Is it possible to spiritually grow without necessarily becoming a formal member of a congregation? [Spirituality & Religion]

I risk sounding redundant here... But a church, if it be a Christian church, will never judge you for your social anxiety. My advice is, pick a church that seems nice to you and join it.

As a Catholic, I strongly urge you to that this church be the Catholic Church. But I support you either way as long as you can grow in faithfulness to God thereby.

Is it possible? Maybe, is it optimal, not in my opinion. Religion and spiritually is a very complex (or can be) thing. Sorting out feelings and emotions, understanding the depth and breadth of a belief system can be very intimidating.

People spend 6,8 10 years or more in school to develop their theology. Assuming one can read the Bible and understand it is quite presumptuous.

I believe it's possible to do so. I mean, a typical church setting is more or less reading excerpts from the Bible and sharing an interpretation of it, which can be done on your own. The rest is all symbolism and show, and doesn't contribute a whole lot to one's personal growth, comparatively.

That's even assuming Christiantiy is the spiritual path you want to take. There are many paths out there to take, and many of them can be done alone. That's kinda where I am in life right now.

The common belief, as it is as I was taught, that if you don't belong to a brick and mortar church-- you are an apostate who has turned your back on God. Despite the Biblical precedent-- home churches do not count.

Sure. Being a member of a congregation can impede one's spiritual progress or assist it - depending on the make up of the congregation and the individual involved

What's between you and God is a personal thing

Possible, yes. But more difficult because you'd miss out on the Christian community aspect of things.

Sure.