In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:

When I was young, my brothers and I tried to organize a club with some friends. The problem was that we only saw our friends occasionally. During our first meeting, we talked through the rules and purpose of our club. A month later when we saw our friends again, we realized we would have to start our club from scratch. Another month later when we saw them again. . . . Sometimes the local church appears to be a sophisticated version of our boys' club. The loyalty of some members may be greater – or lesser – but the purpose is similar: to satisfy my spiritual needs and desires. Scripture paints a much different picture of the Church – a group of individuals redeemed by the blood of Christ, vitally connected to one another, committed to an eternal purpose.

Source: Building Christian Relationships: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 3.