Why have Room Meetings?

The Need for Room Meetings

Why does Heartland have residence hall “room meetings”? One resident likes the lights on, but another wants to have the curtains drawn to keep the room as dark as possible. People may be early risers or “night owls.”  Some students use earbuds, while others prefer speakers. One student’s desk is cluttered, but their roommate must keep things organized. This young lady orders a Coke, but that one asks for soda. Oklahomans bunk alongside Texans. Loud chewers snack, while their friends try to concentrate and study. The list could go on indefinitely. None of us is “perfect.” With all these differences, the potential for conflict within the residence halls is always present.

This is why we have room meetings that are distinct to Heartland. Room meetings were designed to help students grow in biblical unity and practice God’s design for resolving conflict. Time is set aside throughout the semester for each room to sit down and purposefully share blessings, address problems, and pray together.

Unity Requires Effort

God created us in His image, and yet each person is unique. Our uniqueness, combined with our sin nature, can lead us to erroneously believe that spiritual unity is unattainable. We can also mistakenly believe unity is something that “just happens”, requiring minimal effort.

However, God’s Word tells us differently: Psalm 133:1 declares, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”  Romans 12:18 states, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”  Unity is possible, but it takes work.

Clear Biblical Direction

Our human nature generally wants to avoid conflict and confrontation; however, God gave believers the ministry of reconciliation. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus Christ reconciled us to God.  He then gave us the responsibility to model that attribute in our daily lives (2 Corinthians 5:18). Sticking our head in the sand and avoiding all conflict would be disobedient to God’s command. When there is an offense, we have clear, biblical direction on how to bring restoration to a relationship (Matthew 18:15).

Students lead busy lives. Sometimes, because of contrasting schedules, they do not see their roommates regularly. Room meetings provide an opportunity for roommates to connect and share what God is doing in their lives, reach out for accountability, and draw closer together in the Spirit. Reading Scripture and praying together facilitates a spiritual “greenhouse” for unity.

Without room meetings, roommates can sometimes become disjointed with a selfish focus. Also, when structured time is not set aside for room meetings, care for each other can be disregarded.

Looking back on my time, living in the residence hall as a student, the benefits of room meetings in my own life astound me. I love each of my former roommates, but I have a special connection with some of them. Room meetings were especially important to developing that connection.  We shared what was on our hearts, prayed for each other, and “sharpened” each other (Proverbs 27:17). The result was life-long friendships built on a solid foundation.

Kari Quinlan, Dean of Women