Scotty was a DJ, deeply invested in the rave/party scene of Memphis—until the night a close friend overdosed and died on the dance floor. Greatly affected by this loss, Scotty decided to walk away. But out of that death, God birthed a new vision in Scotty, a desire to establish a redemptive alternative for that community—the Lightclub.
Scotty envisioned a new kind of place where people could connect and experience the joy of music and dance without negative and destructive elements. He wanted to give people an opportunity to experience life, peace, acceptance, and hope—a space where deep authentic relationships could form and where the Spirit of God could move and draw people to himself.
One year ago, Scotty approached Joshua, CRM staff, with this vision for the dance community in Memphis. Joshua recognized God was behind this. “I had been praying that God would connect me to leaders he wanted me to invest in and activate,” he said, “specifically leaders with passion and vision who were unsure about how to make their vision a tangible reality. That was a perfect description of Scotty, and I realized the community he was trying to impact had a unique culture that was traditionally far from the reach of the local church. This was exactly the kind of cross-cultural apostolic leader I was looking to invest in.”
As Joshua started coaching Scotty through the process of launching his vision, the Lightclub was born. Since then they’ve seen God grow it into a thriving community of over 900 people.
Though the club itself is not overtly Christian, there have been countless stories of people joining the Lightclub community and experiencing God and his Kingdom for the first time. Some have begun a journey of asking spiritual questions, learning more about Jesus, and beginning to follow him. Others are stepping away from lifelong addictions and learning to care and be cared for by others in a new kind of community.
It's been truly awe-inspiring to watch God use Scotty and his vision to impact a group of people in such a significant way—many of whom would never think of entering any of the local churches in Memphis.
Scotty has faced many challenges along the way, and many times God has miraculously intervened to help him overcome. The Lightclub has experienced intense spiritual warfare, including demonic manifestations, angry and provocative neighbors harassing the community, and people new to the group trying to sell and take drugs, or get wasted at the events.
Coaching with Joshua has helped Scotty maintain his high energy and passion for what God is doing through the Lightclub, work through the challenges he’s facing, and reach his goals.
Right now Scotty is focusing on discipling 10–12 people in his core leadership team, who in turn are impacting the 30-40 Beacons (volunteers) who have committed to help serve the community. “My CRM coaching sessions have greatly impacted what God is calling me into, acting as a barometer of God’s presence and a constant source of encouragement to keep up the fight,” Scotty shared. “I leave each session with a renewed sense of passion and clearer focus to help me navigate the murky waters of trying to show Jesus in non-traditional ways to the community he’s placed me in.”
The Lightclub is one more example of the exponential movements of God that we long to see as we work to activate innovative leaders into mission. Scotty is not alone in having a big vision to reach a community that’s far from God. In 2015, CRM staff were privileged to equip and mobilize 1,368 emerging leaders, like Scotty. We rejoice in the creativity, courage and faith of these leaders, and the stories of transformation and discipleship that are being written through their lives. Read more about the Lightclub here.