No twerking, drinking or smoking

• A pop-up Christian nightclub is gaining traction among a diverse group of young people looking for community.
• The club, which plays religious rap and hip-hop, wants to counter stereotypes of Christianity.
• However, participants must be 18 years of age or older, and twerking, drinking alcohol, and smoking are prohibited.

A young crowd at a Nashville nightclub was ready to start dancing under strobe lights to uplifting music that mixed hip-hop, rap and Latin beats. But first they gathered to pray and praise God.

The rules were announced by a host with a microphone on the dance floor to more than 200 clubgoers, covered in a thick fog of smoke machines. “Rule number one: No twerking. Second rule: No drinking. And third rule: No smoking.” The final unspoken rule was clear by then. The idea was that no secular music was allowed and all playlists were Christian.

Welcome to The Cove.

The pop-up 18+ Christian nightclub was launched last year by seven black Christian men in their 20s. Among them were financial analysts, musicians, and social media experts trained in Ivy’s league, who aimed to build thriving communities and societies. A welcoming space for young Christians outside the chapel. The launch comes at a time of post-pandemic declines in church attendance, particularly among Black Protestants, a situation that surveys show is unmatched by other major religious groups.

“We ourselves experienced the pain of not being able to find community outside of the church and not knowing how to have fun without feeling bad for doing something that went against our values.” said Eric Diggs, a 24-year resident of The Cove. Old CEO.

“We didn’t have the space to cultivate it, so we created it ourselves from the pain points of loneliness, anxiety, depression, COVID, and long quarantines.

Proving that Christians can be cool without being corny

Before their first monthly party in November, they set an ambitious goal of gaining 1,000 followers on social media. “We ended up getting over 10,000 followers before our first event, which was insane,” said Eric’s younger brother, Jordan Diggs, 22, who manages the club’s social media presence. ) said.

“Christians get accused of being trite, and we want to show that Christians can be normal, they can be cool, and they can have fun.”

A second, equally popular event was held in the new year. The third one was held in February.

For several weeks, club organizers have been urging people on their Instagram accounts to come prepared and dress their best to dance the night away at the service, using hashtags such as #jesuschrist #nightclubs. ”

At the mid-February event, many in the racially and ethnically diverse crowd wore Nike, Adidas and New Balance sneakers in bright rainbow colors, including fluorescent turquoise, electric orange and neon pink. Or a hoodie with an image of Jesus or a national team jacket with a Bible verse.

“Honestly, what surprised me the most was the diversity,” said Aaron Dues, one of the club’s founders. “We are made up of seven black men, but it’s incredibly encouraging to see the types of people we embrace expanding and coming together around one idea. .”

Food trucks were waiting for hungry clubbers in the parking lot. Inside the store, Benji Schuller sold vintage clothing hung on racks with religious messages inscribed on them. Her white T-shirt with the iconic Pepsi logo read “Yes: A New Generation’s Choice,” repeating the soda company’s tagline from decades ago.

Instead of alcohol, vendors sold sports drinks, bottled water, and soda. The organizers cheerfully started preparing early. They hung Christmas-style lights from the ceiling, sang a cappella, and rehearsed their best choreography.

The club becomes a destination for Christians at home and abroad

Garrett Brand, 20, was listening to gospel singer Donald Lawrence’s “Deliver Me” on his phone before impressing everyone with his dance moves. “It’s about accepting her Lord into her life,” she says, wearing a gold medallion engraved with the Lord’s Prayer around her neck and a beige hoodie that reads “God First.” He said as he put it on.

He praised what The Cove’s founders are trying to do, saying, “We want to create a space for believers who want to come and enjoy their faith.”

Wearing a blue hoodie with the words “Children of God” embroidered on a white background, Eric Diggs called on organizers and volunteers to join him in prayer. “Dear God, thank you for tonight,” he said. “Amen!” the group said in unison before huddled together like a basketball team before a game and shouted “The Cove!”

Nia Gant, 18, was joining the club for the first time. She moved from Grand Rapids, Michigan, four months ago, and she said she prayed that she would find like-minded friends. “I think joy and religion can go together,” said Ms. Gant, who sported her nose piercing, Air Jordans and ripped jeans. “God is a joy,” she said.

Shortly after, a line of people who had purchased tickets in advance snaked outside to get into the nightclub. At the entrance, security guards wearing bulletproof vests intimidated clubgoers. Inside, they chatted, laughed and greeted each other with high-fives.

Rumors quickly spread that the couple traveled more than 9,000 miles from their home in Brisbane, Australia, to a Christian club in the Tennessee capital known as Music City. It was true. Heinza Posara, 23, and his wife Kim Posara, 24, learned about The Cove through a faith and culture podcast co-hosted by one of the club’s founders, Darin Starks.

“We thought this was great and glorified God,” Hainza Posara said.

“It’s surreal,” Kim Posara said, looking around as people in trucker hats, berets and baseball caps poured into the club and handed out bracelets in different colors. “It’s community, that’s what the church is for.”

Musician Carlton Butts Jr., one of the founders and the designated DJ and emcee, grabbed a microphone and divided people on the dance floor into groups to ask questions. “If you like listening to music, come here,” he said, pointing to one side. “If you prefer podcasts, check this out.”

“People can get really conflicted in church,” Butts said. “So we give them a prompt, so when we start the DJ set, people are really comfortable dancing.”

The crowd went wild as the DJ played faith-inspired songs, especially “Alakazam” by Caleb Gordon, a rapper popularized in Christian hip-hop. They gasped and cheered as 21-year-old former competitive dancer Dylan Runions performed a backflip on the dance floor.

Dance party blends into moving worship

Eventually, it turned into a revival of sorts. Some cried, closed their eyes, knelt down and prayed. In a whisper, someone in the small group prayed to God to “keep negative suicidal thoughts away.”

Many people loudly sang gospel songs that everyone knew by heart. “A God like you” by choir director, rapper and songwriter Kirk Franklin.

Feedback was mostly positive. Club founders have also faced criticism on TikTok from those who see dancing and worship as mutually exclusive or a sin. Jordan Diggs said he welcomes the attention, for better or worse. “The words Christian and nightclub are enough to start a lot of conversations.”

Other generations are also noticing. At one point, worship leader and founder Shem Rivera, 26, walked up to 18-year-old Noah Moon, who was on the dance floor, and asked him how he heard about The Cove.

“My mom told me about it. She sent me a video on Instagram,” said Moon, who had just moved to Nashville from Kansas the day before. “It’s fire!” Rivera responded with a smile.

At the end, everyone prayed quietly. “A Christian dance club sounds like an oxymoron,” said Nicholas Oldham, who manages the club’s business. He was skeptical at first, even wondering if it was blasphemous.

“Fun is the temptation and the bait,” he says, adding that that’s not all that happens on the dance floor.

“For an old, foggy person like me, it means young people are hungry for the Word of God,” said Oldham, who is in his 40s. “The church is not a building, and these young people are catching up to that.”