NASHVILLE, Tenn. 性视界传媒 The young crowd at a Nashville nightclub was ready to dance under the strobe lights to a throbbing mix of hip-hop, rap and Latin beats. But first they gathered to pray and praise God.
The rules were announced on the dance floor by a mic-carrying emcee to more than 200 clubgoers blanketed by thick smoke machine fog: 性视界传媒淩ule No. 1: No twerking. Second rule: No drinking. And a third rule: No smoking.性视界传媒 The last unspoken rule seemed obvious by then: No secular music 性视界传媒 the playlist would be all Christian.
Welcome to The Cove.
The pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub was launched last year by seven Black Christian men in their 20s 性视界传媒 among them an Ivy League-educated financial analyst, musicians and social media experts 性视界传媒 who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for young Christians outside houses of worship. The launch comes at a post-pandemic time of dwindling church attendance, especially among Black Protestants that surveys say is unmatched by any other major religious group.
性视界传媒淲e ourselves experienced a pain point of not being able to find community outside of our church, not knowing what to do to have fun without feeling bad for doing stuff that性视界传媒檚 conflicting to our values,性视界传媒 said Eric Diggs, The Cove性视界传媒檚 24-year-old CEO.
性视界传媒淭here wasn性视界传媒檛 a space to cultivate that. So, we created it ourselves out of that pain point 性视界传媒 the loneliness, the anxiety, depression, COVID, and the long quarantine.
Proving that Christians can be cool - not corny
Before their first monthly party in November, they set an ambitious goal: get 1,000 followers on social media. 性视界传媒淲e ended up getting more than 10,000 followers before our first event, which was insane,性视界传媒 said Eric性视界传媒檚 brother, Jordan Diggs, 22, who manages the club性视界传媒檚 social media presence.
性视界传媒淐hristians get a rep for being corny. And we want to show that Christians can be normal, can be cool. And they can have fun.性视界传媒
A second equally popular event was timed to ring in the New Year. A third was held in February.
For weeks, on its Instagram account 性视界传媒 under hashtags like #jesuschrist #nightclubs 性视界传媒 club organizers asked people to be ready to dance the worship night away and look their best: 性视界传媒淲hen you pull up, we expect to see you in your Holiest Drip.性视界传媒
At the mid-February event, many in the racially and ethnically diverse crowd wore a rainbow of vivid colors 性视界传媒 fluorescent turquoise, electric orange, neon pink 性视界传媒 in their Nike, Adidas and New Balance sneakers. Or hoodies with images of Jesus and varsity jackets with Scripture from the Bible.
性视界传媒淲hat surprised me the most is the diversity, honestly,性视界传媒 said Aaron Dews, one of the club founders. 性视界传媒淲ith us being seven Black guys, just seeing the expansion of the type of people that we can bring in, and the unification around one idea has been incredibly encouraging.性视界传媒
Food trucks in the parking lot awaited hungry clubbers. Inside, Benji Shuler sold vintage clothes with religious messages that hung from racks. A white T-shirt with the iconic Pepsi logo read: 性视界传媒淛esus: The Choice of a New Generation,性视界传媒 echoing the soda company性视界传媒檚 tagline from decades ago.
In lieu of alcohol, vendors sold sports drinks, bottled water and soda. Organizers cheerfully set up early. They hung Christmas-style lights from ceilings, sang a cappella and rehearsed their best choreographed moves.
Club becomes a destination for Christians near and far
Before he impressed everyone with his dance moves, Garrett Bland, 20, listened on his phone to 性视界传媒淒eliver Me,性视界传媒 by gospel singer Donald Lawrence. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 about letting the Lord into your life,性视界传媒 he said, wearing a gold medallion around his neck inscribed with the Lord性视界传媒檚 Prayer and a beige hoodie that read: 性视界传媒淕od first.性视界传媒
He admired what The Cove性视界传媒檚 founders are trying to do, saying, 性视界传媒渢hey want to create a space for believers who want to come to the faith and have fun.性视界传媒
Wearing a blue hoodie embroidered in white with 性视界传媒測oung sons of God,性视界传媒 Eric Diggs asked organizers and volunteers to join him in prayer. 性视界传媒淒ear God, thank you for this night,性视界传媒 he said. 性视界传媒淎men!性视界传媒 the group said in unison before the huddled like a basketball team before a game 性视界传媒 and yelled: 性视界传媒淭he Cove!性视界传媒
Nia Gant, 18, attended the club for the first time. She moved from Grand Rapids, Michigan, four months ago and said she had been praying to make like-minded friends. 性视界传媒淚 think joy and religion can go together,性视界传媒 said Gant, who wore nose piercings, Air Jordans and ripped jeans. 性视界传媒淕od,性视界传媒 she said, 性视界传媒渋s joy.性视界传媒
Soon after, a line of people who had bought tickets in advance snaked outside to enter the nightclub. At the door, security officers in bullet-proof vests frisked clubgoers. Inside, they chatted, laughed and greeted each other with high fives.
Word quickly spread around that a couple had traveled 9,000-plus miles from their home in Brisbane, Australia, to the Christian club in the Tennessee capital known as Music City. It was true: Haynza Posala, 23, and his wife, Kim Posala, 24, heard about The Cove through a faith-and-culture podcast co-hosted by Darin Starks, one of the club性视界传媒檚 founders.
性视界传媒漌e thought, this is cool 性视界传媒 it性视界传媒檚 God glorifying,性视界传媒 Haynza Posala said.
性视界传媒滻t性视界传媒檚 surreal,性视界传媒 said Kim Posala, looking around as people in trucker hats, berets and baseball caps streamed into the club and were handed bracelets of different colors. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 community and that性视界传媒檚 what church is about.性视界传媒
Mic in hand, Carlton Batts Jr., a musician who is one of the founders and who was the designated DJ and emcee, asked people on the dance floor questions, dividing them into groups: 性视界传媒淚f you like prefer listening to music, come over here,性视界传媒 he said pointing to one side. 性视界传媒淚f you prefer podcasts, over here.性视界传媒
性视界传媒滻n church people can be really cliquey,性视界传媒 Batts said. 性视界传媒淪o here, we give them prompts, so when we start the DJ set people are really comfortable dancing.性视界传媒
The crowd went wild when the DJ played 性视界传媒淎lacazam,性视界传媒 by rapper Caleb Gordon, who has grown popular for his faith-inspired songs, especially Christian hip-hop. They gasped and cheered when 21-year-old Dillan Runions, a former competition dancer, performed a back flip on the dance floor.
Eventually, it turned into a revival of sorts: Some wept or knelt with eyes shut in prayer. Whispering, someone in a small group asked God 性视界传媒渢o keep away negative suicidal thoughts.性视界传媒
Many belted out a gospel song that everyone seemed to know by heart: 性视界传媒淎 God like you性视界传媒 by choir director, rapper and songwriter Kirk Franklin.
The feedback has been mostly positive. Club founders have also faced criticism on TikTok from some who say that dancing and worship don性视界传媒檛 go together 性视界传媒 or even see it as a sin. Jordan Diggs says he embraces the attention, good or bad 性视界传媒 性视界传媒渏ust the words Christian and nightclub is going to start a lot of conversation.性视界传媒
Other generations are noticing. At some point, Shem Rivera, 26, a worship leader and a founder walked up to 18-year-old Noah Moon on the dance floor, and asked him how he had heard about The Cove.
性视界传媒淢y mom told me about it 性视界传媒 she sent me a video on Instagram,性视界传媒 said Moon, who had just moved from Kansas to Nashville the day before. 性视界传媒淭hat性视界传媒檚 fire!性视界传媒 Rivera responded smiling.
At the end, they all silently prayed. 性视界传媒淚t sounds oxymoronic 性视界传媒 a Christian dance club,性视界传媒 said Nicholas Oldham, who manages the club性视界传媒檚 business. He was initially skeptical and even wondered if it was sacrilegious.
性视界传媒淔un is the lure; it性视界传媒檚 bait,性视界传媒 he said, adding that what happens on the dance floor is so much more than that.
性视界传媒淲hat it says for old fogies like me, is that the young are hungry for the word of God,性视界传媒 said Oldham, who is in his 40s. 性视界传媒淭he church isn性视界传媒檛 the building, and these young people are catching up to that.性视界传媒
