Stairway Church Whitehorse

What Stairway Church Whitehorse does

Stairway Church Whitehorse is a Christian nonprofit religious organization (Stairway Church Whitehorse Inc.) based at 171 Rooks Road, Vermont, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1990 by Peter and Lyn McHugh as C3 Camberwell, the church rebranded to Stairway in 2011 and operates from a purpose-built facility it purchased and renovated between 2003-2005, becoming debt-free in 2022. The organization delivers spiritual community through Sunday gatherings (in-person and via Vimeo livestream), small groups (Tribes), age-specific ministries spanning toddlers (Blessings), children (Foreverland), high schoolers (Uprising Youth), young adults (The Dwelling Place), men, and women, plus specialized programs including pastoral care, the Presence and Power ministry, the Creative Collective, and counseling/restoration (Stairway Counselling and Lifekeys).

The church has no proprietary technology. Its technology stack consists of third-party SaaS platforms: Pushpay for online giving (accepting Visa, Mastercard, American Express), Vimeo for Sunday livestream, ChurchSuite for member management and program registration, and Spotify plus Apple Podcasts for sermon distribution. Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary donations from members and attendees via tithes, EFT bank transfers, and Pushpay, with a separate justice-funding rail through its sister organization Hilltop Foundation for tax-deductible giving. Over 9 years the For Goodness Sake justice initiative has channeled $1.8M to 60 projects across 15 countries.

The organization is supported by 19 staff members and a board of five Elders plus a Committee of Management. Following a 2023 leadership succession, Maurice Benington, David McHugh, and Christy McHugh now serve as Senior Pastors. The church also operates community-facing services including @ThePantry food bank (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and Helping Hands gardening for elderly residents, addressing local food insecurity and isolation in the Vermont/Whitehorse area.

Name

Stairway Church Whitehorse

Legal name

Stairway Church Whitehorse Inc.

Website

https://stairway.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stairway Church Whitehorse is a Christian nonprofit church in Vermont, Victoria, Australia serving its local community through Sunday worship, small groups, age-specific ministries, pastoral care, counseling, and social programs including a food bank and international justice partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services and Community Ministries

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Christian church services
• Religious community programs
• Discipleship and small groups
• Community outreach ministries
• Faith-based counselling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vermont

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and attendees contribute financially through tithes and offerings. Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) using bank details: Name: Stairway Church Whitehorse Inc., BSB: 083-166, Account: 64-003-1876. Description field required for allocation (e.g., tithes, missions, gifts, love offerings).
2. Pushpay Online Giving: Online giving via Pushpay website and app using Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Funds are allocated to specific purposes based on giver's selection.
3. For Goodness Sake (Justice Giving): Justice arm of the church receiving dedicated donations for justice projects locally, nationally and internationally. Can give via Pushpay (selecting Building Legacy category) or EFT to dedicated account (BSB 083-166 / Account 56-434-1468). Tax-deductible options available through Hilltop Foundation sister organization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stairway Church Whitehorse is a Christian church providing weekly worship services, discipleship programs, age-specific ministries (children, youth, young adults, men's, women's), small group communities (Tribes), justice initiatives (For Goodness Sake), community services including a food bank (@ThePantry), professional counselling (Stairway Counselling), and creative arts ministry. The church operates from its own facility at 171 Rooks Road, Vermont, and reaches members through in-person gatherings, online livestream, podcasts, and community programs.

Product overview

Stairway Church Whitehorse is a Christian church community offering a unified portfolio of spiritual formation and community service programs. Core offerings include Sunday worship gatherings (in-person and via livestream/podcast), small group communities (Tribes), and age-specific ministries for children (Foreverland), youth (Uprising), young adults (The Dwelling Place), men, and women. The church operates several service programs including For Goodness Sake (justice initiatives), @ThePantry (food relief), Stairway Counselling, and Lifekeys (restoration courses). Creative Collective provides artistic ministry expression through visual arts, dance, writing, media, photography, and worship. The church also runs Presence and Power Ministry for spiritual gifts and healing. All programs interconnect through ChurchSuite for community management and Pushpay for giving, unified by the vision of 'relentless love.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• For Goodness Sake (FGS): The justice arm of Stairway Church, mobilising the community to see Godly justice established locally, nationally and internationally. Has partnered with 60 projects across 15 countries over 9 years.

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Gatherings Weekly in-person Christian worship services held at 171 Rooks Road, Vermont, including children's check-in, café, and parking. Aimed at the church congregation and local community members.
• Sunday Livestream Online streaming of Sunday gatherings via Vimeo, beginning at 9:40am, with TV casting available through the Vimeo app. Aimed at remote participants who cannot attend in person.
• Stairway Podcasts Weekly sermon podcast available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, featuring teachings from Sunday services and past sermon series. Aimed at congregation and online listeners.
• For Goodness Sake (Justice Initiative) Justice initiative that mobilises the church community to fund and partner with 60 projects across 15 countries over 9 years, with $1.8m sacrificially given. Aimed at church members supporting justice causes globally.
• Foreverland (Children's Ministry) Children's ministry program for toddlers through Grade 6, providing age-specific rooms (Blessings, Bounce, Buzz, Zoom, Activate) with worship, activities, and faith formation. Aimed at children of church members and the local community.
• Uprising Youth Youth ministry for high school-aged youth meeting Friday nights 7pm-9pm in the East Wing, focused on raising resilient disciples who carry Jesus' heart and are witnesses to God's work. Aimed at teens in the church and community.
• The Dwelling Place (Young Adults) Monthly young adult gatherings held after Sunday services for building deep relationships and experiencing God together. Aimed at young adults navigating the transition from youth into adulthood.
• Tribes (Small Groups) Small group ministry providing intentional community for discipleship, deeper relationship with God, and authentic connection through shared life experiences. Aimed at church members seeking deeper community.
• Creative Collective Community of creatives including painters, dancers, writers, media technicians, photographers, and worship teams who express faith through artistic ministry. Aimed at artists in the church and broader community.
• @ThePantry (Food Bank) Community food pantry providing essential food and household items, operating Tuesdays 2pm-4pm and Wednesdays 10am-12pm, with additional support for job readiness and referrals. Aimed at local community members facing food insecurity.
• Stairway Counselling Professional counselling services providing quality help for life challenges and personal growth using evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Aimed at individuals seeking professional mental health support.
• Lifekeys Healing and restoration course providing a safe environment for addressing wounds from life in a broken world, applying truth and grace for personal transformation. Aimed at individuals seeking emotional and spiritual healing.
• Presence and Power Ministry Ministry focused on creating space for God's presence and power through prophecy, healing, inner healing, prayer ministry, and deliverance. Aimed at church members seeking deeper spiritual experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.8m sacrificially given to justice causes over 9 years, enabling 60 projects across 15 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Life Fellowship—CambodiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational justice partnership through For Goodness Sake. One of 60 projects across 15 countries supported over 9 years with $1.8m in total giving.
• IRIS University—MozambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational justice partnership through For Goodness Sake. Educational partnership supporting students in Mozambique through the church's justice initiatives.
• ZOE InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented at Stairway about their mission to 'Reach Every Person, Rescuing Every Child.' Occasional speaker partnership for justice awareness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Crossway Baptist Church: Eastern-suburbs Melbourne Baptist congregation with comparable family ministry focus, community service emphasis and single-site operations in Stairway's adjacent geography.
• Bayside Church: Pentecostal church serving Melbourne's bayside and eastern suburbs. Overlaps Stairway in target geography, family/youth programming and contemporary worship style.
• CityLife Church: Multi-site Pentecostal church based in Melbourne's Knox area, close to Stairway's Vermont catchment. Comparable denomination, family ministry portfolio and Victorian community context.

Direct peers

• C3 Church Global: Global charismatic church network from which Stairway originated as C3 Camberwell. Closely comparable in theological stream, governance style and congregational model.
• Planetshakers Church: Melbourne-based Pentecostal/charismatic church with global ministries. Most directly comparable to Stairway in denomination, Melbourne geography and mid-size community model.
• Hillsong Church (Australia): Australian Pentecostal megachurch sharing the broader C3/Pentecostal lineage with Stairway. Larger in scale but highly comparable in ministry structure, giving model and digital content strategy.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army Australia: Large established Christian organisation combining worship with social services (food relief, counselling, community outreach). Closely comparable to Stairway's blended worship-plus-community-services model, though far larger and more institutional.
• Anglican Diocese of Melbourne: Institutional Christian body serving greater Melbourne with parish churches, schools and social services. Comparable in worship-plus-outreach mission, but operates a much broader, older institutional model.

Others

• Compassion Australia: Australian Christian child sponsorship and mission NGO. Comparable to Stairway's For Goodness Sake arm in faith-based donor mobilisation, international project funding and reliance on individual giving.
• Foodbank Victoria: State-wide food relief organisation. Comparable to Stairway's @ThePantry food bank operation in mission and volunteer-driven food distribution, though operating at much larger scale and as a specialist rather than church-based program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/stairwaychurch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stairway-church-whitehorse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stairway Church Whitehorse