
September 13th - October 4th
CURRENT SERMON SERIES: Conquering Chaos
This series shows you how God actually conquers chaos, and what it looks like for you to fight alongside him.
Sundays at 10:00 AM · Matthews, NC
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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.
Our Mission

Lead Pastor
“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.
Watch
September 16, 2026
Your life probably doesn't feel like it's falling apart. It just feels like too much at once—a schedule with no breathing room, a relationship that keeps circling the same fight, a habit you can't seem to shake no matter how many times you've tried. That's chaos, and most of us have just learned to live inside it. In Week 1 of our new series Conquering Chaos, Lead Pastor Clay Monkus opens Genesis 1:1–2:3 to show that God's first move was turning mess into order—and that's still exactly how he works today. 📖 Text: Genesis 1:1–2:3 🎯 Pick one area of disorder—a schedule or a habit—and put a real sequence back into it this week, before assuming you just need to relax more. 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 #Genesis #FaithSermon #NextLevelChurch CONNECT WITH US https://www.nextlevelchurch.org/ https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelclt/ https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelCLT
What's Coming Up

September 13th - October 4th
This series shows you how God actually conquers chaos, and what it looks like for you to fight alongside him.

Begins September 30th
6:30-8:30p Main Building Lobby
A five-week small group experience featuring short teachings, honest conversations, prayer, and genuine community.
Sign-Up
September 20th
Following The 10:00 AM Service Main Auditorium
If you are new (or newish) to Next Level, Next Steps is an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and meet our Lead Pastor and some of our leadership.
More Info
September 25
6:30–8:30 PM Back Church Parking Lot
We’ll have grilled hot dogs and chips, s’mores kits for the fire, music, and plenty of fun for the kids. Bring your own drinks and camp chairs, and come ready to meet some great people in our community.
Let Us Know You Are Coming
October 4th
Following Service Student Building

September 11, 2026
The first in a series on what we're building at NLC — and why we talk about formation instead of programs.

September 11, 2026
You do not have to clean yourself up or explain your past before you belong. At Next Level Church, you can come exactly as you are.

April 3, 2026
If you're sitting in uncertainty today — about faith, about God, about whether any of it is real — you're in better company than you think. The disciples weren't ready either. A short read for anyone
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