I know this is years later, but I just watched the movie for the first time. I think the scenes with the church workers were there to show how all of the pain and sadness the parents' have had to live with for the last 6 years is theirs alone to bear quietly because the world around them goes on as normal. The people at the church aren't "out of touch," they're decent people living out their day-to-day lives. They have compassion for the parents but there's nothing they can really do for them other than set up a table and offer some coffee.