SOMERSWORTH — Four years ago, Next Level Church opened its doors to congregants with the mission of inviting in people who did not feel they could relate to traditional churches.

The church began meeting at Dover High School and then moved to Regal Cinemas in Newington, where two “experiences” are held each Sunday. Soon the seats were full, and the church branched out to satellite locations in Portland, Maine, and Danvers, Mass.

Last week, the church announced that it would also add an Epping location when O’Neill Cinemas opens later this fall.

The church’s message has always been that location does not matter, but its leaders and members still hoped to find a place to call their own.

In April, the church purchased a property in Somersworth across from the Oaks Country Club and a stone’s throw from the Rochester line. Now it is raising capital to transform the former auto body shop into a unique and inviting church.

“We grew rapidly at the Newington location and looked at where people are coming from and where we could have the most influence,” Pastor Roman Archer said of the new location.

The church currently has about 1,500 congregants, many of whom travel from the Rochester area, he said. The renderings of the new Next Level Church show a bright, lime-green façade and two side entrances leading into an open lobby and a large auditorium that should be able to fit about 400 people.

The building will feature exposed ceilings and lots of glass, designed to make the space feel open and inviting. There will also be dedicated children’s spaces, and the church’s coffee shop, Café Kaleo, which has been located in Dover, will also move to the new space.

The music at Next Level Church is upbeat, and Next Level uses technology much more than is often seen in traditional churches.

Experiences conducted by Josh Rogers, the church’s lead pastor, are broadcast live to the satellite locations. Archer said the church uses modern-day songs to present a message and make it relatable to congregants. He said Next Level is still very fundamental in terms of beliefs; it is the church’s approach that is unique.

“People don’t have a problem with God as much as they have a problem with the church. We have a simple mission to love people far from God and to move them closer to a life in Christ,” Archer said. “Everything we do moves toward that vision.”

Archer said having the new building is a blessing. At the theater, they have to be in and out at certain times, but in their own space, they will be able to add experiences as needed and spend more one-on-one time with congregants.

Official construction on the building is planned to start within the next week or so. The total footprint of the building will be about 14,000 square feet. Archer estimates the construction costs at about $500,000, and the church is working to raise much of the money through fundraisers and donations from congregants.

“A lot is coming in through the generosity of our church members that believe in what we’re doing and whose lives have changed,” Archer said.

Next Level Church hopes to have 20 locations by 2020, and hopes to officially open the Somersworth location by next Easter.

gmacalaster@newstote.com