If I were to ask you (or your host) the purpose behind each of those gatherings, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear what I often do in my work: what you were supposed to do at the gathering. That networking night, you might tell me, was intended to help people in similar fields meet one another. The book club was organized to get us to read a book together. The volunteer training was arranged to train the volunteers. The purpose of your church’s small group was to allow church members to meet in smaller groups. This is the circular logic that guides the planning of many of our gatherings.
