Thanks Google!

Christmas is almost here and I admit to being challenged. It's not about ....

• the schedule
• the gifts
• the lack of ...
• other people who irritate me
• preparations
• expectations

It really is about how I have been challenged by the Word of God. 

Earlier this fall I considered getting a devotional or finding my old one pertaining specifically to the birth of Jesus Christ. I procrastinated! Then I thought I would/could write one. I procrastinated again! 

God had it controlled all the time. He used my regular daily devotional material to point to the need of a savior, to His birth, various aspects of it and why it was needed.

Then 2 days in a row I asked Google to play some soft Christmas music. Both days it played soft Christian music and both days it spoke to me in areas right where I needed it. 

I am so thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ. I am overwhelmed by the birth of a child to accomplish forgiveness and more for the world. I have hope because of the birth. I have a new way of thinking and living because of the birth. 

Thank you Google for pointing my thoughts to the child born to be my savior and why He came.

I realize it's been awhile since I have been on here. Life takes different twists and turns and moves on whether we like it or not.

I am going to try and be more diligent to writing what God puts before me. I often have ideas and thoughts and share them with Mike and friends and they never make it to print.

May I be obedient and you pray with me for such obedience.

“The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind --- 

Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be 

one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that, 

in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave the, So 

they’ll be unified and together as we are ---”

John 17:21-23

Excitement!

We are excited to see what God is doing and happy to join Him. Plans have been formulated to lead Be One Together forward and are truly thankful for this new ministry direction. God has lead volunteers to minister with us in the handling of finances, opening mail, making deposits, etc. We are thankful for them.

Ethnic Ministries Summit – Be One Together was an exhibitor at the Summit in April providing opportunity for many conversations in the Chicago area.

While in Chicago we met with a missionary from Ethiopia to the Chicago area. He offered to share his wisdom in moving forward.

Ethnic America Network – received Be One Together as a member agency during their April meeting. We are thankful to be a part of this network and in ministry with them.

Orientation scheduled – The first missionary orientation is scheduled for the second weekend in August. Our next letter will introduce you to the new missionaries. We are excited to see God’s leading.

Training -- Rome Community Church, Bellingham, WA and InFaith missionaries Gerry and Ed Tyas invited us to participate in their training program for those involved in their agricultural housing outreach ministry. This was a ministry we helped initiate while living in the Northwest and were delighted to participate.

CONNEXT 2013

We have the opportunity to exhibit and network at the Connext Conference which is a gathering of South Asian Christian leaders, August 1-3, 2013, in Chicagoland. Please pray for the needed funds to cover this conference.

Why a new ministry?

Simply put -- we responded in obedience to the Lord’s call on our life. The past couple of years God began stirring our hearts and last year cemented what He had for us. During our time of research we investigated whether there were other agencies which were intentionally multi-ethnic. We also desired to minister with those trained for ministry under a mission banner which validates their ministry. You may be wondering about the Caucasians/Anglos. They are included as well since each person has their own ethnicity.

Those ministering with us will become missionary members by following an application process; attend orientation, establishing accountability systems, goals, etc.

We are excited about the new paradigm. With 400+ people groups in the U.S., we are excited about reaching the world.

The mission of Be One Together is to engage

all cultures by making God’s Word real

through collaboration

in outreach, discipleship, and mobilization.

The term “unengaged” is a recent label developed to assist with our Great Commission task. According to Global Research, a people group is described as unengaged “when there is no church planting methodology consistent with Evangelical faith and practice under way. A people group is not engaged when it has been merely adopted, is the object of focused prayer, or is part of an advocacy strategy.”

This helpful term assists with distinguishing between an unreached people group (less than 2 % evangelical) and an unreached people group that does not have any team working among them. – JD Payne

How You Can Get Involved

• Praying for us and for the ministry of Be One Together
• Contributing financially to:
• Operations funds for Be One Together
• Pinkerton financial support
• Sharing with others about the ministry.

Donations may be sent to:

Be One Together

PO Box 112 

225 Main St, #112 

Hiram, GA 30141

Or give online at: www.beonetogether.com

“The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind --- Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave the, So they’ll be unified and together as we are ---”

John 17:21-23

Following God’s call

And the passion He has given us.

On March 1 we transitioned to a new ministry. We desire to see ministry with and to all cultures and people groups with the Word of God, people discipled, involved in church and reaching others for Christ by being mobilized.

After spending a year in prayer before the Lord we joined together with Voltaire and Tina Cacal to form a new ministry focusing on being intentionally multi-ethnic where I will serve as the Ministry Leader. Check out the website: www.beonetogether.com.

The mission statement reads,

The mission of Be One Together is to engage

all cultures by making God’s Word real

through collaboration

in outreach, discipleship, and mobilization.

Newbie

I wanted to write and give you an update from the newbie position. Mike and I so appreciate your prayers for us this past week.

My surgery went well and pathology came back yesterday, Friday, with good news. The cancer was not evident in the lymph nodes they removed along with a 1.3 centimeter very aggressively growing cancerous spot.

Friday was a very long 7½ hour day not including driving in the doctor’s office and the cancer center with no lunch. After much discussion which included taking out the newly placed balloon and putting a different device in, they decided to proceed with the one in place. They believe there is 1 lumen which sufficiently will carry the radiation seed to the site. I am asking you to pray the radiation goes smoothly this next week.

I will be having radiation at 8:40 AM and 2:40 PM daily at the cancer center in Marietta, GA. The radiation itself is not supposed to tire a person out but most patients report become extremely exhausted by the end of the week. Your sustaining prayers will be appreciated.

Now to the newbie report as I began this letter to you. At the cancer center there is a row of stalls where one changes and prepares for their treatment after which you take your seat as you wait to be called. Lady after lady would come in receive treatment and then depart. Each lady would greet the others and it is obvious some of them have been traveling this road together for a few weeks (regular radiation is about 7 weeks long). Almost every lady commented I must be new and just starting. Like did it show and shout from every pore that I was new to this??? It must have.

So this newbie reports to you that I am doing well.

• Am I moody? Mike would say so. The only cause is being post-operative. Pray for me in this regard :)
• Am I improving and recovering? We both say yes.
• I am reading a book loaned to me by a church friend on fear. Do not think I have been fearful but would not say I haven’t been either so enjoy reading it.
• We were invited out for Easter and I chose not to go. Knowing next week can be exhausting I am choosing to rest in advance and be ready bright and early Monday morning.

Thank you again so much for your prayers and messages which both of us appreciate. Blessings be upon you and your household as you prepare for celebrating the day of resurrection tomorrow. I believe this to be the most important day to celebrate on the Christian calendar and praise God I have a risen savior in Jesus Christ with whom I will spend eternity.

Mary

Dear Friends
Tomorrow is the big day when Mary will have surgery for breast cancer. It was delayed from the earlier date since they found a lump in one of Mary’s lungs. That spot turned out to be a calcified granuloma caused from a fungus.

Many of asked how she feels. She feels fine and has been just as active as ever and with the Ethnic Ministries Summit beginning April 19 she has had many conference calls and emails related to the summit.

We ask prayer for the doctors involved and God’s directing them during the various procedures which will take place. Here is the schedule:

Tuesday 9:15 AM report to imaging center for the dye to be put in.
11:30 surgery
Later home
Wednesday 11:15 AM have surgical site checked
Thursday 2:30 PM surgeon apt
Friday 9:30 AM in office procedure to insert the balloon through which she will receive radiation. Pray this goes in correctly. If the balloon does not work correctly she will have radiation 5 days a week for 7 weeks. This way she will have radiation 2 times a day for 5 days.
Midday CT-scan with radiation oncologist in preparation
Monday April 9 begins radiation
Monday April 16 appt. with oncologist to begin the 5 year treatment.

A poem sent to her by a lady in one of our supporting churches says:

I Lifted You in Prayer

I talked with God this morning
And lifted you in prayer
I knew you were weighted down with
Much heartache, pain and care.

I knew you faced decisions
So hard for you to make,
I asked God would guide you
And show the road to take.

I asked for God to touch you
And take your pain away
Be it His will, or give you
Strength to endure each day.

Thank you all so much for praying.

Mike

We said No but God said Yes!

Fall, 2011

Dear Friends

Our thoughts now turn to traditional family celebrations during the holidays. What would your new traditions be if you were a new immigrant? This is the perfect time to reach out to internationals living and working in your community and talk about the holidays from a Godly perspective.

Serving in intercultural ministry through InFaith (AMF) we have been involved in reaching the 1st and 2nd generations of immigrants which match the focus of Ethnic America Network (EAN). We would like to share with you how the ministry of EAN has directly impacted our ministry.

EAN functions as a ministry of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College which conducts Ethnic Ministries Summits and Regional Conferences held in various locations around the country and is where our lives intersected with EAN.

We said NO but God said YES!

Prior to the first summit in April, 2001, we received the promotional mailing and tossed it. The second mailing arrived; we considered the cost and decided financially we could not afford it. While visiting a friend he handed us a check for the exact amount needed.

God said YES!

During a plenary session we remember looking at each other with tears in our eyes (OK, Mike does not cry … his eyes sweat!) This summit directly changed our ministry and resulting in Mike’s attendance at each subsequent summits.

In 2004 we joined the Seattle 2007 planning team not knowing the following year we would move to Georgia. We called in for meetings and encouraged the Seattle team. When Mary was approached in 2006 to become the co-chair for the summit …

We said NO but God said YES!

We continued to pray and after talking with the chairman Garrick Pang we said yes to God. Mary commuted 10 times across the country in her role. She enjoyed networking with believers from communities around the world.

On the night featuring reconciliation the choir consisted of Ethiopians and Eritreans together praising the Lord. In Africa these people traditionally would have been at war with each other. It provided a true picture of the reconciliation God can work in people’s lives.

After the summit, as Mary came up for air, she realized the manual for conducting a summit should be improved and undertook this in her spare time. She continues to work on the manual and hopes to have it finished soon.

She also became InFaith’s representative to serve on the national EAN committee. As the committee looked for mentors to guide future summit leaders she became the mentor for administrators and chairmen leading the mentor team.

Last year EAN director Dr. Chandler H. Im announced the Network was looking for an Events Coordinator. The coordinator would need to be located in either Chicago or near Atlanta. We prayerfully considered this ministry for Mary knowing it would be a volunteer position and we sought counsel from other EAN members.

We said NO!

In May, while in Chicago to have an area fellowship for InFaith missionaries under our care, we visited with Dr. Im at the Billy Graham Center. We talked about the position and …

We said NO but God said YES!

In June, she was confirmed by the national EAN committee as the events coordinator. Her work with future summits and regional conferences is more involved than ever. You may ask why Mary would add more to her plate in a non-salaried position. Simply put -- God asked us to. The 2012 summit will be held in Spartanburg, SC.

www.interculturalnetworkcarolina.org

“70% of children under the age of 10 are children of color.”
Dr. Stan Perea at the 2011 Multi-Ethnic Conference
in Denver


We believe God is allowing the faces of America to change. Our nation is changing as God provides opportunity not only to send missionaries abroad to reach the world for Him but also to reach their new neighbors which in turn will impact the world for Christ.

Please pray for us as we reach the nations for Christ in America.

Mike and Mary Pinkerton

Ps – a one-time gift to our work fund will help meet ministry expenses.