Same here! I’ve said to my friends before that Christlike community feels more real at their house or at a restaurant with them than it does at church most times. This friend group and I used to meet every week (we intentionally did not call it a “small group” or “study” or anything like that). There was no structure usually, unless we had an activity available or we went to dinner—it always felt loose, and that lack of pressure to follow a schedule allowed space for the most vulnerable conversations and the most beautiful moments. Only a few went to the same church.
Unfortunately, though, some people very much wanted to start implementing a more Bible study-looking experience and stress “Christian conduct.” Our gathering night fell apart following some tense and passive-aggressive conversations about doing so.
So much of church activity feels fabricated or structured, with itineraries that tell you how long you can chat before Bible study starts, what the material will be about, and what must be discussed. I wish people could see that Christian community and Christ’s presence isn’t just in a church classroom. It can be found anywhere there is love and connection among brothers and sisters.