Carol Lance, Small Groups Director

I was raised in a Christian home and gave my life to Jesus when I was eight years old.  In high school I renewed my commitment and at that time believed God would allow me to go to the mission field.  But while attending the University of California at Riverside I met and fell in love with a wonderful man, Tom Lance, who would become my husband.  He was a baseball player and after our graduation he became the baseball coach at Riverside Community College.  So instead of becoming a missionary I became a coach’s wife.

When we got married in 1974, this church invited us to become part-time youth sponsors, and later we became fulltime Children’s and Youth Pastors. During this time we also began our family and were raising our two sons Dan and Mike in the church.  As the church grew from a few families to hundreds of families, we concentrated our ministry fully on the youth.  In 1987, Tom became the Executive Pastor and I began to teach Kindergarten at Bryant Elementary School in Riverside, but before the year was over the church asked me to become its accountant. That is also when I began to teach Women’s Bible Study.  

When Tom became the Senior Pastor in 1994, I left the accounting position and began serving as the Director of Women’s Ministry and Hospitality, and helping wherever needed.  We transitioned out of this lead ministry in February 2020 and now I serve the church by directing Small Groups, Adult Classes, and Boomertime.  God has graciously blessed us with a lifetime of service to The Grove Community Church!

I love math.  In fact that was my major.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

If you’d like to get in contact with me, please call or click below. 951-571-9090 ext. 2134