ALTAR STORY
2020
In January 2020, while driving past a beautiful quarter section just outside Drayton Valley, Steve Holmstrom heard the Lord say, Buy Me that, and I’ll meet you there.
The property wasn’t for sale. But God had already claimed it. That untouched land became The Altar. Steve and his wife, Cara, dedicated the land to the Lord. They cleared a space in the woods, built a simple stage, and called a gathering — not knowing if anyone would come.
Over 300 people showed up that first weekend. Hungry. Expectant. And God came. His presence was thick in the trees. The next gathering drew 700. Then nearly 2,000. Then over 6,000. Each one marked by salvations, miracles, and hundreds baptized in water. Every time we gather at The Altar, He meets us there.
2025
Today, The Altar has grown beyond a patch of land in Alberta. It’s become a national movement. A family of intercessors, evangelists, business leaders and burning ones united for one purpose: SOULS.
From this rural base, Steve and Cara now lead the Canadian Firewall, a coast-to-coast prayer network of over 10,000 intercessors covering Canada in 24/7 prayer.
The Altar ministers to Christian business leaders, calling them to see their companies as platforms for the Gospel. Through the Kingdom BS Podcast (Kingdom Business Society), Dependently Wealthy Business Leaders Gatherings, and Steve’s books — Access Granted and Dowit’s Gabi — they inspire business leaders, students, parents, and professionals to recognize this truth: Your personal gifts and callings were never meant to stand alone. They were designed to intersect with the Great Commission — to use what is in our hands to reach the lost and advance the Kingdom of God.
Whether it’s a gathering in the forest, a podcast conversation,
or a board meeting — it all comes back to one thing:
SOULS SAVED.
HEARTS SURRENDERED.
LIVES TRANSFORMED.
WHEN THE
FIRE CAME
In May 2023, a wildfire swept through the Holmstroms’ land near Drayton Valley, Alberta, threatening The Altar—a sacred space of worship, prayer, and revival. What could have been total devastation became a living testimony of divine protection, deep loss, and unshakable faith.
UNBURNED BUT SURROUNDED
The flames devoured every blade of grass and ignited a single tree just six feet from Steve’s prayer cabin—but the tree never burned up. The fire stopped two feet from the worship stage and two feet from the baptismal tank, weaving through the forest with supernatural precision. The prayer cabin, built from trees harvested from the land itself and a cedar roof, stood untouched—a clear sign of divine preservation.
The back 60 acres, once thick with brush and peat moss, were scorched. What had been the least useful part of the property will now be transformed into a lake - place of peace and renewal and a blessing to families and the community.
A FAMILY'S
GRIEF
While under mandatory evacuation, Steve and Cara received the call: both of their quarter sections had burned. Their heavy equipment was gone. Their beautiful cabin which had welcomed many visitors—built with friends and filled with years of ministry, memories, and hospitality—was reduced to ashes.
They gathered their five children and wept. The grief was real. the questions were real. Years of work, memories, and sacrifice had disappeared overnight.
PRAISE IN
THE ASHES
But in the middle of that heartbreak, the Holmstroms made a choice. They would praise God anyway. Not because they understood what had happened, but because they trusted the One who was still with them in it.
It wasn’t polished or easy - it was raw. Through tears, they said, We don’t understand, but we trust You. That’s the kind of worship that moves heaven—the kind that says, “Even here, even now, You are still good.”
OUT OF
THE ASHES
Across the road from The Altar sat another 160 acres of breathtaking land—the future site of their family home. That dream went up in smoke too. Thousands of mature spruce trees were burnt.
But even in that, God was at work. The trees were salvaged and milled into over 700 massive timbers—8x8s and 10x10s, twenty feet long. Now, instead of surrounding one family’s home, those trees will build cabins and a barn that will welcome thousands to encounter Jesus at The Altar.
Loss is hard. Plans change and evolve. We all have the opportunity to lean into the mystery—into the truth that sometimes we don’t get answers, but we still get to worship. Even when it hurts. Even when it doesn’t make sense. That kind of trust is deep. That kind of praise is holy.
It is also powerful. It’s not based on circumstances—it’s rooted in faith. It’s the kind of worship that moves heaven. The kind that says, “Even here, even now, You are still good.” And when we choose to thank Him, to trust Him, to worship Him in the middle of heartbreak—that’s where the deepest kind of faith is born.
2023