When I stopped going to church, I didn’t know how to make friends anymore. When your entire friendship network revolves around church, it’s disorienting to step outside the system. Even the friends who want to stay in touch with us simply can’t: so much of friendship relies upon our joint participation in gathering together at a particular place or event. If we don’t go to the Bible studies or show up on Sunday mornings or help to teach Sunday school, we miss out on the moments of our friends’ lives and they miss out on ours. It’s that simple even if it is sad.
