Dr. Denny Dowd, Chairman of the Mission Metroplex^® Board and Tillie Burgin, Executive Director of Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^®, receive the award from Ms. Toni Kincaid (far right) and the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee.

For years now, the Mission Arlington^® family has been honored to partner with the “Arlington Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration committee as they lead and support community efforts celebrating the life & legacy of Dr. King.  This wonderful group of people, led by Ms. Toni Kincaid, have made a significant difference in the life of so many across our community

Dr. Denny Down, Mission Metroplex^® board chair, reads the plaque for the rest of the board who are just outside the range of this picture.

In 2009, Tillie Burgin, our Executive Director, was honored to receive the “Sharing the Dream” award for community service.  For the past couple of years, we have been honored to host this team on the “Day of Service,” providing a central location from which volunteers could fan out across our community to help others in need.  It has been wonderful to watch and to join the efforts of so many.

This past Tuesday night, the MLK Jr. Celebration committee came to the monthly meeting of our board and honored the Mission family with a beautiful plaque which now sits in Tillie’s office.  The plaque honors Mission Arlington^® for our

“partnership with the Arlington MLK ‘Day of Service,’ serving and meeting the needs of others.”

We are grateful for the privilege we have had of walking together through the years. We look forward to many more years of partnership in the future.

A Holy Week

The word sacred means “set apart,” or distinct. In every way, the week leading into Easter Sunday morning was a sacred one.  Here are reports from just a few of the activities which happened last week:

The Easter Store   – 638 people, representing 138 families, received Spring clothes, Easter baskets, and other items for the home and family. Each person heard the Easter story. Four people trusted Christ, and another 18 rededicated their lives to Him;

Youth Service – 218 youth, grades 7 – 12, gathered in Central Arlington to worship, study God’s Word, and to take the Lord’s Supper together.

These youth represent the leadership within Mission Arlington’s Bible studies and congregations. The focus of the evening was on the question from Christ to his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”  After the service, the students enjoyed pizza, and then small group discussions with their Bible study leaders about what they had heard.  With these youth, our future is in good hands;

Easter egg Hunt – Affectionately dubbed the “World’s Largest,” 5,388 children (including their families) attended the hunt.  It was a beautiful day to be outdoors.  After hearing the Easter story, the children enjoyed a gym full of bouncy houses and slides. Free food followed, then six lanes of plastic eggs filled with candy.  Children had a good time with their families, and we were so pleased to be a part.

Easter Sunday – Mission Arlington^® hosts Bible studies and congregations in 354 locations. Thousands of people studied God’s Word and worshiped a Risen Savior in these multiple locations on Easter Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, the leaders of these Bible studies came together to share all that the Lord had done, to study His word, and to pray together.

You made a difference

We are grateful for you and for your constant support, prayers, gifts of time and resources. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our community’s children. It was a great week. We are already looking forward to next year.

Holy Weeks

The past few weeks at Mission Arlington^® have been sacred indeed, because we have seen the Lord show up in so many ways.  Through the first couple of weeks of March, we had 800 students from church groups who came to help.

The third week was strong as well with 600 students from various groups across the nation arriving in town to provide help.  Overall, more than 200 people have accepted Christ, and more than 5,000 students attended a Rainbow Express^® event.  Add to this our weekly basketball leagues, special medical clinics, and the daily ministries of food, clothes, household items, and furniture, you can understand how it feels like these weeks have truly been set apart.

Holy Week

On the other hand, as we move through this coming weekend, we are also entering Holy Week, where, on Palm Sunday, our Lord entered Jerusalem on a donkey to the praise of crowds and the condemnation of religious leaders. He cleansed the Temple on Monday, had intense conversations and various encounters with groups trying to trick or trap him on Tuesday. Later in the week, our Lord taught his disciples, and ate his last meal with them, instituting the Lord’s Supper. Jesus prayed all night at Gethsemane, was illegally tried on Friday morning, and crucified and buried Friday evening.  On the first Easter Sunday,  however, Christ defeated death and walked out of his tomb on the first Easter Sunday morning.

Holy Week at Mission Arlington^®

The Mission family will stay busy through this next week, but it is a different kind of activity. Every activity is designed not just to bless the ones who participate, but to remind them of Easter. Here are some examples:

• The Easter Store – Wednesday & Thursday, March 28th & 29th at Mission Arlington^® from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. It’s a place where families can receive Easter clothes and other items, and it is all free. Everyone who comes will also hear the Easter story; Link HERE for more information; 
• Special Youth Service – On Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., Mission Arlington^® junior high and high school students will gather for a special Maundy Thursday service of worship. They will take the Lord’s Supper and eat a meal together;
• “World’s Largest“ Easter Egg Hunt  – From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the gym and fields at the Lockwood Center.  Everyone who attends this event will alsoFor more information, link HERE.

A Holy Gratitude

All of these events are free of charge, because we are surrounded by a wonderful community of people who pray, and give of their time and resources, so that we can share God’s love throughout our community as fully as possible.  We do thank God for you, and for your support.  We are truly thankful for you. We look forward to walking through this next week together.

For the 12th year in a row, Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^® earns Charity Navigator’s 4-Star distinction.

Toughening Charity Accountability

In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology.  These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders.

On June 1, 2016, the Charity Navigator team upgraded their methodology for rating each charity’s’ financial health with CN 2.1. These enhancements further substantiates the financial health of the four star charities.

In the Top 1 Percent

Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^® , with its commitment to accountability and transparency,  have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.

This is the twelfth consecutive time that the Mission has earned this important distinction, putting us in the “top 1 percent of charities rated nationwide,” according to Michael Thatcher, the President & CEO of Charity Navigator.

Note from the President

Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^®‘s exceptional 4-star rating sets it apart from its peers and demonstrates its trustworthiness to the public,” according to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator. “Only a quarter of charities rated by Charity Navigator receive the distinction of our 4-star rating. This adds Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^® to a preeminent group of charities working to overcome our world’s most pressing challenges.”

We are grateful for you!

We are grateful for this report by accountability partners like Charity Navigator and for your constant, faithful support of the ministry here. For more detailed information about this rating, click here.

Non Profits Smile with Amazon

A few year’s back, the industry giant Amazon created a back channel, a parallel website, designed to support non-profits across the nation. The alternative website was exactly the same as the original, but with one difference.  When customers purchased eligible products from “smile.amazon.com” instead of “amazon.com” the company would forward 0.5 percent of the purchase to the customer-designated, participating non-profit organization.  Many of you have graciously designated Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^® as your non-profit of choice, and subsequently, Amazon has forwarded thousands of dollars to people in need here over the past few years.  We are so grateful for your partnership.

Triple the Benefit

We received a note from the good folks at Amazon Smile this morning telling us that for a period of time, they will be tripling the benefit to the non-profits their customers support.  From March 12th – March 31st, when you support this ministry through eligible purchases on Amazon Smile, Amazon will send 1.5 percent of your first purchase our way, triple the typical benefit.  Through the end of this month, your support will go three times as far!

How to support the work here!

If you haven’t signed on yet to let your everyday purchases through Amazon provide support to the work of Mission Arlington^®, then click this LINK.  Designate Mission Metroplex as your non-profit of choice, then Amazon Smile will do the rest.  When you sign up and use this website to make your every day purchases, we will receive 0.5 percent of the total purchase price.  During the rest of this month, your first purchase will triple that benefit. We are always grateful for your support.

Tillie speaks to 600 students at an outdoor worship service in downtown Arlington Sunday afternoon.

Eight hundred (800) students from multiple church groups across the country have arrived in Arlington to lead Rainbow Express^®. Sunday afternoon, more than 600 of these students gathered to worship outside on the Mission Arlington^® parking lot in the center of Downtown Arlington. When the first note of worship began, the crowd stood to its feet and didn’t sit down until Mission Arlington’s Executive Director, Tillie Burgin, took the microphone.

Joy is evident as students prepare to serve the Lord this week.

Burgin reminded the young people gathered there that the Lord Himself had called them here for a purpose, and challenged them not to be distracted or to forget why they were here.  As the Old Testament leader Joshua was called by the Lord to a high purpose centuries ago, so each person gathered was called to “reach this city for Christ” this week.  The students were reminded that hey will meet needs in Jesus name, and touch the lives of many children and youth across the city.  The students left for their accommodations encouraged to pray as they begin the full week of ministry and Rainbow Express^®.

Young people are excited about worshipping the Lord and sharing His love throughout our city. Keep them in your prayers this week.

On Monday morning, the students will gather to pray and worship again, before receiving instructions and tips about leading Rainbow Express.  Some of these student groups will stay on and around the Mission Arlington^® campus to help with the administration of clothes, food, household items, and furniture.

Please pray with us this week. We are praying for each student group as they share God’s love across our city. We are praying for children and youth across our city as they receive encouragement, and as they hear the good news that God loves them.

We are so grateful for the gift of your time, your resources, and your prayers.

Youth playing basketball with Mission Arlington^®

American teenagers have the reputation for being among the most sedentary in the world, and some studies express concern about the lack of exercise on the weekends.  Other studies remind us of the need that teens have for adult mentors and positive influences in their lives outside of the home. For years, the Mission Arlington^® family has had a special place in its heart for our  community’s teenagers.

Through the past several years, we have also had a growing sports ministry with children & youth – an outreach which includes baseball, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and more.

Our basketball camps start this Saturday, and happen every Saturday morning in March (from 10 to noon) except for the last Saturday in March (31st) when we host our “World’s Largest Egg Hunt.”

In addition to picking up a few basketball skills (dribbling, shooting, passing, etc.), the youth will spend a couple of hours exercising on the basketball court.  They will be having so much fun doing it that they won’t notice, but it is a healthy event which they will experience.

The second positive experience the youth will receive in these camps are personal attention from a Mission Arlington^® mentor, or Bible study leader, plus the volunteer coaches who give their time to help each week.  In fact, not only is this event free, but our Bible study leaders will pick up the students from their homes, and transport them to and from the basketball camps each Saturday morning, so there is absolutely no cost to the student or the family involved.  Another benefit is that the students receive a free t-shirt donated by the community just for them.

We are excited about the advent of these basketball leagues which begin this Saturday. Please keep these young people in your prayers as the month moves forward. Thank you so much.

Rainbow Express^® in action at a central Arlington location – using puppets to teach God’s Word.

Despite the cold weather, things are beginning to heat up here at Mission Arlington^®.  March is just around the corner, and Rainbow Express^® is drawing near. Several from our team have been getting ready.

Crafts are being prepared, T-shirts have been ordered, and communication is happening every day with team leaders from student groups who are coming our way. More than 560 students will be here for Arlington’s Spring Break, and over 1,000 students will be here through the month of March alone.

Rainbow Express^® is our version of a back yard Bible club. Children & youth gather right where they live to participate in games, crafts, music, snacks, silly songs, and stories from God’s word. Beginning the first week of March, student groups from across the state and around the nation will spread out across our community to share God’s love with children and youth. In 2017 4,435 students from 169 different groups came to our community to lead Rainbow Express^®. These students came from eleven different states and 48 different Texas cities.

Summer Missionary teaching at Rainbow Express^®

So, what were the results?  We hosted Rainbow Express^® in 404 locations last year, and a total of 27,659 students joined the fun.  When Rainbow Express^® concluded at the end of last summer, 977 children & youth had accepted Christ.  Along the way there were hugs of joy, many prayers, and transformed lives of students here and also student volunteers who come to serve from all across the state and the nation.  You can understand why we are pretty excited about what’s to come.

Please join us in prayer for this next week and through the weeks of the Spring, so that children and youth in our community can experience God’s love, and grow deeper in their faith journey.  If you are interested in bringing a team to serve, call 817-277-6620 and ask for a groups coordinator. Heather or Jason will return your call. Or, you can drop them a note. We are excited about the immanent start of this ministry, and we are so grateful for your constant support and prayers.

We’ll keep you posted!

Would you help us spread the word?

Mission Arlington^® is still here at 210 W. South Street, and in full operation.

We are open every day, despite ongoing construction around us.

Mission Arlington^® Remains Open

We have received many calls of concern asking about the ministry during this period of construction by our neighbors.  It is important to us that you know that every part of our ministry is in full operation.  Every door is open for you, and for our guests in need.

More than 650 people, six days each week, receive assistance from our front room. By conviction, through three decades, we have never closed our doors to people going through some of their most difficult moments.

They need us to be here to help, and we want to be here for them. We have also promised you that we will be here for the people, so you can have confidence that we will be open to meet people’s needs.

You can still drop-off your donations, and we will help!

You can drop-off your donations of food, clothes, and furniture in the same place — and in the same way — you always have.

We will help you unload your vehicles, and we now have a shuttle to help you get to and from your parking place. Thank you so much for your constant support! Please contact us at 817-277-6620 to let us know how we can help!

You mean so much to us!

Thank you so much for all you do to provide for the people who come through our front door every day!  You are making a difference in the lives of real people in need.

College students having fun while serving at Mission Arlington^®.

It’s true. We love what we get to do here every day. From time to time, people express their appreciation by telling us that they “don’t know how we do what we do.”  We appreciate the affirmation, and we truly value the support, but what we get to do every day is fun, and it brings us joy and a sense of satisfaction.

We receive your gifts!

First, we get to work with you.  Day after day, you bring in your donations of food, clothes, household items, and furniture. You are so fulfilled in giving, gracious, and warm as you provide for others. Even though we make it possible for you to stay in your car when you give, most of the time, you are up and out, expressing gratitude to us while you help us unload your vehicle.  Add to this the kind of things you bring – not your leftovers, but the kind of supplies you think people might need. Many times, you have purchased the items in order to provide them.  Sometimes, we receive birthday gifts from children who want the gifts to come to Mission Arlington’s children, instead of to themselves. We are so humbled, blessed, and touched by the way you give.  We love what we do!

College Students from a group called CRU – Destino, serving at Mission Arlington this January.

We work alongside of you!

Second, Every day this community shows up. Sometimes, volunteers are young children – enthusiastic and energetic. Other times, it is a group of senior citizens giving their time to make a difference.  People come on their own, with friends, their civic club, school, church and/or business community. They come by themselves or in large groups. Some come for a day, and others stay for a week.  Volunteers come in all sizes, shapes, and forms, but each one brings their own sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference here. Every day of every week of every month of the year, we work alongside of one of the most generous, self-sacrificing communities imaginable.  We fold clothes, sort food, lift couches, and love people – one life at a time, all so that people in a moment of crisis can receive the help they need to be ok.  We value working together, and we love what we do!

We see changed lives!

Finally, we know that what we do here makes a difference, because we hear it in the voices of those expressing gratitude, and we read it in the notes they send almost every day. Earlier this month, we received the following public review from someone named Robin.

Mission Arlington^® is a Godsend. They have helped me with my utility bills, clothes, diapers and a bit of food. Utility help once a year, food and other services everyday. They even have little birthday parties for little kiddos. They pray for you too. Which sometimes you need to hear someone pray/wish you a better situation. I give back whenever I can.

In 2017, an average of 653 people came through our front doors for help every day. We watch people receive food, clothing, healthcare support, and so much more. We see the tears, hear the expression of thanks, and feel the sweet hugs.  We love the privilege we have of being here every day to serve our Lord, and to help the people.

Thank you so much for walking this journey with us day after day.  We really do love what we do!