About Vine Church

Vine Church is all about Jesus. Our dream is to see more people worshiping Jesus in church on Sunday than at the Beresford Hotel next door on a Saturday night. Vine Church is an Anglican church in Surry Hills with a mission to connect people to the life, love and freedom Jesus offers.

Our
Story

The story of our church is ultimately the story of people who have experienced the life, love and freedom found in Jesus.

What We
Believe

As a church we seek to uphold the central truths of the Christian faith. For more information about what we believe see our doctrinal statement.

Explore Christianity

If you would like to find out more about Jesus in a relaxed atmosphere, we invite you to explore answers to life’s big questions. Sceptics are welcome.

Our Staff Team

We have an amazing team of godly leaders who are passionate about helping people connect to the life, love and freedom Jesus offers. They have a massive heart for God and people which resonates in everything they do.

Toby Neal

Lead Minister
Rector

Matt Straw

Assistant Minister Membership

Grant van der Merwe

Assistant Minister
Maturity & Mission

Liv Chapman Leggett

Sunday Gatherings Director

Meg Stevens

Children's Ministry Director

Kate Stace

Ministry Operations Director

Beth Williams

Ministry Apprentice

Lloyd Steadson

Bread of Life Director

Hayley Gibbins

Communications Director

Come work with us!

We are seeking a passionate Children’s Minister to build and lead a team of workers so that Christian children know, follow and treasure Jesus, and non-church kids are introduced to him. 

If you love working with kids, training leaders, communicating with parents this is the role for you. You will enable us to raise kids who love Jesus. 

Special Conditions:   This is a 9 month maternity leave cover position.

Affiliation and governance

Vine Church started in 2011 as a new Anglican church in the city helping people who wouldn’t normally go to church understand the relevance of Jesus to their lives. In August 2015 our Lead Pastor, Toby Neal, was invited to become the Lead Pastor of St Michael’s Anglican Church, the oldest church in Surry Hills. Toby accepted this position because he could see the enormous opportunities of bringing together all the people and resources of both churches under one mission to reach the city.

The financial management of Vine Church is overseen by Wardens and a Parish Council. These groups are chaired by the Lead Pastor (Toby Neal), and made up of two wardens and three parish councillors. These groups ensure the property and finances of the church are well managed and that any governance matters are dealt with in an ethical way. Members of the church are invited and should get in contact with one of the wardens if they would like to discuss any matters pertaining to the governance of the church.

The spiritual leadership of Vine Church is conducted by three groups: staff, ministry team leaders and community group leaders. Both these groups meet regularly during the year to plan how we will achieve our mission and care for those in our church. These groups are a mix of men and women who love Jesus and committed to the vision of Vine Church.

Ordinary people, 
with an extra-ordinary God.

Meet some of the people at Vine Church and hear their stories. 

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Toby Neal

Toby’s journey to becoming Lead Pastor at Vine Church started more than 15 years ago when he took off to surf the reef breaks off Samoa with his brother. Worried for his safety, his dad asked to him, “Why are you risking your life surfing when you could be risking it telling people about Jesus?”

The lure of the waves proved too strong and Toby still went to Samoa, but he came back with a desire to travel throughout the Middle East sharing the hope and freedom that only Jesus brings.

He may not be risking his life talking about Jesus in Surry Hills, but Toby does think most people in our city are too distracted to give time to think through the claims of Jesus, and believes someone needs to help ‘undistractify’ them in order to save theirs.

Toby originally studied accounting and finance (B Com (Acc), B App Fin) and worked in the industry for a couple of years before moving into church work. He has worked for St Philip’s York Street, St Andrew’s Cathedral and Christ Church Gladesville. In 2011 he graduated with a B Divinity (Honours 2A) at Moore Theological College and is ordained as a Presbyter in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.

Toby lives in Surry Hills with his wife Liz and his three kids Maisy, Evie and Archer. He enjoys staying fit, and has competed in the Port Macquarie Ironman and Six Foot Track Marathon. These days he mostly just surfs at Bronte and Maroubra Beach.

Matt Straw

Matt grew up in a home and church where he experienced the life, love and freedom that Jesus offers every day. It wasn’t long before he realised not many people get that, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life sharing that joy with others. Having a deep love for design, Matt begun an Architecture degree at UNSW, before being called into ministry.

Matt has studied theology at three colleges in Sydney (Alpha Crucis, Moore Theological College and SMBC), worked for three churches (C3, Church Hill Anglican and St Stephen’s Willoughby), and carries one passion: to make the best news make best sense in (what he thinks is) the best city. Matt is ordained as a Deacon in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.

Matt likes to think of himself as a creative: creating relationships, creating music and creating spaces where people connect meaningfully with Jesus. He is good at creating mess too: in the kitchen, in copious notepads, trying to fly fish, and in whatever sport or
conversation or thing is going on… he will want to join in.

Matt and Naomi live in Kensington and can be found chasing their two year old son, Leif, who’s soon to have a baby brother.

Grant van der Merwe

Grant’s love for Jesus and journey into ministry began almost 20 years ago in his local youth ministry. After being gripped by the life changing message of the gospel, he had a passion to see others reached with the very same message and he still desires to see revival in the city of Sydney.

Before completing his Bachelor of Divinity at Moore, Grant studied Psychology and Biblical Studies at Sydney Uni. He is married to Lauren and has a one year old daughter Evie. In his free time you’ll find Grant drinking coffee, eating fried chicken or making pizza.

Grant loves seeing people connect to the life, love and freedom of Jesus and seeing people play their part in God’s big story.’

Olivia Chapman Leggett

Liv had the privilege and joy of growing up in a Christian family where she came to follow Jesus for herself as a teenager. She calls Sydney home but lived in Oxford for six years where she was part of the Emu Music team, training and resourcing church musicians and leaders. 

Alongside her role at Emu Music, she worked for St Ebbe’s Church and completed the Diploma of Biblical Theology through Moore Theological College. She met and married Jonty in England and together they moved back to Sydney in 2021 for Liv to continue her work with Emu Music and for Jonty to study at Moore Theological College

Liv has a fondness for tea, reading, cryptic crossword and ripe avocados, and you’ll find her enjoying one of these things in her free time!

Megan Stevens

Megan is a trained Primary teacher and is also currently studying a Bachelor of Divinity at Moore Theological College. She has been involved in leading Children’s ministry for over 6 years. She is also an incredible singer-songwriter [check out Megan Grace Blight on Triple J Unearthed]. Meg married Josh in 2021, the first day it was legal again to have a wedding post lockdown.

Megan works 3 days a week. 

Kate Stace

Kate came to faith as a teenager in Wahroonga when her sister and a friend took her along to the local youth group. She loves history and she became a Christian when she realised that Jesus was a real person that even historians believed in.

Kate originally studied Business at UTS but it was through the AFES group on campus that she decided to change life direction and serve God in a full time ministry role. She studied at Moore College for four years (B. Div) and served at St John’s Cathedral Parramatta, St Augustine’s Neutral Bay and then Grace City Church in Waterloo.

Kate started in 2019 as our Director of Ministry Operations which means that she makes sure Vine Church is running well. She works primarily with the staff and ministry leaders to help Vine Church connect people to the life, love and freedom in the best way possible and was heavily involved in our Connect Building Renewal.

Kate is married to Jackson, mum to Camden and currently serves 2.5 days a week.

Beth Williams

Beth Williams has been a student minister at Vine Church during 2022 and joined our team as a Ministry Training Apprentice (MTS). Beth has completed Advanced Diploma of Bible, Missions and Ministry at Moore Theological College. She has been as asset to Vine Church particularly as she has served in Kids Ministry, Christianity Explored, Life and as a valued member of our community at the 4.30pm service. Beth will continue to be trained and equiped at Vine Church over the next two years, in order that she would be prepared for life long gospel ministry. 

Lloyd Steadson

Lloyd is heading up Bread of Life. This ministry offers food and the gospel to men and women doing it tough every Sunday morning – rain, hail or shine. 

Lloyd is married to Shella and father to Reggie.  He has experience as an outdoor educator, environmental scientist, photographer, disability and community support worker and pastoral ministry.

Lloyd works 1 day per week.

Hayley Gibbins

Convinced Christians in general were killjoys and to live God’s way was burdensome, Hayley remembers praying to God to ‘un-reveal himself’ throughout her teen years. Prompted to reinvestigate the claims of Christianity in her early 20s, she came to put her trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus, to bring her life, and life to the full.

Hayley is married to Steve, a RAAF Anglican Chaplain, and together live in Newcastle with their 4 young children. Prior to living in Newcastle, Steve and Hayley were part of Vine Church for over 4 years. She has a Bachelor Creative Arts from Macquarie University and a Bachelor Theology from Moore Theological College.

As Communications Director Hayley helps keep our members and the community around us (both physical and digital) aware of and excited about what God is doing in and through Vine Church.

Hayley serves remotely on staff 1 day per week. 

Search Vine Church:

One less time to meet, just two Sunday services this week!

There is no 4.30pm service on Sunday, April 28, 2024, due to the 4.30pm Weekend Away. Join us at one of our morning services.