worship together in a community home in downtown Hamilton.

A ten-day canoe trip, winter camping trip and spring backpacking trip with Coldwater Canada.

Complete an 8-week Field Placement, choosing from dozens of Hamilton organizations.

Participate on a 2-3 week cross-cultural service trip with one of a number of partner organizations.

Other learning trips to US cities, farms & conferences (different each year).

Learn from Indigenous communities, including time spent on First Nations reserves throughout Ontario.

Join the Journey

Slow down and make space to find real answers you can put into practice.

It’s not just ideas that form us. It’s what we do, who we spend time with, the places we hang out, and the habits we form. Act Five is about preparing for your future while growing as a disciple of Jesus right now.

read our mission & vision         Apply Today

Drop Us a Line

To stay up to date and hear about Act Five, Get In Touch with us below or follow us on Instagram.

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Latest Posts

Now the shore lines have shifted to sidewalks, the incline at the start of a portage has morphed into the incline of the escarpment stairs and my trusty PFD has gone from being zipped around my torso to hanging on my bedroom wall.

Welcome to our virtual porch - called the Act Five podcast.

While we are very busy getting ready for the new Act Five cohort, the summer is also a time of rest and fun here at Act Five. In the quiet of the summer, we like to check in with our community and share a bit of what's been growing here at Act Five!

ACT FIVE KEY PARTNERS

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