Cycling clubs and board games groups can bring people together, but they don't ask for the same kind of commitment or engender the same sense of shared identity.
It isn't that they cannot substitute and create many of the benefits, but are unlikely to.
Humans are emotional, physical, and (whether you interpret it as supernatural or not) spiritual creatures. The ritual and belief in something bigger than oneself are an essential part of the process. If you look at other organizations that serve similar roles to conventional churches (such as the Grangers, Freemasons, Shriners, The Lions Club, etc.) they all replicate the ritual and higher purpose commonly associated with churches.
Church is way more meaningful than that. Baptisms, deaths, marriages are run by churches and the meaning can survive the majority of attendants not showing up.
The problem in modern society, is teaching the meaning behind churches. It takes longer than a couple cycling classes and is more demanding on the spirit.
What powers the typical football club "factotum", showing up every week to cut the grass, inflate balls, wash shirts, clean changing rooms, etc etc...? What powers the cyclist agitating about the need for bike lanes, or proselitizing the sport? There is no seriously rational explanation. It's a type of faith.