My first real challenge

[Overmars]

You say it like there is no other place where people can get together

You don't go bowling with the whole community, you don't go to a sporting event with the whole community or go to a cinema with the whole community. Yet every week the whole community meets at the local church, there may be a local pub, in which case the whole community would meet there too, but not an underage teenager like Sarah.

Think about it though, what other ways of spending time with a teenager is there except for the consistent Sunday service?

and the church doesn't seem to be the best place to get together because as far as I know you can't talk in there.

It's not just the service, it's the entire Sunday ritual. Dressing up in the morning, getting ready, walking or driving to the church, getting out and chatting with friends and relatives, after the service you'll have some tea and more chat, maybe go for a drive afterwards and a meal out. The whole family enjoying eachothers company through the afternoon and perhaps a few drinks in the evening.

Why would you like to be in a place with the whole community? I prefer being somewhere with my friends not with a big bunch of people that I don't really care about. Also from my church-going experience I can tell that a lot of people go there just because of the habit and most of them seem really bored. It's not hard to tell that they aren't paying attention to the priest and they are only physically present there, their mind being far away. I also disagree with the idea of the "Sunday ritual", there are other options for a get-together with family and friends for a teenager. And btw, Sarah is 18, so she isn't underage.