Your story is safe here

Start Here

However you got here, you belong

If you're looking for a welcoming church in Matthews, NC — a place where you can come as you are and bring your questions — we'd love to meet you this Sunday.

Plan a Visit

Know exactly what to expect before you walk in the door — and we'll save you a seat.

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NLC Kids

Safe, age-appropriate environments for infants through 5th grade every Sunday.

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Events

Gatherings, serve days, and nights of worship — see what's coming up next.

Community

Our Mission

To raise the reputation of Jesus where we live, work, and play

What we want for every person

To live a rich and satisfying life through Jesus

About Next Level

Lead Pastor

Clay Monkus

“Your story is safe here.”

Clay is the lead pastor of Next Level Church. He holds a B.A. in Pastoral Leadership from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He and his wife Jody have been married for 32 years and have three young adult children.

Clay's approach to faith is simple: take the life and teachings of Jesus seriously, but not religiously. He pushes back on faith becoming something that sits in the background of a life without ever touching it, and he champions a culture at Next Level where questions are welcome and no one has to pretend they have it all figured out.

He writes and teaches for the people who feel like they are on the outside looking in, for the ones who have tried church and found it hollow, and for the ones sitting in the middle of it wondering why it doesn't feel like they thought it would.

Meet the team

Watch

Latest Message

Sacred Rhythms Week 3 Video Version

October 28, 2026

Most of us pray the same five-sentence prayer we learned as kids. Or we stopped praying because it felt like talking to the ceiling. We’re not sure if it works. We’re not sure anyone’s listening. In Week 3 of Sacred Rhythms: Practices for a Life That Works, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus shows that prayer isn’t a religious duty. It’s the primary way we stay connected to Jesus. You’ll leave with a fresh vision of prayer as conversation, and a simple framework for making it the anchor of your day rather than a last resort. About this series: We live in a culture of constant noise, endless demands, and spiritual exhaustion. We believe the right things but somehow aren’t becoming different people. This series reclaims what Jesus’ earliest apprentices knew: transformation isn’t accidental, it’s practiced. Over six weeks, we’ll build the rhythms that make a life with God actually work. #SacredRhythms #Prayer #Fasting #FaithSermon #NextLevelChurch CONNECT WITH US https://www.nextlevelchurch.org/ https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelclt/ https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelCLT