Love The Grove!!!!! If you are looking for a church...You found it The Grove!!!! This church offers everything Great pastors here

For a while, my family and I had been fervently praying for God to guide us to a new church. We longed to be part of a community where we could continue to grow in our faith, surrounded by like-minded Believers. We also yearned for an environment where our daughter could flourish, among her peers who were also seeking a deeper connection with Jesus. When we finally found this church, it was like a breath of fresh air, a place where we could truly belong. I'm not even sure how I found this church. I honestly forgot, but once I found it online, I scoured the website looking at what they believe, making sure it was aligned with my beliefs. I decided to attend a service livestream because I was immediately in love when I saw they have a ASL interpreter during one of their services. I also learned of their inclusion ministry, which helps those with disabilities, and the many ministries they have to encourage and support Christian growth for men and women. I was skeptical because I've seen some of this before and wasn't sure if it was a good fit. As the worship leader began to sing, his words struck a chord deep within me. 'I know it's not much but I have nothing else fit for a king except for a heart singing hallelujah,' he sang, and I was instantly drawn to this praise song that I had never heard. During the livestream service, the pastor shared a personal story of transformation, recounting his past mistakes and how God's grace had changed him. His openness and humility were refreshing. I finally decided to make the drive with my family the following Sunday, and we've been attending ever since. We've attended in person on two Saturdays and two Sundays. We witnessed a baptism and listened to the heartfelt testimonies. God be praised. This is a beautiful church filled with people who desire to help others. They are warm, welcoming, and loving. I forgot to mention that we received a nice welcome kit with huge cookies from Guest Services. Their bookstore is inside the main building, kind of off to the side of the hallway, and they also have two cafes that appear alternate Saturday and Sunday service times. I'm very blessed that the Lord led us here. It's a light shining on a hill. I'm looking forward to being a part as much as my introverted self can be. I'm grateful. read more

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First time visiting, the grove community church. May I just say..the Holy Spirit filled that place and I left today accepting the lord as my savior. Thank you to the pastor and his sermon :,) what a wonderful church filled with beautiful people. read more

Been going there for 5 years and now I had issue with one of the prayer people up front , she rudely interrupted me when me and her husband was talking privately. Lady said hey there is someone that needs prayer. I told the lady to be courteous say excuse me I didn't mean to interrupt . I confronted her about it and she got all hostile at me and even her husband was on her side . Few minutes later I ran into husband waiting for her . That lady came out of the restroom all hostile at me again and her husband Sal or Sid had to hold her back, to me that was a physical threat . That lady gets away with what she did to me , she could have been nicer and calmer but she wasn't. read more

I love this church I love the not just the pastor but his powerful messages. My kids love the kids ministry!

The first sermon I heard here was from the lead pastor talking about whether there is sex in heaven. That was a completely new idea to me. I should have left at that point. read more

If you signing up for sports, Don't! Refs don't know the difference between a foul and jump ball. Basically a waste of money.

They preach the word of God from scripture. They have many good support ministries. Though no church is perfect, you could find this church as a comfortable home for learning of the gospel and life as a follower of Jesus the Christ. read more

This church is amazing. Helping so many. I am going to reach out to them for other help they give

This is my local church. The people here are wonderful overall. I do not have young children; but I took my grandchildren when they lived in neighborhood. Always a caring good time. read more

We have been attending the Grove for about 8 years now. For such a huge church, you still really get the sense of closeness as you would in a small church. There are so many different programs, events and activities for all ages. There is a full restaurant and coffee shop that are both delicious, the food is outstanding and everyone is always so kind and welcoming. The pastor is great, the sermon is always both touching and funny. All in all, amazing place to praise the Lord and hear His message! read more

Love this church, love the community, love the staff, love the sports ministry, love the kids ministry...love it all! I highly recommend it!

I went here for Good Friday service. It was nice, plenty of parking and there were still seats available even though I came in a bit late. I love how they have young people involved in the service as well. Beautiful church! read more

I have attended the Grove for over 20 years and consider it home even when I have moved to many other cities throughout California. The Hands Across The Border mission trips are life changing for the men who go and it impacts their families and friends. Pastor Tom is an amazing person who inspires others and lives what he preaches. I love Saturday night services when I can visit Riverside. Services are usually around 75 minutes. They have free coffee. Convenient parking. Loving people. read more

Consistent Bible inspired messages, purposeful call to actions. A church that puts actoon behind God instruction...for all people. Been attending for over 5 years, and know it truly is a church that cares. read more

The Grove Community Church - Thus is where we witness the baptizums - Churches Near Me - Riverside, California

This church is awesome, although we chose another to join. This church was so welcoming, preaches gospel and intentional with time and service. They have an excellent kid's ministry. Highly recommend getting involved in a group as it really allows you to get to know people. read more

My husband and I are musicians, but our main focus on finding a church was not to find one with an amazing band. Our main purpose was to find a church with strong spiritual leadership, and strong biblical values. We found that at The Grove, and as a bonus they have an amazing band. The Grove is on point when it comes to doctrinal teaching which unfortunately seems to get lost these days. They also have great ministries and groups for children, youth, and adults. There's something for everyone to plug into here! read more

I never thought I'd have to leave a negative review for a church but alas. I attended a community event put on by the church and I am dismayed to write that I left because of the racism directed at me by one particular person (name withheld). I am not one to throw the race card, but in this particular incident, it was clear that this person singled me out and treated me in such a way purely because of my race. Since this review is based off once incident with one particular member of the church (along with the other bystanders who witnessed and didn't do anything), I'm sure it's not a representation of the entire church. One thing I do know of is that the church needs to better screen their volunteers especially during a community event, which is the most opportune time to invite non-members and better yet, evangelize to non-believers. Perhaps, I would have a different experience if I gave it another try, but I am too disheartened to return. Plus, there are plenty of other churches in the area who are far more welcoming and less racist. read more

This review is specifically regarding The Grove Rummage Sale: This was my 2nd year visiting The Grove Rummage sale, last year I experienced great customer service and found some good finds, thus I was eager and excited to go back this year! I found 2 blouses, a skirt, a purse and a nightstand all for $10. HOWEVER, I was extremely off put by the volunteers that were working the event. I was standing in line speaking with a fellow shopper, and a volunteer of the event directed a racist comment to me. I asked him if he could repeat what he said (I didn't believe my ears at first) and he continued to repeat it again! As a volunteer for the church you should project the good Christian behaviors that you believe and practice them, not single out people! Because of his rude comment I quickly paid for my items and began to exit, I didn't feel comfortable shopping there anymore. The church should give pointers and review what to say to members of the community, events like the rummage sale is a great way to open the doors of your parish and welcome in new members. Churches should be welcoming and open to all, however my experience at The Grove Rummage Sale was anything but that. read more

In a way, this is a new experience for me. Given my history of bad experiences growing up with religion, I've always kept myself at arms length and wary of churches, especially larger ones like this. I have to say in the last few years of visiting various ones, this one has been the most friendly and inviting without trying to push religion down your throat. I think some can understand where I come from with that statement. Religion these days can be very weird. Ultimately, I can say the visits here have been positive and the people here have given me the room to be open and accepting of their words and views. I think that goes a long way towards reaching others, especially jaded people like myself. Keep up the great attitude and friendliness. read more

It's a lovely and welcoming church that does a lot for its community and humanity around the world. After searching for a new home church I stumbled upon The Grove Community Church, needless to say, I stayed. read more

This church family is Awesome!!! *Multiple services to chose from. We love Saturday night 5pm service: there are less people attending so traffic is easier to deal with, picking up our kiddos from their classes is quick. I love that the staff working with our kids all have to pass background checks. Our kids LOVE going to The Grove too! I also appreciate the safety of the scan cards upon drop off and pick up; very effective way to protect our kids! The pastoral staff is amazing. Pastors are available when and if you have questions or want to talk. The classes offered are helpful too!! Family night (Wednesday) is a great benefit to our family. Our kids have "clubs" to attend while we have our own Bible Studies. I love that the church always commits to outreach, not just in other countries but I'm our own city as well as surrounding cities! If you decide to try this church out- I highly recommend you visit the welcome counter and if you choose to return--Get Involved! It's a BIG church, so you need to join a small group to get to know others. Also I love that this church has a MOPS group (another great way to meet others)...it's a great group of women & much needed mommy time! I'm very happy to call this church my home church read more

The Grove is such a great church. Services are always amazing and always with a great word that speak to you soul. They have so many groups from large to small and they make you feel welcomed. I'm really looking forward to having my son attend preschool here. Wednesday night are awesome as they have groups for anyone of any age in your family to attend. Pretty much everyday they have something going on. read more

The Grove Community Church - Service was great as always - Churches Near Me - Riverside, California

I absolutely love the Grove Community Church. I've been to a lot of different churches in my life, but the Grove is the first place I've felt like I'm home. The atmosphere is so friendly and welcoming. I found the Young Adult Group meeting time online and showed up one time not knowing anybody and left with a handful of new friends. I immediately began attending regular service and have been continually pleased with the biblically sound and relevant teachings. The pastors make it easy to understand the Bible and are clearly passionate about what they're teaching. The Grove is very involved in the community and shares Gods heart for people. Earlier this year I was a very new member of the church embarking on a mission trip and I asked for support. To my surprise the church agreed to not only support me financially, but also to mentor me in preparation for my trip. While I was abroad they continually prayed for me and provided Skype support when needed. The Grove is a huge church in number but it feels like an intimate community because the church is so invested in its people. If you're looking for a church in the area, go to the Grove. You'll find a community of people who love Jesus and love one another. read more

Such a nice church. They speak directly from the Bible. And I feel like when I'm there everyone is very nice and kind and welcoming.

Our family love coming to the Grove the kids love the service. My wife and I enjoy the msg. read more

We appreciate the Grove community church Sunday worship and teachings. The church has made the Sunday services relevant to the daily living in the local community. I appreciate the church's carrying out Christ's great commandment, and the warm reception of the greeter to the new comers. read more

When we moved to the Riverside area, we started looking for a church. We made a list and went to the first one on our list. It was called Victoria Church and later after a move called the Grove Community Church. We never tried any of the other churches on our list. We have been going to this church for 17 years and have found it to be a truthful, God inspiring, Bible teaching Church. It is a large church but very friendly. We have outstanding pastors who teach the true word of God. There are programs for all ages. Come join a service and be inspired. read more

We are new to the area and knew we wanted to attend a service for Easter. We found this church and decided to give it a try, and I am so glad we did. It was huge and the service was awesome. They have a really interesting series that I would love to attend, and overall everyone seems nice and genuine. If you live here or are just in town and want to go to church I highly recommend coming here. read more

I love love love this church. Pastor Tom Lance is very down to Earth and is all about life application. How can I take what I just learned and apply it to my life when I walk out these doors! The hub is awesome with great food and fellowship after service. If you haven't gone, you're missing out on God's word. Come, you'll feel "at home"! read more

Our family was initially drawn to the Grove because of the caring and intentional children's programs. They do a wonderful job of teaching the Bible to little ones at each stage of their development. Teachers are well trained and vetted to love and care for our kids in a safe environment. The church overall is warm and welcoming and encourages biblical, spiritual growth no matter your age or where you are in your journey. There are many resources and ministries to help people get plugged in and makes this large church feel like family. On top of that, their level of outreach to Riverside and world missions is truly unique. read more

I highly recommend this church. It's a little bigger than I'm used to but the teachings are grounded. The people truly care about you and the pastors listen and are down to earth. They have so many services there and even offer christian counseling. It feels like home. read more

Great music and Bible teaching. Pastor Daniel did a great job. I did mis a clear invitation to Christ at the end of the service - 10:45. Even without an alter call, something was lacking. I don't know what your outreach program is like but I left without really making any real renewed commitment to Christ. I am not sure I would bring an unbeliever. But, we will return when we are in the area and try again read more

My fiancee and I are new to this church. We are currently looking to move in the area and are trying out a couple churches before settling on our "home church". That being said, we LOVE this church so far - we both feel that the bible studies have applied to our lives and we both continue to be blessed by the services when we attend. I absolutely recommend this church to anyone looking for a church to call home! read more

The Grove has FREE Recovery Groups every Monday Night from 7:00 to 9:00pm. Co-dependency, Chemical Dependency, Al-Anon, Grief Support, Divorce Support, Sexual Integrity for Men, and Anger Management No sign up required, just show up and join a group!! read more

I just finished a six month internship in the Outreach Department at The Grove. If you are looking for a Church to learn from, this is the place! This Church does their best to be changed by God to reach all people, no exceptions. If you are looking for a Church to just learn how to do the job, this is not the Church for you. It has been instilled in me that ministry truly is about people. The best way to point others towards Christ is through a relationship with them, not by programs. With that being said, you can still learn how to put on programs that people will want to attend, how to plan for camp, what it takes to run a VBS, and so much more! But, most importantly, you learn that the only sustaining ministry is one where you are faithful to God. So, as a staff, we have devotions every Tuesday morning. We take time to have lunches and coffee dates to check in on one another. If you are a part of the team, you will be cared for and prayed over day after day. Through this internship I have been to Belize and Alaska, helped plan for Teen Leadership Camp, been a part of Summer Splash, helped with events at the Community Centers, and taught in Early Childhood Ministries, Next Steps, and The Bridge. Through all of these adventures, I learned not only how to put on events, but also how to bring God glory through it all. read more

I took my 5 year old daughter to the Grove church in Riverside on a couple of occasions between 2014 and 2016 and they were all very negative. The first time was in October 2014 to a Christian Halloween alternative event for children. It was a carnival type of environment and the staff/volunteers were dressed in scary costumes and there were spooky decorations/exhibits typical of a secular Halloween event rather than a faith based event. Some of the children were also dressed in scary costumes. My daughter and I attended a Christmas summer event for children at the church in July 2016. During the event, a female staff/volunteer yelled at my daughter and forcefully pulled my daughter off a bouncer and my daughter almost fell. When I made a complaint to a man who I was told was in charge at this event and is one of the church pastors (Aaron Forbes) he was unsympathetic, nonchalant and acted like my daughter's safety was unimportant. I took my daughter to the church two times on Sunday evening in August 2016 and dropped her off in the children's preschool area after registering her with an older female staff/volunteer. The kindergarten classroom instructors (husband and wife) had poor eye contact, appeared inattentive towards the children in the classroom, did not communicate in a friendly manner when attempts were made to greet them or talk to them about my daughter and they looked very unhappy and bored. I made a complaint about the classroom instructors behavior to the older female staff/volunteer who I registered my daughter with and to some of the church leaders but nothing was ever done about it. Sadly, my daughter was injured the second time we dropped her off at the preschool and no attempts were made by anyone at the church to notify her father and I at the time it happened (even though we were on the church premises watching the church service when she was injured). We had to wait a long time to pick our daughter up at the preschool after the church service ended. The classroom instructors and the older female staff/volunteer who registered our daughter prevented our daughter from leaving the classroom until most of the other children had been picked up by their parents. After a long time, our daughter burst out of the classroom when she saw her father and I waiting at the door. She was crying and she told her father and I that she had been hurt. A large bump and open wound was observed on her forehead. When her father and I asked the classroom instructors and the older female staff/volunteer that had registered our daughter what had happened to our daughter's head and why we had not been notified of the injury during or after the church service they were unsympathetic, nonchalant and acted as if the injury and informing us of its occurrence was unimportant. They stated a male child in the classroom had thrown a plastic toy shovel in the air and it had hit our daughter in the head while the children were on the church playground. They were unwilling to tell her father and I who had injured our daughter or show us the object she had been hit in the head with. Our daughter told us that she had been hit in the head with a very large, heavy, sharp and shiny object that resembled a shovel but it did not sound like a toy shovel. We called the police to make an incident report and paramedics examined our daughter at the church and then transported her to a local hospital in an ambulance. The church staff/volunteers informed us that other children have been hurt at the preschool. My daughter and I attended a water park event for children at the church in August 2016 and were forcefully escorted off the property by several staff/volunteer security personnel after I made a complaint about an unpleasant lady (it is unknown if she was a volunteer but was told by the church leadership that what she was doing is O.K.) who was yelling and behaving rudely towards children playing on the water slide and my daughter and I. Aaron Forbes (who stated he is one of the pastors at the church) and some of the staff/volunteer security personnel encircled me, yelled in my face and acted like they did not care about the safety or well being of the children that were at the event or my daughter for that matter. Despite me stating that my daughter and I were leaving the church and us making an attempt to leave peacefully Forbes and some of the security personnel acted as if they were going to use physical force on my daughter and I as we were leaving. I told them not to touch my daughter and I and we left the church and then made a complaint to the police about this incident. My daughter was injured in the preschool at a church service during non-licensing hours and how or why the injury occurred is very questionable. The unsafe behavior and actions the church staff/volunteers have exhibited in the presence of children and parents is a major concern. I cannot recommend this church to anyone especially children and parents. read more

This church is beyond awesome. The staff members are friendly and helpful, and so are the members. The pastors always preach great sermons and are very approachable. read more