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

 

The Complete College Student

A life of emptiness or a life of fulfillment?

Have you ever played the game “Would You Rather”? Often, on a road trip, my 12-year-old son will start coming up with strange scenarios.

“Would you rather have a flying carpet or a car that can drive underwater? Would you rather have unlimited sushi for life or unlimited tacos for life?” In a game like that, the possibilities are endless and there is room for differing opinions, but, when you start asking real-world questions, the correct choices should be clear.

Would you rather live a life of emptiness or a life of fulfillment? Would you rather be insecure without Christ or secure in Christ? Even though we know some choices in life should be “no-brainers”, oftentimes, our behavior reveals our confusion about the choices we make. Sometimes, what we say we desire is contrary to our actual behavior. Our behavior will reveal what we truly want.

Beware! Lookout! Pay attention!

It shouldn’t shock us that those who are outside of Christ struggle with the idea of significance. What’s unfortunate is that many believers struggle as well. Most of us have felt, at times, like we don’t measure up, but how should we respond to those feelings? Every Bible college student will benefit when they “come to grips” with a biblical perspective about significance.

Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Paul says, “Beware, . . .” take caution, look out, “ . . . lest any man spoil you.” The idea of the word “spoil” is to take captive or take possession of something, as in an army taking the spoils of war. We are in danger of being spoiled, or being taken captive—not in a physical battle, but in the spiritual battle for our minds.

Don’t be deceived! People will try to tell you that philosophy will bring spiritual enlightenment or that traditions of men are the key to fulfillment. Paul says in Colossians 2:9, “For in him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”. Everything that God desires for us to have is found in Christ. You are not completed by philosophy, traditions of men, religious activity, dietary laws, peer acceptance, or by following holy days, but, rather, you are complete in Christ! Everything in your life depends upon your relationship with Christ; He needs to be the central focus of your life.

Understanding Who You Are In Christ

If Christ is sufficient to meet the greatest need of your life – reconciliation with God – He is also sufficient to give you fulfillment. He is sufficient to save you AND complete you.

Being at Bible college can cause some to think that they have to live up to man’s ideas, traditions, rules, and religious activities to be complete, but, the truth is, if you’ve been born again, your completion is not in any of these things, but, rather, in Christ. This shouldn’t cause us to be self-confident. We shouldn’t say, “Oh, yeah, I can handle this,” but, rather, we should simply rest in Him. If you weren’t perfect when Christ saved you, you don’t need to be perfect for Him to love you now.

 I can fully rest in the fact that I am right before God—not because of who I am, but because of Who Christ is.

Rest in Christ

Rest in the confidence of who you are in Christ. If you think, “I’m not good enough, I can’t measure up.”; you’re right! The world would say you’re good enough and that you have goodness inside of you, but the Bible says you have no goodness inside of you. However, we can have a righteousness that is not our own. I have righteousness that was given to me when I was placed in Christ on the day I was saved. When I understand that I am in Christ, and that I have the righteousness of Christ, which no one can take away, in me, then I can fully rest in the fact that I am right before God—not because of who I am, but because of Who Christ is.

You Are Accepted In Him

You can rightfully say, “I’m okay with not being good enough. I’m alright with that.” Why? Because, Christ is all you need. You don’t need to measure up to man’s standards if you have done what Christ has demanded of you and are accepted in Him.

It sounds strange, but we waste hours looking for moments of fulfillment, moments of acceptance, and moments of approval. Those moments become idols that keep us from what truly satisfies. When Christ is given the “leftovers” of our lives, the result is emptiness.

Are you content in your relationship with Christ? Are you finding fulfillment and significance through your relationship with Him? Your relationships, accomplishments, and performance in life will not provide lasting fulfillment or complete you. Lasting fulfillment will only come through your relationship with Christ as you understand that you are complete in Him. Everything you need is in Christ – delight in Him!

You Want Me To Go… There?!

You Want Me To Go Where?!

When I was a kid, we used to have Bible college students spend every weekend with us. They would help out in the church, sing specials, teach classes and do whatever needed to be done.

I remember watching Muppet Treasure Island with them almost every Friday night when they would come into town and stay at our house. I loved having them around.

They all seemed so godly—and so fun!

I made up my mind as a young boy that their college was going to be my college.

Then, a couple years later, the college moved. No more Bible college kids on the weekends. No more Muppet Treasure Island. Bummer.

I loved my area of Southern California. It was all I knew. It was comfortable. The weather was great! I did not want to lose all that just for college.

But… I also remember the impact those college students had on me. Their spirit was contagious. Their attitudes were always happy. They served. They loved God. They simply wanted to be a blessing in any way that they could, and I liked that.

I wanted my life to be like that.

So, I figured if that’s how I wanted to turn out, I had better go through the same process. I decided that my decision as a young boy would stand. I would still go to that college, even though it was now in another state.

“God, are you sure you want me to go… there?!”

Yep. No doubt.

So I packed up after high school and went. I did not know anyone and I did not know what I was doing, but I knew that God’s calling on my life as a boy still stood.

No Regrets

Now I am on the other side. I graduated college and I am now a youth director encouraging others to spend at least a year in Bible college.

I have no regrets. The state I lived in for a few years wasn’t so bad after all. God gives a special love for the places He calls you to, and as long as you are obedient to Him, life is good, no matter the circumstances.

I Want It For Everyone

My life has been great, and I want God to bless everyone like He has blessed me! If you want God’s blessings, all I can say is this: obey God. He will make your life more full than you can even imagine!

Is Bible college for everyone? No way!

There were times I thought, “This is terrible… I’m sick of this… This is not what I was expecting… What about all the fun stories everyone else has… It’s a lot of work!” At those times, though, I never even considered leaving because I knew I was where God wanted me to be. I was in a blessed place in life, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.

Don’t Refuse What You’ve Never Really Considered.

Is Bible college for you? I don’t know. Maybe. Don’t rule it out. Don’t ignore Bible college just because someone you know doesn’t like the idea. Don’t refuse what you’ve never really considered.

Bible college is definitely not for everyone, but it might be for you. Too many people ignore or disobey God’s call. I daresay He calls many people who never answer His call. I don’t want that to be you.

The next few chapters will give some benefits, some objections and some general principles on why Bible college is something that you might consider.

Ryan Rench, Calvary Baptist Church of Temecula, CA

Prepare to Thrive not Just Survive

This fall, thousands of young people across the country will begin their journey in higher education. Many of these young people will take the step to enroll at a Bible college. As young people prepare to enter into their new lives as a Bible college student, it is good for them to take time now to prepare themselves for this new stage of life. If you are one of those young people, prepare to thrive at Bible college: think past registration, classes, textbooks, and room decorations. Are you taking necessary steps to prepare yourself spiritually? The nine tips below are intended to help you prepare to thrive, not just survive at Bible college.

Make Bible reading a priority

If you have been in church any length of time, you have heard much about Bible reading. Preachers are regularly stressing the importance of reading your Bible. Bible reading is a vital part of Christian growth; however, many Bible college students find the demands of college to be a hindrance to their personal Bible reading. If you wait until you get to Bible college to develop a habit of consistent Bible reading, you may find the struggle of classes, work, ministry, dorm life, and countless other responsibilities too great a hurdle to overcome. Start now to set aside time each day to read your Bible.

Start developing a strong prayer life

Prayer is one of the most underused tools in the Christian’s tool belt. The danger exists that a student can attend four years of Bible college and never develop a consistent prayer life. How could that happen? When pressures mount and time is short, we often neglect those things that are not as noticeable to others. People notice when you don’t go to class, so you don’t skip. People notice when you don’t go to church, so you faithfully attend every service. However, people don’t see when you skip prayer time because you overslept. A consistent prayer life before you come to Bible college will better prepare you to meet the demands of college life.

Start studying the Bible now

Bible college is about Bible study, but don’t wait until you arrive at college to start diving into the Bible. The sooner you begin forming good habits of Bible study, the better. The Word of God is supposed to be read, but it is also to be studied and rightly applied. [2 Timothy 2:15] You may not know a lot about how to study the Bible right now, and that’s okay. That is one of the reasons you are coming to Bible college, to learn how to study the Bible. Start now to do more than a casual reading of the Bible. It will reap huge rewards in college and in life.

Be active in church ministry

A key part of Bible college training is local church ministry. Each student at Heartland is required to be involved in a ministry and visitation. Involvement in local church ministry should not begin at Bible college. While you are still at home, ask your pastor if there is an area you can serve in right now. It could be anything from cleaning, straightening chairs, shaking visitors’ hands, helping set out music for choir practice, to teaching a Sunday School class. Just get involved. No small or insignificant ministry exists in the church!  Make it a point to be around when work is going on at church. Stay late to help clean up after a fellowship. In short, be a servant!

Adjusting to a new place

As great as Bible college is, and as hard as the students and staff try to make you feel welcome, college is not the same as home. At home you have your schedule, the food you like to eat, and hobbies that occupy your time. You may walk out your front door and see beautiful mountains in the distance. You may live in a major metropolitan area with high rise buildings all around. Your comfort zone may be normal everyday America. It’s amazing how many students arrive at college and are surprised that things are different than they were back home. Just remember that different is not always bad. Different is just different. If God has led you to Bible college, understand that God knows the difference between where you are from and where you are going. Prepare yourself now by trusting God’s work in moving you to Bible college.

Adjusting to a new church

A great blessing at Heartland is the relationship that exists between Heartland and Southwest Baptist Church. The members have welcomed the students and actively invest time and money into their lives. Remember though, Southwest Baptist is different than your home church. More than likely you will experience a time of adjustment. The size of Southwest may be different than your home church. Your level of ministry involvement may be different.

The type of ministries you were a part of at home may be different. The best way for you to prepare for membership at a new church while at college is to purpose now to get involved. God has you at college to learn and to prepare. If you sit in the shadows and regularly think about how things are different, you will likely miss the lessons God is trying to teach you.

Adjusting to new people

People are different! Everyone who has ever attended Bible college, or any college, has a story or two about some of the more “unique” people that are found at college. When you take several hundred young people from all over the world and put them on one campus, differences are evident. People come from different places, different churches, different family situations, have different standards and are at different stages in their spiritual growth.

Coming with the understanding that everyone did not grow up like you will help in the adjustment process. Even though Bible college is filled with students that differ one from another, we do have one thing that cuts through all the differences, our mutual faith in Christ. Our salvation should be the thing that binds us together greater than any cultural or personality differences that try to divide us.

Adjusting to new demands

College by nature will be, and should be, demanding. You will be expected to be faithful to classes, work, church, ministries, personal time with God, homework, bills, relationships, roommates and the list goes on and on. At times, it may seem like these things are competing against each other. How will you handle all the new demands that you are facing? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Keep your priorities in order
• Keep a schedule
• Be wise with your spare time
• Ask others for help
• Remember you are not the first to face these demands

Adjusting to new liberties

Some may look at a Bible College Student Handbook and think they have no liberty. It’s a sad fact, but some students come to Bible college and fail to succeed because they did not know how to rightly manage their new-found freedom. College students are at a stage in their lives where they are making their own decisions. Boundaries will help in making right decisions, but ultimately, the choice is up to you. Will you study for that test with the hour and half you have free, or will you go with your roommate to satisfy that afternoon Chick-fil-A craving? Are you going use that hour break to take a nap or catch up on your reading in Old Testament Survey?

At college you will make decisions that have heavy consequences. How do you respond? Start now by purposing to make the right decisions. We are good at making decisions that are easy, fun, or self-serving. Determine by the grace of God to do what is right and a lot of the decisions will be simplified.

Being mindful of these areas will help in adjusting to life as a college student. The goal of each student should be to successfully complete the course God has set for him or her. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the staff and faculty for additional help in adjusting to the everyday demands of college life. The Dean of Students’ Office is the place to go for all things relating to a student’s personal life. The entire staff at Heartland is willing to help you not just survive Bible college but thrive.