our story

We want to help you find peace and purpose in the middle of uncertainty.

Bright Church was founded in 2006 with a group of twelve people meeting in a garage, believing for more of God in their local community. It is now a growing and thriving church in Wantirna South, filled with people who are passionate about following Jesus and raising leaders who change the world.

bright ministry leaders

Team work makes the dream work.

Ben Fagerland

Senior Pastor

About Ben

Sarah Fagerland

Senior Pastor

About Sarah

Ruth Hooper

Generations Pastor

About Ruth

Matt Wynne

Grow Pastor

About Matt

Zach Hooper

Business Manager

About Zach

Amy Robinson

Operations Manager

About Amy

Liam Ting

Kids Pastor

About Liam

Aaron Di Placido

Youth Pastor

About Aaron

Ben Fagerland

Senior Pastor

Ben is passionate about God, people and coffee (10 am is Ben’s coffee o’clock!). He became the Senior Pastor of Bright Church in 2012, and every day he continues to drive Bright’s vision to see the lost be reached and build leaders who change the world. Ben’s secret (not so secret) prowess is belting out the Greatest Showman tunes and some 90s Backstreet’s Back, but when he’s not doing that he is hands down, the biggest advocate for living God’s best for your life, and not settling for anything less.

Sarah Fagerland

Senior Pastor

You can’t help but feel at ease when you’re around Sarah – she is always warm and ready with a smile. Together with her husband Ben, Sarah became the Senior Pastor of Bright Church in 2012, juggling 3 young children with her ministry responsibilities (supermum? Um, yes!). Sarah currently oversees the Missions department at Bright and is passionate about spreading the name of Jesus in our local community. When she’s not at church, she’s an excellent teacher and a super mum, who enjoys a good read in her downtime. Also, when you catch Sarah in a giggle – it’s severely contagious, and you’re in for a lengthy laugh!

Matt Wynne

Grow Pastor

Matt gets really excited about four things. Eating amazing food (the spicier, the better), watching quality movies, achieving his personal best in the gym, and seeing people encounter God. As well as serving as Grow Pastor at Bright, Matt also works as a secondary school teacher at Mount Evelyn Christian School. He would say his main goal in life is to point people towards Jesus and have an awesome time doing it. His passion also pours out in other areas. If you meet Matt after Essendon loses in a footy match, please don’t take it personally… he’s working on it.

Ruth Hooper

Generations Pastor

Ruth has a heart for young people and she is particularly passionate about people finding hope and seeing them use their gifts for God. A natural leader and conversationalist, Ruth has a penchant for telling stories with great detail. When she is not overseeing the generational ministries at church (young adults, youth, mens ministry & womens ministry), she is an excellent paediatric occupational therapist who enjoys a good walk in nature, holding her husband Zach’s hand, grabbing a coffee with friends and an occasional Nutella cookie.

Zach Hooper

Business Manager

Zach is a man of many talents. He is strategic and business-oriented, but he’s also a closet songbird who gets away with making up his own words (that takes skill!). Zach is passionate about the Word and is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We love that trait about Zach, and it’s certainly important as he oversees the direction of Bright’s finances! When Zach is not serving at church, he loves going to the gym and keeping active with basketball and tennis. Zach loves Jesus, his wife Ruth and olives. Lots of olives.

Amy Robinson

Operations Manager

Amy is Bright’s operations guru. She looks after the engine of the church, always working hard underneath the bonnet! Amy is passionate about people encountering the love of Jesus through His people, and this flows into all that she oversees. She is not only our multi-tasking expert, but is also very musical – you may see her leading worship from time to time! When she’s not serving at church, Amy loves playing soccer, enjoying an almond brewed chai (fancy) and spending time with her husband Michael.

Charlene Lee

PA To Senior Pastor

Charlene is an organisational prowess who loves people, which is why she oversees Ps Ben’s schedule. There’s not much that will get her as excited as people finding hope in Jesus, creating an environment where people feel included and connected, and eating chocolate. Known as the office panda (she’s always eating!), Charlene enjoys aerial silks in her spare time, shopping, singing in the bathroom and watching b-grade chick flicks.

Liam Ting

Kids Pastor

Liam is the ultimate dynamo! Whether he’s tearing it up on the futsal court, cooking up a mean Katsu Curry or pastoring our young kids to Christ – he gives it his absolute all, and excellence always shines through! He’s always ready for a chat and a prayer, just be sure to give him a donut to lift his spirits if his beloved Chelsea FC lose a close one the night before. With an eagerness to forever make others feel right at home no matter where they’re from, you can guarantee you’ll first meet Liam with a big smile and an infectious laugh!

Aaron Di Placido

Youth Pastor

Aaron loves soccer, loves his (authentic) Italian food and LOVES God! Together with his wife Nikki, they look to create a space for youth to experience God’s love and encounter the Holy Spirit. Aaron is incredibly passionate in seeing young people discover who God is and who God has created them to be. When he’s not at Youth on a Friday night, Aaron is probably supporting Carlton and Tottenham Hotspur…pray for him!