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 four to six 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 ($200 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, Manitoulin Island, 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
- Spend time around a table: Dinners most weeknights (which includes hosting a Community Dinner on Wednesdays), and Sunday Breakfasts
- Participate in spiritual formation rhythms: Evensong, Prayer, Sabbath, Retreats, Friendships at the Margins
- Engage in learning opportunities: Storytelling Nights, and “Jazz Nights” (aka Pub Theology nights)
- Make this place home by investing time and energy into the house, neighbourhood & city
- Be 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, Act Five Resident 2023-24)

Application

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

Apply Here

Pricing – 2025/2026

$4550 per term for a single room, $3350 per term for a shared room
*Terms run September-December and January-April, with a summer term option May-August.
**Prices vary slightly for some specific spaces in the home
***We do not want cost to be a barrier; communicate with us as needed.
Optional Trip and Workshop Costs (sign-up at the beginning of each term) – up to $1000 per term, depending on choice of participation.

Cost breakdown – 2024/2025:

$800/month – bedroom, bathrooms, access to all common spaces & staff support ($500/month if shared room)
$200/month – meals & other food
$50/month – utilities
$50/month – program fees
$300 – two weekend retreats

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

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