Vista House offers food, faith and fellowship
By: Lauren Lytle
Issue date: 10/2/09 Section: News
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"I came here without living in the apartments and my experience here has been developing close relationships and working with those people in such a unique environment," said Furman alumnus Adam Benson. "The events and conversations drew me back to the Vista House for a second year."
The house, located at 751 Old Buncombe Road in Traveler's Rest, serves as an expression of Christian hospitality that flows out of residence life and is an experiment of intentional Christian community. With over eight acres of property, several programs occur throughout the year.
"Four dollar dinners" are available to the public at 6:30 p.m. every Sunday, allowing students to get a vegetarian, organic and locally grown meal away from campus. Students manage the organic garden to promote sustainable agriculture.
Every other Thursday night is "An evening with…" dinner series that invites students to interact with a Furman faculty member in a casual setting.
The Vista House also hosts "TR Town Limits," a bluegrass jam for members of the Furman community to enjoy. Students are encouraged to cultivate fellowship over a meal and bring any instrument that could contribute to the festival.
Other programs that the Vista House hosts include a "Mere Lunch" with a faculty member from another university, a photography contest to display arts of different kinds and Servant Scholars. The house offers two guest rooms, rooms reserved for quiet study and wireless access and a bottomless coffee/tea/cocoa pot in the kitchen.
Hoping to find answers to unanswered questions, the members of the Mere Christianity Forum embarked on a quest to sort through faith, philosophy and life. The vision of the Vista House was inspired by C.S. Lewis' book "Mere Christianity."
Throughout the book, Lewis creates a hallway similar to a dining hall where people can converse, learn and explore at a central meeting place. These students wanted to create a location off campus where students could experience the concept that Lewis describes.
"As members of Furman's Mere Christianity Forum, these students strived to incorporate Lewis' concept into their goal of experimenting in an intentional Christian community," executive director Rimes McElveen said. Any interested students can apply to live in the Vista House. Applications can be found at www.vistahouse.org.