build community at home

5 Tips to Build Community from Home

Confined to our homes, not allowed to see those we love, and unsure of the future. How are we supposed to build community in this crisis?

Though the current situation makes social interaction difficult, don’t give in to the feeling that it’s impossible. Actively building community, even if it’s virtual, can become a lifeline for encouraging those in your sphere of influence. Follow these 5 tips to continue community building during quarantine.

1. Don’t disconnect.

It’s simple: you can’t build community if you don’t connect with people. When life is normal, it’s easy to connect with your immediate surroundings. At college, you have roommates, classmates, teammates, and friends that build a natural community around you.

However, disconnecting happens as quickly as removing yourself from that setting. Think about it. When you are at college, it’s easy to feel disconnected from your home and vice versa. Now, you are removed from everything and everyone but your immediate family. So be wary of disconnecting from your school and your church.

2. Avoid a selfish schedule.

Right now, you might be trying to find a new schedule. While at college, your schedule is rarely affected by others. For the most part, you can do what you want when you want.

But at home, that might not be the case.

Now you have to fight for a spot in the shower, or stop a study session because dinner is on the table. It’s easy to have a bad attitude when you lose the independence of college unexpectedly. And if you’re not careful, you’ll create a selfish schedule that only considers your own needs and wants.

Instead, consider those living with you when you make your schedule

Don’t schedule a zoom with friends during family dinner. Match your waking and sleeping times with your family so you’re not keeping them up when they want to sleep. Schedule your free times in tandem with theirs. Don’t lock yourself in your room only coming out to eat and drink.

3. Spend time with your family.

Family dynamics in college aren’t always perfect. However, taking positive actions and investing in your family members could be the key to mending strained relationships.

Don’t send a message to your parents and siblings that you don’t care about them because you’re never willing to put school work away and spend time with them.

When you purposefully make time to talk with your parents, play with your younger siblings, or help around the house, you’re powerfully communicating the important message that you love them.

Finally, consider this unexpected time with your family a gift from God. He sovereignly put your family together during this time. Remember, many people across the world are unable to be with family right now because of quarantine, so don’t take yours for granted.

4. Stay in contact with people you normally wouldn’t.

This step takes some extra work. I’m not just talking about video chatting with your friends. I’m also talking about video-chatting your grandparents, reaching out to a mentor, or connecting with a younger person in your church that you can encourage.

Expand your horizons to include people that you normally don’t chat with much. Call your dorm supervisor, RA, or roommates. Reconnect with a friend from work via text. It doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day.

5. Build community with social media groups.

Oftentimes, it seems like social media has just become a forum for self-promotion. We don’t use it to stay connected – we use it to showcase the perfect life that we don’t have.

Instead, start using social media to connect with people that share your interests. Search Facebook for groups that share your hobbies, goals, or values. If you need a place to start, MBU is creating department groups so you can connect with the students that share your major.

Staying connected and building community is easier than ever in the age of technology. But effort and intentionality are still necessary. When we build community both inside and outside our homes during quarantine, life after the virus will look even sweeter than before.