If you are interested in talking about religion, but don’t want the rhetoric and proselytizing, you could try attending a Pub Theology meetup. They have meetups all over the country and talk about subjects and topics of the day from different religious perspectives.
People of little faith need to constantly justify their beliefs. You can call those people highly religious if you like but really they’re just talking religion a lot instead of practicing it. You don’t seem interested in what they say, they aren’t interested in listening to you, so why bother?
For that matter, finding a more liberal Protestant congregation might also give the OP a better place to start trying to understand his faith.
I’m a member of a liberal Methodist church; we don’t believe in biblical inerrancy, we’re becoming a “reconciling congregation” (i.e., supportive of LGBTQ individuals and SSM), we do a lot of work to help the homeless and needy in our city, etc. Everything we do is based on our faith, but we believe that we’re called to love others, rather than make divisions.
I know the way - the one, true way, - to sprout salvation: pan-roasted in olive oil with garlic. Caramelization is key. “O taste and see that the (sprouts are) good…” (Psalm 34:8)
It’s in the Bible. You just have to interpret it right.
End of thread hijack (“semi-”, that is). 
To answer the question, I don’t deal. I avoid those kind of people.
As said above, Unitarians may be a better fit for you. You might also try United Church of Christ - they’re almost as liberal as the Unitarians. If you see a church with a banner on it saying “God is still speaking”, that’s them - the slogan is their way of saying that they do not see the Bible as the be-all and end-all, but look for the Word at work in the world. They’re heavily into social justice, caring for the poor, etc. Good folks, all around.
And I believe the opposite.
Prove me wrong.
But to be serious, it’s not easy for me to be around Certain People. My brother, his wife, his MiL, and his older daughter are extremely churchy, preachy, judgmental, etc. to the point that it’s hard for me to believe that we’re actually related. I just try not to get onto certain subjects when they’re around. I also customize some FB posts so they won’t get into it with me over the content.
I also have a friend, L, who is not quite as uptight as they are (for example, she doesn’t mind seeing R-rated films), but is still obviously the product of a very repressed childhood environment. Her dad wouldn’t even let her watch Happy Days because he thought it was too racy. Really.
She’s about to turn 50, and her mutual friend P and I are convinced that L has never even held a guy’s hand, let alone kissed a guy or dated one. And it would have to be a guy, since she can’t deal with the idea of same sex couples. (“I don’t want to watch that new movie Carol,” she said recently. “I don’t want to see a movie about two women falling in love.”)
Here is her recent comment about the way some of the guys in Duran Duran looked back in the 80s: “I don’t like it when guys have their hair streaked like women.”
(Never mind the fact that DD were as straight as they come and had supermodels on tap.)
When I had a 50th birthday bash a couple months ago, a very old friend of mine came a long distance to attend, brought me a huge bunch of roses and lilies, held my hand, and kissed me goodbye as we stood in the driveway. L nearly flipped her lid when she found out about this. I wouldn’t dare tell her that when I went to visit him a couple weeks ago, we Did The Deed. Twice. And we’re not even married (!!!).
I suspect that she would not only disapprove but also think less of me if she knew. And then I would think less of her.
My strategy? Avoidance. Silence.
The only way to deal with a Sproutitarian is the stake. Cleanse the cancer with fire.
What did I just say? Caramelization is key!!!
That almost makes it sound like you want to observe them like they’re some other species. Not exactly something I’d want in a friend.
I sense a disturbing parallel to the Thirty Years War or the English Civil War.
For my part, I shall raise a regiment of Pikemen and meet you on the plains near Breslau. Some matters can be resolved only by force of arms.
So? It’s a church group, they’re SUPPOSED to be highly religious. If you don’t like it, leave.
So sit back, relax and enjoy finding out how your new friends think and how they deal with mortality.
And now, I finally get to tell one of my favorite stories about my parents.
My mother was a good Catholic girl, my father was an intellectual agnostic. (It wasn’t that he wouldn’t accept there was a deity, he simply wanted more solid evidence than the Bible.) In the old days, if a Catholic wanted to marry a non-Catholic, the non-Catholic had to take instructions in the Catholic faith.
The priest teaching the class was fresh out of the seminary, and my father saw this as an opportunity to discuss every theological question about Catholics, Christians in general, heaven, hell, the concept of creation and infinity, etc.
Finally, one night after class, he was stopped by the pastor, an older, Irish priest who looked and sounded like every good-natured Irish priest in every film from the 1940s.
“Laddy,” the old priest said. "Let me ask you a question. “D’ye love this girl.”
“Yes, Father, very much.”
“And d’ye want to marry this girl?”
“Yes Father, very much.”
“Then, laddy,” the old priest said, “just shut up and listen.”
Thanks for the comments. This group is very Christian orientated but I can see the parallels to the Unitarians.
Nice people. I have just never understood how devoted they can be and probably never will.
It still amazes me how devoted they can be.
They’re the ones with a far bigger problem.
…and given that, by next year asparagus will have a Bumper Crop!
(Tell them “Its a Miracle…!”. They’re easily led.)
Yeah, but that’s because they need those to sell the comic books…
Then again, you are in debate with this group to the point of argument constantly.
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How does this make you happy? If it doesn’t, perhaps the OP needs to make better use of his time.
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One definition of a “Cult” is a religion that engages an outsider in near constant debate in the hopes of wearing and breaking them down to the point of submission. Its something to think about before you end up selling “Pencils for Jesus” at LAX…
I have absolutely nothing to do with highly religious people of any stripe whatsoever. Period.
I am reminded of an incident some years ago. Sitting in my dentist’s waiting room here in Bangkok, I was the only patient waiting when an old white lady came in. She had an appointment too. Sat down and after a few moments said to me (accent pegged her as a fellow American): “Excuse me, but do you read the Bible?” Me: “No.” She: “At what point in your life did you decide to hate the Scriptures?” Me (rolling my eyes): “I don’t discuss religion, and I’m not saying one more word to you about this.” Which shut the old bag up. My dentist told me she was a Jehovah’s Witness missionary.
I’m curious though why the OP is concerned that a church group is too religious. Aren’t they all?
As mentioned, I am trying to understand them and their thinking.
They are not trying to get me to sell anything but they are very subtly trying to get me to fund some of their projects which involves building a bigger church and expanding their school building.
It may sound like I am observing them but I am trying to learn as well.
Why are you talking so vaguely?