Revelation: New club in town has spirit-filled mission

The newest night club in this area doesn’t have its liquor license or its beer permit - and never will.
The management is just fine with that.

Club Revelation opened Feb. 3 in the former Fairpark Plaza shopping center. The anchor tenant of the strip mall, High Praises Church, is also the owner of the club.

Pastor Jackie Midkiff said opening the facility has been a dream of his for several years. The church, located two doors down from the club, moved from Friendsville to the current East Broadway location in August.

"That was one of the big things. I’ve been wanting to do a club the last three or four years," Midkiff said. "When the Lord allowed us to buy the mall, the door opened where we actually had the space where we could do that.

"It’s actually been in my heart for sometime. We’ve got a real strong youth ministry in our church. I have a teenager, and I see the need for the teens to have a place they can go and hang around and have a good time and not be threatened with all the temptations of the world such as drugs, alcohol and all that kind of stuff."

Midkiff said the business is operated on the premise of a night club. Club Revelation is a place anyone will be welcomed, not just teens.

"Of course we’re going to target that age with the music. We’ll have pool tables, video games and dartboards," he said of the 4,000 square foot space. The club’s regular business hours will be Thursdays 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The club opens at 3 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays to give the customers who are in school a place to do their homework, Midkiff said.

Midkiff said the church didn’t have to do any construction before they opened the club. Members of the congregation did spend several hours cleaning and painting, he said.

"We’re going to be investing probably, just in gaming alone, $5,000 to $6,000 by the time it’s said-and-done just in pool tables and games," Midkiff said. "We already have lights and a P.A. system."

The pastor said there will be a disc jockey part of the time and live entertainment part of the time.

"We also have a bar serving soft drinks, and we will have some refreshments and snacks available as well," he said.

Midkiff said the overall vision of the church and their slogan is to, "Keep the main thing the main thing and that’s the love of Jesus."

"I believe we can have fun," he said. "We have to teach the world you don’t have to sin to have fun. Part of the vision of the church is you can live and not live a sinful lifestyle to have a good time."

Midkiff said another vision for the church he has had since it started was that it would be a multi-cultural church. "Race would not be an issue for people to come or not come," he said. "Since we have been on Broadway, we have seen difference races come and join the church and help us grow the church in different cultures."

The club is being staffed by volunteers.

"Basically, bottom line is, we’re looking forward to Club Revelation being a place where kids of all ages can come together and shoot pool, throw darts, dance and have a good time, and, when they go home, they don’t have to feel guilty."