Your story is safe here

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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

Conquering Chaos | Week 3

September 30, 2026

We keep waiting to feel calm before we believe God is near. But the storm doesn't have to end before order shows up. Order can climb into the boat with us before the waves ever stop—while the wind is still howling and the boat is still taking on water. In Week 3 of Conquering Chaos, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens Mark 4:35–41, where Jesus walks straight into a storm and the wind and waves obey him—because he's the one all of creation has been waiting on the whole time. 📖 Text: Mark 4:35–41 🎯 Name one unresolved situation this week and choose to rest inside it, the way Jesus slept through the storm, instead of white-knuckling it until it's over. About this series: God has been conquering chaos since Genesis 1, and he wants to teach you to do the same in your own life. Over four weeks, we're tracing that fight through some of the most surprising stories in Scripture—a prophet swallowed by a monster, a storm-tossed boat with Jesus asleep in the bottom of it, and a dragon crushed for good at the end of the story. This series shows you how God actually conquers chaos, and what it looks like for you to fight alongside him. #ConqueringChaos #Mark4 #FaithSermon #NextLevelChurch CONNECT WITH US https://www.nextlevelchurch.org/ https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelclt/ https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelCLT