Residency Program

Are you a young adult looking for intentional Christian community, but are older than our gap year students? Did you know that Act Five has a second program? Welcome to the Residency Program, a transformational year of life in community, living alongside and beyond our gap year students, for (mostly) post-college/university age young adults.

The goal of the Act Five Residency Program is to provide a formative community living experience for young adults who are pursuing work or study in the city of Hamilton through shared participation in the Act Five learning community. This is embodied through meals, times of prayer, recreation, practicing hospitality and community rhythms, programmed events & outings, and more. We have space for five to seven young adults to live year-round at the Act Five residence.

Who is this for?

• Young adults (~21-30 years old) looking for a community in which to learn, practice and grow in their faith while engaging in their neighbourhood and city.

What’s Included?

• Wifi & Utilities (coin laundry is additional expense)
• Access to multiple shared spaces, large backyard
• Bike use
• Weeknight dinners ($150 value per month)
• Discipleship & mentorship opportunities, such as monthly events, book/Bible studies, retreats, and more
• Invitations to join various Act Five trips and program activities as desired, at an added cost:
  • e.g. Russet House Farm, Road Trip to Ohio’s Lamppost Farm, A Rocha’s Cedar Haven Eco-Centre, Six Nations, World Renew Disaster Response trip to Texas or Louisiana, Winter Camping, and Appalachian Trail Backpacking.
• Possibility of 1-2 weekends per term as “on call” volunteers with the Act Five Gap Year Program

Expectations

• 8-10 hours/week of commitments
  • Time around a table: Dinners most weeknights, including hosting on Wednesdays, and Sunday Breakfasts
  • Participating in spiritual formation rhythms: Evensong, Prayer, Sabbath, Retreats, and Going to the Margins
  • Engaging in learning opportunities: Book & Podcast Study, “Jazz Nights” (aka Pub Theology nights), and Practices guided by Act Five’s Values 
  • A conscious effort to make this place home by investing in the house, neighbourhood & city
  • Being present, engaged and willing to invest in community relationships (with gap year students, staff and other Act Five Residents)

Act Five’s Residency Program is a space for people who desire to wrestle with hard questions, root daily activities in Christ, and delight in others despite messiness (both the mess in the sink and community life). In this delighting, rooting, and wrestling, I’ve appreciated the community’s commitment to curiosity. Being curious about people, culture and God has expanded my view of how beautiful and big God is. This wonder shapes how we live, sing, feast, serve, and rest together at Act Five.

(Leah, 2023-24)

Application

For more information, email info@actfive.ca or apply below.

Pricing – 2024/2025

• $1150/month for a single room, $850 for a shared room
  *Prices vary slightly for some specific spaces in the home
  *We do not want cost to be a barrier; communicate with us as needed.

Cost breakdown – 2024/2025:

• $850 bedroom, bathrooms, access to all common spaces & staff support ($550 if shared room)
• $200 – meals & other food
• $50 utilities
• $50 monthly program fee to contribute toward residency activities

We prioritize applicants who can commit to a minimum of 8-12 months and working a maximum of 32 hours per week in the Act Five community, but we welcome applications from all interested individuals.

Check out our Residency Program Handbook (2023-2024) for more information!