Contact:
Robert Andrescik
Director of Communications
Northland, A Church Distributed
Direct: (407) 949-7147
Mobile: (407) 923-4440
robert.andrescik@northlandchurch.net
Wednesday, October 15, 2008

After more than 10,000 miles across 19 states in four months, Dana Kobosky has reached the end of the road.

Dana, 33, set off on the ultimate road trip last spring that included both the Interstate and the Information Superhighway. As she traveled America, Dana visited folks who worship via InSite, Northland Church’s live, online worship experience.

“I was already wanting to drive, hike and camp my way across the U.S., and this just seemed like a perfect fit,” she explains. “I spent some time praying about it, and next thing I knew, my house sold. I was ready to roll.”

Dana left Orlando April 15 and completed her journey around the end of August. She visited eight different worship sites across the country.

So what is it like worshiping at someone’s home?

“I absolutely love worshiping and being physically present in a sanctuary, but there is something equally special about worshiping with an individual or a small group together on the Web. It is very personal and, to my surprise, an intimate experience.”

Dana says that Web worshipers participate in church services just as if they were in a church building—communion, prayer, even singing along with the music. “The big exception would be singing when you’re worshiping somewhere like Starbucks,” she jokes.

Northland has been webcasting its services since January 2006. But in March 2008, the church launched an upgraded version called “InSite.” Through this innovative Web-based application, worshipers are not only able to participate in services via live online video, they now have many new ways to interact with the church and with one another.

A robust set of features includes immediate access to an online pastor and the ability to chat instantly with other worshipers and to save them to a list of “favorite sites” (similar to the “buddy list” system in instant messaging programs).

Each weekend, worshipers at more than 1,000 sites around the world use InSite, bringing the church into homes, military bases, offices and other locations. (A “site” may encompass one or two individuals gathered at home or dozens of people gathered for worship.)

InSite can be utilized by people throughout the world who don’t currently have a church home. This is in keeping with Northland’s “church distributed” philosophy, which arranges itself around the relationships of congregants and partners, rather than around a physical church building.

Webstream Worship also benefits Northlanders locally—the family that has a sick child or the businessman who is traveling—who can engage fully in community worship through InSite.

In addition, InSite may prove useful to the burgeoning house church movement in America. According to a study by The Barna Group, 9% of adults attend a house church during a typical week. “That is remarkable growth in the past decade, shooting up from just 1% to near double-digit involvement. In total, one out of five adults attends a house church at least once a month,” Barna reports.

This is a trend that Dana Kobosky experienced first-hand.

“I visited with people who are inviting family, friends and neighbors to join them in worship online, even if they aren’t able to worship in the same room or the same geographical location,” she says. “They ‘meet’ online for worship, and then talk together afterwards about the service. Some Web worshipers are even looking into hosting home churches. These folks are making connections and building relationships in some truly unique ways.”

The Bible talks about “not forsaking our own assembling together” (Hebrews 10:23-25). Is this really possible when you’re worshiping online?

“Absolutely! I am sure there are people out there who use Web worship as a way to avoid having to interact with people—just like there are people who physically come to church, sit in a pew and never actually get involved. The important thing is that they showed up, and that is a great place to start.”

InSite is available at www.northlandchurch.net and requires a quick registration before the first use.

Started by 11 people in 1972 in the “north land” of Orlando, Northland is listed among the Top 100 largest and fastest-growing Churches in America. Since June 1985, Dr. Joel C. Hunter has served as senior pastor.

During his tenure, the church has grown from 200 faithful souls to a congregation of 12,000 that worships at several physical sites throughout Central Florida and at hundreds of “virtual” sites around the world.
For more information about Northland Church or InSite, contact Robert Andrescik at robert.andrescik@northlandchurch.net or 407-949-7147.

TRAVEL MANIFEST
Name: Dana Kobosky
Car: 2007 Jeep Compass
Traveling companions: Yazoo, six-year-old female lab/cattle dog mix; and Buddy, a two-year-old male lab mix
Distance traveled: 10,300 miles in four months
No. of states driven through: 19
Most boring state to drive through: “Nevada!”
No. of Northland sites visited: Eight families/individuals in six different homes … and one worshiper at Starbucks
No. of traffic tickets: Zero (“Thank you, Lord!”)
No. of visits to Starbucks: “Enough that I could have bought one if I had saved the money instead!”