History professor combats student homesickness, opens home for biweekly dinners
History professor Dr. John Coats is opening his home up to students for a meal and discussion.
Courtesy of Kaitlyn Carter
Dr. John Coats, a professor of history, will be hosting his Dinner and Scriptures events two Fridays a month to fill this fall with food and fellowship.
Dinner and Scriptures began on Friday, Sept. 15 and is projected to meet once more on Sept. 29.
The biweekly gathering will be hosted for the rest of the semester and will include a homecooked meal and a reading and discussion of Scripture. This event is open to history majors and their friends, as well as anyone who might feel a little homesick.
Through this meeting of food and faith, Coats says he hopes to instill a sense of togetherness.
“[Dinner and Scriptures] builds community. It reinforces who we are, and it gets us out of this place in order to do that," Coats said. “People who live in dorms need home sometimes.”
In order to provide an extra layer of comfort, Coats will be opening up his own house, providing a quality meal along with the guarantee of a safe place to relax.
Senior history major Audrey Johnson was an attendee last semester.
“[Dinner and Scriptures] is a great time to fellowship with other students and to see the authentic Christianity of professors who so graciously host the students and allow them to flourish in their faith, while asking challenging questions with an educated worldview,” Johnson said.
Junior history major Mallory Wickam affirms this effort by the History Department to foster community at Lee.
“This is a great incentive for students to hang out with fellow majors,” Wickam said.
If you are interested in learning more about this event, you can email Coats at jcoats@leeuniversity.edu.
