Do you imagine that one of the social groups you belong to would willingly play the role in your life that church members often do? Would someone from one of your groups:

- drive you to a doctor appointment?

- repair your house when you can't (perhaps due to injury)?

- take you in for a few days after a crisis at home?

- prepare a week of meals for you, if needed?

These are fairly commonplace roles that I've seen filled routinely by members of a church that I've seldom seen arise from other social networks. And never from a health club.

I don't attend church but I've regularly seen this kind of extended community in others who do. The role churches play of an extended family is incomparable to any other social network I know. This degree of compassion and service to non-family members seems to require a greater common bond than just sweating together.