Unbound Grace Ministries

What Unbound Grace Ministries does

Unbound Grace Ministries is a 501(c)(3) Christ-centered addiction recovery and pastoral counseling ministry headquartered in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, serving individuals and families across the Birmingham metro and central Alabama. Founded in 2018 by John Steakley, Jason Strauss, and Amelia Strauss, the organization delivers three integrated service lines: individual and family pastoral counseling at its Vestavia Hills office, peer-led recovery support groups hosted at multiple partner church locations and The Foundry rehabilitation site, and The PATH — a structured 12-week recovery discipleship program that pairs volunteer mentors (Guides) drawn from local congregations with rehabilitation participants (Journeyers) using the proprietary Rhythms of Recovery 10-week devotional curriculum. The organization serves roughly 60 individuals in weekly counseling, 130+ in weekly support groups, and 42 active PATH participants (implying ~168 served annually), with a 32% year-over-year increase in recovery and discipleship participation as of September 2025.

The underlying technology is intentionally lean and built on standard third-party platforms rather than proprietary infrastructure: Sessions Health powers the client counseling portal, JotForm handles intake forms, guide weekly reports, and the online 'Out of The Wilderness' Guide Training course, Kindful processes online donations, and the website and curriculum are delivered via Squarespace with a mobile/web app layer for the Rhythms of Recovery devotional. The proprietary intellectual property is content-based — the Rhythms of Recovery workbook (print, web, and mobile), the PATH program framework (Patience, Authenticity, Thankfulness, Humility), and the founder-authored book 'Unbound Grace: Hope in the Wilderness of Addiction' — rather than software-based.

The business model is donation-funded: Unbound Grace operates as a registered 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 82-5456488) with all services offered at no charge or on a sliding scale regardless of ability to pay. Revenue streams consist entirely of private individual donations, church contributions, and an annual fundraising banquet, with no venture, institutional, or government funding disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led: referrals flow through partner churches, The Foundry rehabilitation pipeline, the annual banquet, the website and blog, an email newsletter, and word-of-mouth within central Alabama faith communities. Staff is small (Founder/Executive Director, COO/Ministry Coordinator, multiple pastoral and associate licensed counselors) and a 7-person Board of Directors provides governance.

Name

Unbound Grace Ministries

Legal name

Unbound Grace Ministries

Website

https://unboundgrace.life

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unbound Grace Ministries is a 501(c)(3) Christ-centered counseling and addiction recovery ministry in Birmingham, Alabama, delivering pastoral counseling, church-embedded support groups, and a 12-week PATH discipleship program to individuals and families affected by addiction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based Addiction Recovery Counseling Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Pastoral counseling services
• Addiction recovery ministry
• Faith-based counseling
• Recovery discipleship programs
• Support groups counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Vestavia Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Unbound Grace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates entirely on donations from private individuals and churches. Services are provided free or at low cost regardless of ability to pay. The organization describes its modest budget as having limited overhead, with donations going directly to mission and ministry. Tax ID: 82-5456488.
2. Sliding Scale Counseling Fees: The organization utilizes a sliding scale for counseling services to make care accessible to clients from all walks of life. The sliding scale form is downloadable from their appointments page. The extent to which fees cover costs versus donation supplementation is not publicly specified.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unbound Grace Ministries is a clinical and pastoral counseling ministry delivering individual and family counseling, peer support groups, and The PATH — a 12-week recovery discipleship program pairing volunteer Guides with rehabilitation participants. Services also include the proprietary Rhythms of Recovery devotional curriculum and a Guide Training program, all delivered free or on a sliding scale to individuals and families affected by addiction and related mental health challenges in central Alabama.

Product overview

Unbound Grace Ministries is a clinical and pastoral counseling ministry offering a portfolio of interconnected recovery and mental health services centered on faith-based addiction recovery. Its core offerings include individual and group pastoral counseling, support groups at multiple Birmingham-area locations, and The PATH Discipleship Program — a 12-week mentorship curriculum pairing volunteer Guides with individuals in rehabilitation. The ministry also publishes proprietary curriculum products including the Rhythms of Recovery workbook (available as a physical book and mobile app) and John Steakley's book 'Unbound Grace: Hope in the Wilderness of Addiction.' Supporting products include a Guide Training Program (Out of The Wilderness), a Guide Hub resource portal, a Client Counseling Portal (via Sessions Health), and free printable resources. All services are provided at no charge to clients, funded entirely through private donations, with a sliding-scale investment model for counseling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The PATH: Recovery discipleship program facilitated through partnership with The Foundry. PATH stands for Patience, Authenticity, Thankfulness, and Humility.

Products and services

• Counseling Services Individual and family pastoral and clinical counseling for addiction recovery, mental health, trauma, grief, relationships, and young adult issues, provided by trained pastoral counselors and licensed clinical counselors at the Vestavia Hills office. Services are offered free or on a sliding scale regardless of ability to pay.
• Support Groups Peer-facilitated recovery support groups including men's groups, women's groups, co-ed groups, loved ones groups, and AA meetings held at multiple partner church locations across the Birmingham metro area.
• The PATH Discipleship Program A 12-week Christ-centered recovery discipleship program pairing volunteer Guides with Journeyers (individuals in or transitioning out of rehabilitation) to work through the Rhythms of Recovery curriculum together, providing accountability, encouragement, and community.
• Rhythms of Recovery Workbook A 10-week devotional workbook designed to help readers develop healthy spiritual life rhythms through themes of Honesty, Humility, Repentance, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Spiritual Disciplines, Peace & Patience, Self-control & Obedience, Love, and Worship & Christian Community. Available as a physical spiral-bound book and via a mobile/web app.
• Unbound Grace: Hope in the Wilderness of Addiction (Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ individuals receive weekly counseling
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The FoundrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The Foundry is a rehabilitation ministry in Bessemer, AL, and is Unbound Grace's primary strategic partner. The PATH discipleship program is facilitated through this partnership. The Foundry provides participants (called Journeyers) who are paired with volunteer Guides from local churches for 12 weeks of mentorship during and after their rehabilitation. The Foundry staff handles initial matching between Journeyers and Guides and oversees compliance with program guidelines. This is the foundational partnership enabling the PATH program's existence.
• Vestavia Hills Methodist ChurchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVestavia Hills Methodist Church hosts an Unbound Grace co-ed support group every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. The church provides physical space and community access, enabling UGM to reach its congregation members and broader community who may not otherwise seek help.
• Shades Mountain Baptist ChurchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShades Mountain Baptist Church hosts an Unbound Grace co-ed support group on Wednesdays (6-7:30 p.m., resuming Fall 2026) and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings led by UGM staff on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon. The church partnership enables UGM to serve individuals in the Vestavia Hills community.
• Asbury United Methodist ChurchsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham hosts the Loved One's Group (for spouses, parents, friends, and family of those struggling with addiction) on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. This partnership expands UGM's reach to family members seeking their own support and healing.
• The Center for Executive LeadershipsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Center for Executive Leadership in Homewood hosts a weekly Men's Group facilitated by Unbound Grace. This partnership enables UGM to serve professional men in the Birmingham metro area seeking peer support in recovery.
• Local Churches of Central Alabama (Volunteer Guide Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnbound Grace recruits volunteer Guides from local churches across central Alabama. These volunteers — local men and women from church congregations — serve as mentors (Guides) for Journeyers in the PATH program. Guides commit to weekly meetings for 12 weeks, completing training through Unbound Grace's Guide Training program. This church-based volunteer network is essential to the PATH program's delivery model.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Celebrate Recovery: Christ-centered 12-step recovery program founded at Saddleback Church and deployed in thousands of churches nationwide. Operates a structurally similar model of faith-based recovery meetings hosted at partner churches, making it the most established direct peer to Unbound Grace's church-hosted support group approach.
• Teen Challenge USA: The largest faith-based adolescent and adult addiction recovery organization in the United States, with residential and non-residential Christ-centered programs. Directly comparable to Unbound Grace in mission, faith-based approach, and addiction recovery focus, though operating at significantly greater national scale.
• Pure Desire Ministries: Faith-based ministry providing Christ-centered small groups, pastoral counseling, and recovery resources primarily targeting sexual integrity and related addictions. Comparable to Unbound Grace in its integration of pastoral counseling with structured faith-based small group recovery, though with a narrower addiction focus.
• Genesis Process: Faith-based recovery curriculum and discipleship model used by churches to address addiction and related struggles through structured Christian small groups. Directly comparable to Unbound Grace's PATH program and Rhythms of Recovery curriculum in providing structured, Christ-centered recovery content for church-based deployment.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army: Large international charitable organization operating Adult Rehabilitation Centers and addiction recovery programs across the United States. A broad incumbent that overlaps with Unbound Grace in providing addiction recovery services, but at vastly greater scale and with a broader (less faith-specific) mission.

Regional players

• The Foundry Ministries: Birmingham-area faith-based rehabilitation ministry that is Unbound Grace's primary strategic partner for the PATH program. Operates a similar Christ-centered addiction recovery model in the same geographic region, but focuses on the residential rehabilitation phase while UGM focuses on post-rehab discipleship and outpatient counseling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/john_steakley
• Facebookfacebook.com/unboundgracelife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unbound-grace-ministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Unbound Grace Ministries