4 minute read
On a Mission
Polar Opposites
Family. Missions. Ministry. Three words that seem to sum up the priorities of Lamar and Schnequa Pinkett.
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The Pinketts, who have a 13-year-old son, Trey, and a 9-year-old daughter, Kennedy, describe themselves as polar opposites. Lamar is the introverted “homebody” who prefers watching movies and sports. Schnequa is the extrovert who loves to travel, never misses her kids’ activities, and describes herself as “authentic.”
But when you see how the couple, who have been married for a decade, interact and describe their love for their family, their church, and reaching people for Christ, their differences aren’t as pronounced.
A Shared Passion
As a couple, Lamar and Schnequa have served on four mission trips to Bolivia, Guatemala, Ghana and Germany. In addition, their kids have accompanied them on two other mission trips to Guatemala and Vancouver. This year, Schnequa recently returned from a mission trip with the FBC Midlothian's Women’s Ministry to Vancouver.
but emphasized that even though it’s a commandment, it’s not necessarily easy for everyone. "I'll say that initially it was very difficult for me, but as I’ve done it more and more, I increase my amount of outreach. It has become much easier now. I just feel that it’s required of us, to be a follower of Jesus. So, it really wasn’t that difficult after the initial one or two times.”
The Pinketts’ mission work has taken them across the globe and given them the opportunity to share the Word with people from vastly different cultures.
“When we go to Germany or Vancouver, they have more money than I do,” Schnequa said.
You see people who are more concerned about where they live and what they drive, and they don’t even know what a Bible is. So at least when we go to Africa, they’re praising Jesus and shouting, they just can’t eat or drink. To see both cultures, it’s very mind boggling.”
But Lamar reiterated that people in third-world countries do have what he calls a great need for outreach from the church.
“For the majority of the world, just access to clean water is a big deal,” Lamar said. “And that’s something that we don’t even think twice about. Where your next meal is going to come from is such a big deal. We both attached ourselves to missions outside the US, especially in third-world countries. And I know you can serve anywhere, but there’s just such a greater need.”
Mission Field at Home
Mission work doesn’t stop for Lamar and Schnequa when they’re home in Midlothian. Schnequa is involved in women’s ministry and volunteers in childcare. Lamar works with the men’s ministry and on the church security team. Together, they are in the marriage ministry and lead a Re-Engage group.
They also make sure their kids are involved with ministries at home. As a family, the Pinketts serve at Ronald McDonald House, Manna House in Midlothian, and they go to Dallas to pass out fruit, water and toiletries to people in need. The need for Trey and Kennedy to “feel like their spirits’ [are] getting fed,” was a main reason Lamar felt drawn to FBC Midlothian in the first place.
“That’s huge to me to ensure that my kids have a relationship with the Lord and that they have the ability to guide them through that process,” Lamar said.
Living and Loving Like Jesus
It can be daunting for some to reach out to strangers, whether at home or on foreign mission trips. It may surprise those who meet Schnequa, but it was the same for her at first. However, she explained that once she “learned to have a relationship with Jesus, it’s like God directed me into His path. And it’s in the Word too, so I honor it, but I was actually good at it. Serving just comes natural for me.
“I’m not afraid to talk to people, so I’ll just go up. Normally it just starts as a regular conversation, then it just leads to more. (“She’s very good at that,” Lamar inserted) And I like going to other places too, and I like learning about other people. I learn about their culture, I learn how to connect with them. So then, I can share the Gospel.”
Living and loving like Jesus is a priority for the Pinketts. “For me, it’s not about what you say, it’s
how you act,” Schnequa said. “So when you’re out in the community, it’s just doing the things that God wants us to do. And truly loving people who aren’t like you.”
Lamar added that it’s important to “walk out your faith every day,” not just on Sundays.
“It’s about focusing on being intentional,” he said. “[The Bible] is very clear on how we should act and how we should conduct ourselves as Christians and living that out. But you really have to put your mind to it, not just be a Sunday or a one-day-a-week Christian.”
Schnequa admits that the work they are committed to doing is not always easy and it can cause burnout in some, but her strategy for pushing through is key to her drive.
“I have to continue to pray about it and ask God to help me to be able to do it,” she said, “Because I know I can’t do it by myself.”
