Temples were the heart of the community. 

Kids went to school at the temple. 

The women came every day with temple offerings of food and goods they had made. They stayed to chat and to market. 

The temples acted as hotels for important visitors from other towns. 

Grain was stored in the temples so that it could be shared with whomever needed it. 

People prayed to the temple gods for whatever they needed. If their request was not granted, they might give the temple statue a whack with a sturdy reed to let the temple god know how they felt about it. For the most part, the ancient Egyptians were not afraid of their gods at all.