SON was launched in January of 1999, by a group of concerned local Church Pastors, Ministry & Workplace Leaders that wanted to respond to the Y2K transition with a united balance strategy of Prayer and Service. Later that year, as SON developed various resources and encouraged believers to be about Serving Our Neighbors in any national crisis, natural disaster or emergency situation, it was featured in various local and national media. After Y2K & 9/11, SON developed key Partnerships to encourage believers to participate in various prayer events focused on our community, (i.e., National Day of Prayer, Global Day of Prayer, See You At The Pole, etc.) as well as several service opportunities with (i.e., Portland Police Department, & Community Care Day at Portland's Public Schools, etc.). In 2006, SON partnered with the Portland Office of Emergency Management and became a part of the Portland Citizen Corps Council. In 2007, SON hosted a series of three Greater Portland Prayer Coalition Gatherings and partnered with the Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement and Reaching America (wherein churches can make contact with their new neighbors each month).
Throughout 2008, the SON initiative provided extensive prayer coverage for Portland CityFest & its Season of Service and utilized the Ning Social Networks to develop the infrastructure for Believers to begin to connect with other Believers (who they may or may not yet know) in their Neighborhoods (where they live & raise their families), in their Schools (where their families learn & grow together with other families) &/or in the Worklife (where they earn a living & interact with their community) and have immediate access to the “official” website for every neighborhood (in every city &/or community), every school (public &/or private), every workplace area (local Chambers of Commerce &/or Business Associations) throughout the entire greater Portland/Vancouver metro area, as well as ongoing community-wide Prayer Campaigns & Service Campaigns that are currently being conducted by established community-service organizations. In 2010, the SON initiative established a partnership with the former Christian Chamber of Commerce of the Northwest to begin mobilizing marketplace leaders to Connect, Learn, Grow, Save & Engage with strategic city-wide events (Marketplace Summit) and processes to better our communities.
Today, SON is composed of Church Pastors, Ministry Directors and Christian Business & Community Leaders that are working together to help their congregations, constituents & customers “pray for” and “serve” others in their neighborhoods, schools and worklife (and thus facilitate on a personal level the “prayer, care, share” model that Jesus demonstrated for us), while not being a threat to local government, social service agencies & community-service organizations. SON also facilitates and encourages leaders to learn more about and personally support (with their Time, Talent & Treasure) various marketplace leaders & organizations (Need Help? Directory) that are working together to transform the Seven Majors Spheres of Influence that shape & control our society & culture (Faith, Family, Business, Government, Education, Media & Entertainment) and Those Who Have No Voice.
Throughout 2008, the SON initiative provided extensive prayer coverage for Portland CityFest & its Season of Service and utilized the Ning Social Networks to develop the infrastructure for Believers to begin to connect with other Believers (who they may or may not yet know) in their Neighborhoods (where they live & raise their families), in their Schools (where their families learn & grow together with other families) &/or in the Worklife (where they earn a living & interact with their community) and have immediate access to the “official” website for every neighborhood (in every city &/or community), every school (public &/or private), every workplace area (local Chambers of Commerce &/or Business Associations) throughout the entire greater Portland/Vancouver metro area, as well as ongoing community-wide Prayer Campaigns & Service Campaigns that are currently being conducted by established community-service organizations. In 2010, the SON initiative established a partnership with the former Christian Chamber of Commerce of the Northwest to begin mobilizing marketplace leaders to Connect, Learn, Grow, Save & Engage with strategic city-wide events (Marketplace Summit) and processes to better our communities.
Today, SON is composed of Church Pastors, Ministry Directors and Christian Business & Community Leaders that are working together to help their congregations, constituents & customers “pray for” and “serve” others in their neighborhoods, schools and worklife (and thus facilitate on a personal level the “prayer, care, share” model that Jesus demonstrated for us), while not being a threat to local government, social service agencies & community-service organizations. SON also facilitates and encourages leaders to learn more about and personally support (with their Time, Talent & Treasure) various marketplace leaders & organizations (Need Help? Directory) that are working together to transform the Seven Majors Spheres of Influence that shape & control our society & culture (Faith, Family, Business, Government, Education, Media & Entertainment) and Those Who Have No Voice.