This page highlights pictures from projects supported by Acts of Grace within the most recent five years.
Photos are listed in alphabetical order by charity name. Click on the charity's name to be redirected to its website. Click on the Grant Description link to learn more about each grant. These pictures are used with the express permission of the organization that provided them and are not to be reproduced for any other purpose.
Development of Graduation Practicum for Biblical Counseling Degree Programs
(Canada and French-speaking World)
Grant Year: 2023
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Many Canadians face challenges such as family and marriage conflict, parenting issues, addiction and mental health concerns, financial and employment stress and processing grief and trauma. And while counseling is the most common form of care received, many people report unmet needs for counseling services as demand increases. Fondation du Counseling Biblique (French Biblical Counseling Foundation) seeks to bring Christ back into counselling and bring counselling back into the church by equipping biblical counselors and prioritizing the establishment of biblical counseling centres in partnership with the local, French-speaking church in Canada and around the world. Through theoretical courses /degree programs as well as practical workshops, Fondation du Counseling Biblique offers its students the strategies to address life’s challenges with the Word of God, firstly in their own lives then in the lives of those in their own community.
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As a subset of the discipleship process, there is a link between biblical counseling the spiritual formation - wise, Christ-centered counseling builds spiritually mature people who increasingly reflect Christ. Biblical counseling provides compassionate soul care by offering sustaining and healing for suffering and gentle, humble spiritual direction for sin and sanctification through reconciling and guiding. Biblical counseling holistically considers creation (understanding people from God’s original design), fall (diagnosing problems resulting from sin), and redemption (prescribing God’s solutions through our salvation and sanctification in Christ). Biblical counseling helps people grow in grace by emphasizing every part of a person’s being – the relational (spiritual, social, and self-aware), rational, volitional, emotional, and physical.
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As the final step in developing the BA and MA Biblical Counseling degree programs and as the first cohort of students prepares to graduate, a practicum course is required for graduating students. The practicum will integrate everything the students have learned during their degree with internship style practical application by involving the students at all stages of the biblical counseling process. A toolkit will also be developed to enable graduates to replicate and implement the French biblical counseling centre model in their own context. Ultimately, with more French-speaking biblical centres, francophone Canadians will have access to more and higher quality French-language biblical counselors to help them process life's challenges by leading struggling, hurting, sinning, and confused people to the hope, resources, strength, and life that are available only in Christ and by pointing people to transformative power of the Redeemer as the only hope to change people’s hearts.
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The existing CRM software used by Global Disciples Canada is no longer adequate to meet the growing needs of the organization nor continued effective integration with the US organization. In order to ensure the long-term effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the Global Disciples Canada office and administration, Global Disciples Canada requires an updated and scaleable CRM solution.
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To ensure continued and enhanced integration with Global Disciples US, Global Disciples Canada will also implement Salesforce and a portion of the Canadian processes will be integrated with the US instance as enhancements to the US Salesforce org. This installation will increase the reliability of Global Disciples CRM data and reporting and the efficiency and effectiveness of Global Disciples Canada CRM processes and outcomes. The installation will enhance the ongoing integration of Canadian-US reporting and data management processes and outcomes.
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The investments made into this CRM software will directly enable the Global Disciples Canada office to more effectively develop its Canadian partner network in order to sustainably support the high demand for church discipleship-mission, small business and leadership training programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These programs equip clusters of local churches to reach their own or other near-culture peoples with the Gospel.
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Québec is home to only 1% of Christians committed to an evangelical church. The "Unreached No More" vision desires to see Quebec reach at least 2% of its population that declares Jesus as Lord and Saviour. To reach this milestone that would remove Quebec from the list of unreached people groups with the Gospel of Christ, Quebec is in urgent need of workers in the mission field, workers in the church and new church plants in the many still unreached areas. Mission Quebec's Project 10:02 is rooted in the Scripture from Luke 10:2, "He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Will you commit to pray for Quebec at 10:02 each morning?
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Facts about Quebec*:
- Less than 2% of the population declares Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour
- They are the largest unreached people group in all of the Americas
- There is only 1 church for every 106,000 people
- In Montreal alone, to reach a ration of 1 church for eery 30,000 people, there would still need to be 50 new church plants
- Several churches do not even have a pastor and among those that currently do, half of them will retire in the next 10 years
*from Mission Quebec
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This grant provides funds for a Project & Communications Manager to support the Project 10:02 initiative to see Quebec become a nation that will no longer be considered missiologically unreached by doubling the number of French-speaking people involved in evangelical churches in the province. This position will play a pivotal role in leading and managing the administrative and organizational functions of the 10:02 initiative including communicating with donors, volunteers and church leaders, promoting key projects, fundraising, identifying opportunities and fostering collaboration within and outside the organization. Adding a dedicated Project and Communications Manager to the initiative will significantly increase the Mission Quebec's capacity to drive the movement forward through increased recruitment, successful integration and strategic deployment of missionaries and church planters throughout Quebec.
Pictured here: Mission Quebec missionary and church planters gathering at a conference and reflect on the "Unreached No More" vision.
Medical Equipment for the MMI Amazon Hospital Boat (Colombia)
Grant Year: 2022
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More than 280 indigenous communities in the Amazon Region do not have access to basic health care nor simple life-changing surgeries. Many of these communities are isolated, some accessible only by boat, making respectable health care inaccessible for most. Although the indigenous people living in these villages are generally healthy, "lifestyle" injuries, hygiene and age-related issues are common (cataracts, infections, broken bones, feminine health, etc.). Most of these villages have no healthcare facilities other than traditional/natural healing (herbs) or witchdoctors. In some of the more remote indigenous regions of the Amazon, on average only 1.8% of the population have access to health care. MMI Amazon currently uses 2 boats to reach remote villages of the Amazon jungle surrounding Leticia, Colombia.
Pictured here: Life on the Amazon River.
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MMI has been providing primary, dental, nutrition, and vision screening services in this area since 2010. In this time, MMI Amazon has built deep relationships which have also led to evangelism opportunities in some of the villages. However, as the scope of health care services grows, capacity is limited by the facilities available in the villages served and the power of the existing boats to reach beyond a particular geographical radius. MMI is building a 118 foot hospital boat to increase the capacity of serving these Amazon communities. By constructing a larger hospital boat, the team will be able to provide surgical services in villages where they already serve and expand all services to wider areas yet unreached by the Gospel.
Pictured here: One of the MMI Amazon boats currently used to transport health care personnel and supplies to remote communities in the Amazon jungle near Leticia, Colombia.
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The hospital boat will be fully equipped with an operating room and consult rooms for ophthalmology and ambulatory services. This grant provides funds for the purchase of 3 pieces of medical equipment that will provide for necessary diagnostics and anesthesia to allow for service delivery to those accessing health care services on the new vessel. The boat is designed to endure the uniqueness of the Amazon River as well as handle extra cargo needed for specific times or emergency situations and for extended periods of time. The boat will be equipped with generators, solar power, and eco-friendly water treatment for both drinking water and wastewater to minimize the environmental impact of the vessel.
Pictured here: A mock-up drawing of the new MMI Amazon Hospital boat.
Electric Heating Retrofit - 141 May St (Canada)
Grant Year: 2021
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Over the last several years, NorthWind Family Ministries has experienced significant growth in its ministry. The limited space at the existing 138 May St location has increasingly posed challenges in accommodating the growing needs for programming and counselling causing long wait times. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges necessitating social distancing, rendering half of the counselling offices at 138 May St unusable due to inadequate space for social distancing between counsellor & client. Approximately 18 months ago, NorthWind approached the City of Thunder Bay about a 9000 sq ft building it put up for sale directly across the road at 141 May St. South. After a year-long process, NorthWind took possession of 141 May St in early 2021.
Pictured here: The 141 May St South building purchased by NorthWind Family Ministries in early 2021.
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Although the building was empty for over a year, it only needed cosmetic updates and cleaning to enable operations to begin in the new facility within 14 days. The individual counselling, Family Strengthening Program and LifeBuild offices all moved to 141 May St. This new facility increases counselling capacity from 1 to 3 family counselling offices. The counselling offices at 141 May St have adequate space for social distancing between counsellor and client. Moving the counselling and LifeBuild departments to 141 May St also frees up space at 138 May St for the Learning Centre, Warm Reprieve/Next Steps, the Gathering, Cooking for Life & Bible studies, which sometimes moved to other locations due to space constraints.
Pictured here: A counselling office at the 141 May St location.
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However, the 141 May St building is presently heated by electric boilers causing expensive heating bills. In order to sustainably and affordably heat 141 May St, NorthWind must retrofit the building with a natural gas heating system including bringing the natural gas line to the building. This retrofit will not only safely, effectively and efficiently heat the building space at 141 May St but will also increase the long-term affordability of operations at 141 May St and long term sustainability of NorthWind's programming and services overall.
Pictured here: The previous electric boiler heating system and the new natural gas heating system at the 141 May St South location.
Air Conditioning Retrofit - 141 May St (Canada)
Grant Year: 2024
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Under construction - stay tuned for more details soon.
Pictured here: New AC unit installed at 141 May St.
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Pictured here: One of the new HVAC control panels for the entire new heating and cooling system. For the AC system, these controls replaced the 40-year old pneumatic controls that were previously in place.
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Pictured here: Temperature sensors and localized office thermostat (top), remote HVAC control and monitoring map by zone (bottom)
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For years One4Another has been limited by lack of space in its current clinic location in Jinja, Uganda. In January 2020, One4Another purchased a new property in Jinja to become the site of a larger and enhanced surgical centre to support One4Another's ongoing (and expanded) work in providing surgical care for the children of rural Uganda. Construction began in May 2020 to renovate and add to this complex of buildings and is nearly complete.
Pictured here: A One4Another staff person holds the clinic sign in front of the new building.
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The new property and facilities will significantly expand One4Another's space (10x), capacity and effectiveness including include 2 operating rooms, administrative offices, therapy and rehabilitative space and additional ward space (42 beds) which will allow One4Another to care for patients who need to stay for longer periods. The new surgical centre will be a place where One4Another patients can find rest for their bodies, their minds, and their souls; where the children and their parents feel loved and supported so that they can regain their strength and return home with a new chance at a new life.
Pictured here: Girls beds in the One4Another children's dorms.
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A second surgeon will join the clinic focusing primarily on soft tissue surgeries. One4Another will transfer all of its existing medical equipment from the previous clinic to the new surgical centre. Ultrasound and a blood lab will be added to the X-ray services offered to private patients and will increase the revenue stream from private patients.
In order to complete the new surgical centre, One4Another has identified various furnishings, equipment and other items to be purchased and installed/ implemented. These items will ensure the full functionality, security, long-term sustainability and full effectiveness of the surgical centre.
Pictured here: Operating Room #1, Blood Lab, and Ultrasound room at the new Surgical Centre.
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The Organized Kaos Apprenticing in Life and Trade model has proven very successful in the last several years with significantly increasing demand for increased quantity and variety in OK programs in the Paris/Brantford, Ontario area. Organized Kaos believes that this hands-on mentorship approach can not only be further expanded in its current location but also replicated in other locations across Canada to further increase the impact to young people's lives.
Pictured here: Youth work with their mentor. The OK mentorship model breaks down barriers to have real conversations about faith and life.
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In order to effectively support replication and growth of the Organized Kaos model, Organized Kaos will develop an Operations Manual that outlines how to effectively start, implement, manage and grow an OK-model organization. This manual will enable the effective replication and implementation of the Organized Kaos model in new locations as well as support more effective implementation, management, and growth of current OK locations.
Pictured here: Youth work with their mentor. OK programs are offered in a variety of skilled trades including automotive, construction, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, stone carving, framing and others.
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The Operations Manual will help Organized Kaos significantly expand its reach beyond its immediate programming to youth and communities throughout Canada. By extending its reach to other locations, Organized Kaos will be able to inspire hope and purpose to youth throughout Canada while continuing to engage skilled trades persons from the local church in a safe mentorship environment.
Pictured here: Youth work with their mentor. Organized Kaos uses a “side-to-side” mentorship, in which trades people teach youth, ages 13-17, in a hands on approach.
Building the Rising Above Associates Curriculum (Canada)
Grant Year: 2022
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Rising Above Abuse Counselling Agency seeks to bring healing to our land and to educate, equip and empower Indigenous people to rise above their pain. Rising Above desires to see Indigenous people empowered by the Holy Spirit to experience life, identity, purpose and healing in Christ as God the Father intended. Through conferences, regional seminars, music ministry and ministry projects, Rising Above works with victims of abuse, counsellors, helpers of victims of abuse, pastors, and social workers in major cities, smaller centres and Indigenous communities. Rising Above conferences focus on abuse issues prevalent among Indigenous people including recognition, impact and healing of issues such as sexual abuse, residential schools experience, generational impact of residential schools, grief and suicide.
Pictured here: The Rising Above Band ministers at a Regional Conference.
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During conferences and seminars, counselling is provided by mostly Indigenous counsellors qualified with Masters-level psychology degrees using biblical counselling principles and approaches. Additionally, Rising Above Elders and Associates act as speakers, mentors and leaders throughout the country. Many of these individuals are Residential School survivors or children of survivors and they've learned to rise above their pain through the healing they found in Christ. Through their experience they are able to help a great many others begin to heal their pain. To build its long-term capacity to train and retain new Associates to carry the ministry into their communities, Rising Above will build a new Associates Training Curriculum.
Pictured here: A speaker welcomes guests to a Rising Above Regional Conference focused on Healing the Generational Impact of the Residential School Experience and Trauma of Sexual Abuse.
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The new Associate's Curriculum will gather traditional and working knowledge of current Associates and Elders and compile their expertise into a structured, modular, online, multi-media training resource to guide and mentor the next generation of speakers, leaders and Associates. This training will leverage the knowledge and experience of the current Rising Above communities to offer training through an interactive, online platform to local ministry leaders, equipping them with a biblical model of healing as it applies to healing from abuse and other trauma. The curriculum will also focus on increasing the capacity and capability of younger people to become Associates, to walk alongside people on their healing journey in their own communities.
Pictured here: A plenary session at a Rising Above Regional Conference in Prince Rupert.
A Dynamic Platform of Theological Education for French-speaking Churches (Canada)
Grant Years: 2022-2023
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SEMBEQ exists to assist in raising up the next generation of Christians principally in Quebec. SEMBEQ's mission is to equip pastors, chaplains, and various ministry leaders who are community-oriented, to encourage and help the local church to grow in its ability to multiply and train disciples, leaders, elders and deacons within its midst. SEMBEQ acts as a tool of the local churches in the training of their members and leaders, primarily in Quebec and French-speaking Europe. As a context- and church-based seminary, most of SEMBEQ's courses are taught within local churches. In particular, the core theological courses use an "inverse pedagogy" format by which students study independently then meet with a small group led by afacilitator who supports students in sharing what they learned through structured group discussion.
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In order to continue to effectively serve the meet the needs the church today, as especially of younger, technology-savvy generations, there is significant need for an interactive online platform that enables high quality French-language theological training with supportive coaching, mentoring, group discussions and student follow-up. SEMBEQ also believes that modernizing the approach to theological education, equipping the church for ministry differently and informing social justice issues with a biblical worldview is essential to addressing broad societal trends of young people leaving the church. Modernizing the approach to theological education, is an opportunity for churches throughout the French-speaking world to pursue the Great Commission, training disciples or future workers with today's technology in a “user-friendly" way.
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Leveraging work already completed to transition SEMBEQ courses to an online learning platform, SEMBEQ will update the format of and digitize its core theology courses as well as add supporting multi-media resources. This online dynamic interactive platform will allow individual churches or groups of churches to autonomously use the platform to provide university-quality theological training of pastors, future leaders and mature disciples in the French-speaking world. Once courses are online, the interactive platform is fully compatible with either in-person or remote/ online group meetings and will allow pastors and leaders to equip and train mature disciples and future leaders in a way that best suits their particular church context. With additional training for facilitation and regional coordination, this platform can be used internationally throughout the French-speaking world at low cost.
