Rise of the Jesus-themed NIGHTCLUBS where twerking, drinking and smoking are banned but Christian music thumps all night

A Nashville nightclub is redefining the concept of faith - and clubbing - with heavily attended gatherings that have strict rules against twerking, drinking, and smoking.

Enter The Cove - an 18-and-up pop-up started this past year by seven young, black Christians, that only enforces the three above rules.

There's an unspoken one as well - a playlist devoted entirely to Christian music.

The establishment comes in response to a post-pandemic decline in church attendance, organizers this week said - citing the mostly black, Gen-Z crowd.

These pious partiers flood their doors regularly, the masterminds revealed -speaking for a feature published this past Monday.

Their mission? To prove that being Christian can be cool, whatever the setting.

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Jeremiah Manley, left, and other attendees at The Cove, an 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub, raise their arms in worship on Saturday, February 17 in Nashville, Tennessee

The Cove was started last year by seven Black Christian men in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for young adults outside houses of worship. More than 200  young clubbers attended The Cove's fourth event this past February (pictured)

'We 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's conflicting to our values,' Founder Eric Diggs told AP of the need for such an institution.

'There wasn't a space to cultivate that, so, we created it ourselves.'

Citing the loneliness, anxiety, depression, and quarantine COVID created, the Cove's CEO, only 24, went on to describe how he and his friends cultivated that concept.

It began with a lofty goal - getting 1,000 followers on social media before their first monthly party, which was held in November.

The reception, though, was much more pronounced than first thought - a hint at the success still to come.

'We ended up getting more than 10,000 followers before our first event, which was insane,' revealed Eric's brother and fellow founder Jordan Diggs, 22, who manages the club's social media.

'Christians get a rep for being corny,' he continued.

'And we want to show that Christians can be normal, can be cool. And they can have fun.'

And fun was definitely had - with videos showing more than hundred showing up in full-force for some PG-rated revelry.

 Before dancing, the founders laid the ground rules: no twerking, no drinking, and no smoking

Jade Russell of Louisville, Kentucky, dances at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Cove was started last year by seven Black Christian men in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for young adults outside houses of worship

Haynza Posala, 23, center, kneels in prayer during an impromptu worship session at the end of The Cove's third event on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville

Jade Russell of Louisville, Kentucky, dances in pink and red Croc-style shoes at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville

A second event was then held for the New Year in January, and another in February.

Both were well-attended, with the crowd ballooning to more than 200 at the latter procession.

The founders - which include an Ivy League-educated financial analyst, musicians, and several social media experts - noted how most of the crowd, like them, belonged to Gen Z.

They credited to this crowd to crowd-work enacted over Instagram, with hashtags like #jesuschrist #nightclubs attracting eyes that may have been elsewhere.

For weeks, this effort continued - paving the way for another well-meaning meet in March.

Aside from the three aforementioned tenets, organizers only ask people be ready to dance, worship, and look their best.

A recent post on their Instagram pleads: 'When you pull up, we expect to see you in your Holiest Drip.'

And dripeth they did - with partygoers donning a rainbow of colors during the February event, bolstering a rainbow of racially and ethnically diverse attendees.

Some wore hoodies bearing the likeness of Jesus - others varsity jackets bearing Bible Scripture. 

In lieu of alcohol, vendors offered thirsty clubgoers sports drinks, bottled water and soda. For those hungry, trucks partnered with the club sat parked outside shilling soul food.

Jonathan Diggs, center, and Carlyle Coppins, right, join in a line of dancers at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, February 17

DeSean Aaron, 19, kneels in prayer after a night of dancing at The Cove, an 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, February 17

Inside, brass sold clothes bearing Christian-centered messages, astounded by the array of attendees their effort continues to draw.

'What surprised me the most is the diversity, honestly,' Aaron Dews, another one of the club founders, said of the rising number of attendees. 

'With 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,' he added.

A couple who traveled all the way from Australia to attend this past month's party after hearing about the Cove online serves as proof of this expansion, which remains ongoing

It also demonstrates the club's status as a destination - for both Christians near and far.

And while the events so far have attracted onlookers of all ages, a sizable amount were born after 1997  

Among them were 18-year-old Noah Moon, who was on the dance floor this past February for the Cove's fourth event.

'My mom told me about it - she sent me a video on Instagram,' the teen recalled, after relocating Nashville from Kansas just the day before. 

'That's fire!' fellow founder Shem Rivera reportedly responded.

Meanwhile, the boss of the club's business dealings, Nicholas Oldham, conceded that he was initially skeptical of the venture - and even wondered if it was sacrilegious.

'It sounds oxymoronic — a Christian dance club,' he said of the venue where impassioned dancing often ends with silent prayer.

Attendees of The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, participate in ice breakers and 'get to know you' prompts on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. More than 200 racially and ethnically diverse young clubbers attended The Cove's fourth event

Attendees at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, dance to a mix of Christian rap, hip hop, reggaeton and gospel music on Saturday, February 17

Aaron Dews and Jonathan Diggs place hands Noah Officer as they pray together at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Cove was started last year by seven Black Christian men in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for young adults outside houses of worship

Young clubbers at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, dance together to a mix of Christian rap, hip hop, gospel and reggaeton on Saturday, February 17

The Cove's co-founder Carlton Batts Jr., right, acts as DJ and MC at the Christian nightclub's latest event in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, February 17

Attendees join in a dance line at The Cove, a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. More than 200 racially and ethnically diverse young clubbers attended The Cove's fourth event

One of The Cove's seven co-founders, Aaron Dews, center, takes the spotlight in the center of the dance floor on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Cove is an alcohol free, 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub started by seven friends in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for Christian adults outside houses of worship

One of The Cove's seven co-founders, Aaron Dews, raises his arms in worship after a night of dancing on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Cove is an alcohol free, 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub started by seven friends in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for Christian adults outside houses of worship

Young clubbers sit together at The Cove, an alcohol free, 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub, on Saturday, February 17

Two of The Cove's co-founders, Jonathan Diggs, left, Aaron Dews, center, and their friend Jeremiah Manley, left, eat ice cream at the Diggs' family home on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Cove, an 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub, was started last year by seven friends in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a welcoming space for young adults outside houses of worship

Jonathan Diggs wears a collection of pins on his boots on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, at his family home in Nashville, Tenn. Diggs is one of the founders of The Cove, an 18-and-up, pop-up Christian nightclub

The success of the establishment - which only opens its doors once a month - shines a light on a growing trend among young people, and their quest for meaningful, faith-aligned experiences in settings some might deem untraditional.

It also raises questions about the importance of innovation in religion and how people practice, spurring conversation on how communities can evolve to meet shifting interests of a wide range worshippers.

'Fun is the lure; it's bait,' Oldham, who is in his 40s, went on, before telling AP that what happens on the dance floor 'is so much more than that.'

'What it says for old fogies like me, is that the young are hungry for the word of God.'

'The church isn't the building, and these young people are catching up to that.'

The club, meanwhile, will open its doors once again later this month.