Who we are
Gathering as a healthy church, to make disciples and bear fruit.
Rafaël Goes is…
A congregation! A church! By that we don’t mean a beautiful building, but people. Together they form the church; the family of God.
Rafaël Goes is marked by diversity. People of all ages, from different cultural backgrounds and with a wide variety of family situations and church backgrounds are part of the congregation. We are an active church, where people are free to use their gifts and talents. That is how we help each other and build the church of God together. Rafaël Goes counts over 470 members and some 120 guests, including young people and children; they fully belong! You are welcome too!
Our name Rafaël refers to God who heals: we want to be a church where people find restoration.
Our beginnings
Krijn and Miriam Verhage started Rafaël Goes in 1989 as a pioneer church, together with two other couples and with the support of Rafaël Nederland.
After a Discipleship Training School, a mission trip to Uganda and the School of Church Planting of Rafaël Nederland, they were called to start our church in Goes. In 1996 Rafaël Goes became an independent church.
Part of Rafaël Nederland
As a church body our congregation belongs to Rafaël Nederland. According to our statutes the official name is ‘kerkgenootschap Rafaëlgemeenschap Goes’; since 2011 we have used the name ‘Evangelische gemeente Rafaël Goes’.
Rafaël Nederland has a code of conduct for leaders in the church. We follow it at Rafaël Goes too; read more on the page Safe church.
The Foursquare Church
Rafaël Nederland is part of The Foursquare Church. Worldwide, The Foursquare Church has 68,000 churches and meeting places in 140 countries, with around 7.5 million members. Rafaël Nederland and The Foursquare Church: our family!
Leadership
Since 2019 Rafaël Goes no longer has a pastor with final responsibility, but a leadership team that leads together, in line with Rafaël Nederland. The pastor is therefore not the chair. Three members form the formal board: the chair, the secretary and the treasurer.
Our vision
Where we come from, what we stand for and who we belong to.
Safe church
Rafaël Goes wants to be a place where everyone is cared for and where it is safe to come.
Get to know us
Want to know what drives us, or thinking about dropping by? Read more here.
What we believe
Jesus at the centre. Read our 22 statements of faith and what marks us.
New here?
Come as you are. That is how you get to know us, and how you become part of the church if you want to.