Patient receiving a hearing aid, free of charge, through the ministry of Mission Arlington’s Medical Clinic, and our partners and friends.

What would it be like to experience hearing loss, but not have the means to get help?

In partnership with our Medical Clinic, and “Hearing the Call,” audiologists, ENT doctors, and other helping professionals screened hearing-impaired adults in our community during the month of April.

Fifty-Five (55) people were able to receive hearing aids.

It was such a blessing to watch people receive the help they needed to begin hearing again.

We are so appreciative of the many health professionals who volunteer in our Medical Clinic to provide assistance to people experiencing health concerns.

The Medical Clinic team experienced over 11,000 office visits in 2022. What a blessing it is to be able to serve our community together.

We are so grateful for you, and for the constant support of this community.

The Saturday before Easter, April 8th, was such a beautiful day for an Easter Egg Hunt.  Three thousand, three hundred thirty (3,330) children came with their families to enjoy the fun.

What a great day!

Mission Arlington^® Bible study leaders arrive early to get in buses, so that they can pick up children all over town to bring them to the egg hunt.  Families from across our community found their way to this FREE & FUN way to spend time with the kids, grandkids, neices & nephews.  Families were laughing, walking & talking, enjoying the free food, and yes, the giant Easter Egg Hunt (with over 120,000 eggs prepared). It was truly a wonderful day!

How did it work?

Teams of people arrived early last Saturday morning to begin cooking over 4,000 hotdogs.  Stop 1: Everyone who attended was treated to the “Easter Story.”  The second stop was lunch, with hotdogs, chips, drinks, and other snacks, all free of charge. Station #3 was a row of bouncy houses, which children of all ages seemed to enjoy.  The final stop of the day was the giant Easter Egg hunt.  Volunteers placed brightly colored eggs, filled with candy onto six lanes of open land.  Eggs were everywhere, and the children could pick up the eggs to their hearts delight.  As people exited for the day, they were treated to one more stop – a firetruck, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. It was a special day.

We are Grateful for You

We love what we get to do every day, and big events like this are so much fun to do.  We can do a larger event like this, because you make it possible. Our community donates the eggs, the candy, and then shows up in big numbers to volunteer for the day.  We are truly so grateful for you.

Children enjoy the row of bouncy houses which are part of our “World’s Largest” Easter Egg Hunt.

Holy Week is special for Christians across the globe, and it is an especially meaningful time at Mission Arlington^®.

Rainbow Express – Several thousand children have attended Rainbow Express^® through the month of March.  Student groups from across the country and around the state have come here to share God’s love with the young people of our community.  We still have one team here doing Rainbow Express^® this week. Please keep these important events in your prayers.

Easter Store – Like its Christmas counterpart, our Easter Store is free of charge. Instead of Christmas toys, families will receive new Spring clothes, and Easter baskets.  Through the years, the Easter Store has operated from a central location in our downtown offices.  Taking a more decentralized approach, this year, however, the Store will happen in multiple locations across our community. Already, hundreds of families have received the new clothes and baskets.

Maundy Thursday Youth Service – On Thursday of Holy Week, at 7:00 p.m. youth who attend Mission Arlington^® Bible studies will gather in a service designed just for them. Hundreds of youth from across the community will worship, observe the Lord’s Supper, then hear a biblical message designed to encourage and challenge them as they live for Christ at their schools and in their communities.

Good Friday Services – Several of Mission Arlington’s Bible studies will observe Good Friday services, special remembrances of the day that Jesus was crucified.

Easter Egg Hunt – Affectionately called the “World’s Largest,” our giant Easter Egg Hunt happens Saturday, April 8th, from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  120,000 eggs, filled with candy, are being prepared for this big day. Bouncy houses and free food, plus the telling of the Easter Story to all who attend, are big parts of this beautiful day too.  Thousands of children will attend the egg hunt for a great day of family fun.  We are excited.

Easter Sunday Morning – Thousands will gather across our community into one of more than 360 Bible studies and congregations sponsored & hosted by Mission Arlington.^® Special music will be par for the course, smaller Easter egg hunts, and one or two Easter Sunrise services.

Holy Week is such a special time in the life of Christ followers around the world.  It is an especially meaningful time for the Mission Arlington family.^®

Join us, won’t you?

Student groups from across the nation and around Texas sitting together prior to morning worship on the first morning of Spring Break Rainbow Express^® 2023.

Student Groups have arrived.

Student groups from across the country – Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma – have arrived in Arlington this week to lead Rainbow Express^®, sharing God’s love across our community.

Student teams have also come from multiple locations from across the state – starting at home (Arlington) to Beaumont, Frisco, Lewisville, Rockwall, Seminole, and Tyler.

What’s beautiful and extraordinary about these teams is that the students are taking coming during Spring Break, when they are out of school, and could be investing their time and energy in more personal ways.  The gift of these hearts and lives in our midst is truly something special.

Worship

Each morning, and afternoon, these student groups gather together to worship, to pray, and to share their experiences in Arlington’s mission field with each other.  It is so beautiful to see how God makes this diverse group of people one, as they praise His name.

Rainbow Express^®

Rainbow Express^® is Mission Arlington’s version of a “back-yard bible club,” with crafts, snacks, games, music, and Bible stories. Rainbow Express^® is happening in the morning, afternoon, and evening in more than 50 locations across our community this week.  Hundreds of children & youth will attend these 4-day events, and it is so much fun.

Work Projects

In addition to Rainbow Express^®, these student groups are also assisting in much-needed work around the Mission.  Receiving & sorting incoming food & clothes, organizing household items, and loading furniture onto trucks to be delivered to homes throughout our community is just part of the fun.

Your support

So many ask, “How can we provide support during this important week?”  Our consistent answer is, “Please pray!”  Pray for the student as they serve. Pray for safety as the groups travel across our city, and to & from their homes.  Pray that the gospel message will be clear, as they share God’s love across our community.

Our Gratitude

The Mission Arlington^® family is grateful for your constant support.  Thank you so much.

The Burgin Elementary School family, in Arlington, delivers food to Mission Arlington. We love serving the Lord in this wonderful community.

More than 180,000 People Received Food Last Year

It is hard to believe, but it is true.  Many people in our own community don’t have enough food to feed their families. “Food insecurity across the country is something that professionals track, and which we see in real time six days each week.  In 2022, Mission Arlington^® provided food to 48,385 families, representing 180,696 people.  Each family was provided a supply of food designed to last them from 3-5 days.  That’s a lot of food. So, where does the food come from?

You Provide the Food. 

Mission Arlington^® does not purchase food.  In 36-years of ministry, the Lord has always supplied the food through you. Individuals, families, and teams of all kinds – from civic groups, churches, schools, and businesses – bring the food to us, and we give it away to families who need it.  We are constantly amazed by your generosity, and the way you faithfully care for people in our community who are experiencing a moment of need.  We are truly grateful, and your gifts do make a difference.

When People Need it

Mission Arlington’s food pantry is open six days a week (Monday-Saturday), from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. We work hard to be accessible, so that people can receive what they need for their families.

With a Heart to Help

We wish you could see the results of the beautiful care you provide for people through the provision of food. Sometimes we see tears of gratitude, and at others, we experience smiles of relief.  The hugs of appreciation we receive daily are truly meant for you.  Our hope is that the food truly lifts a burden from families working so hard to get by.  Beyond the food, however, our heart is to treat every family, every person, with dignity and respect.  We want people who are walking through difficult moments to know that someone cares for them.  Listen to one testimony recently published online:

A Personal Testimony

At the end of 2022, a lady named Kelley posted this review:  “Thankful for these wonderful people, and this wonderful place. Food, prayer, furniture, home goods, toys for the kids, clothes, got a pair of crocks, paintings… they even helped with my utilities! I’m so thankful they’re here! They really “pay it forward.” We are truly grateful.

For more information about other ministry results in 2022, click here!

Christmas Every Day

At Mission Arlington^®, we like to say that “It’s Christmas here every day!” If you’ve been to our “Front Room” then you know that we keep a Christmas tree up all year long.  The star at the front of our building reminds us of the Bethlehem star which pointed the way to Christ. There is just something about the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, to the world, which captivates us, and energizes our work.

Christmas Ministries

Though our free Christmas Store is what most people know about, we also participate in “Angel Tree” and “Adopt A Family” approaches to providing Christmas for the children in our community.

The Christmas Store

Open for 13 days in December, our Christmas Store is free. Though we do open one day for residents of Tarrant and Dallas counties, the Store is primarily designed to serve Arlington & Grand Prairie families. We work all-year-long to get the store ready, and the gifts for children are donated directly by our community.

This year, 26,481 children in 6,480 families, received Christmas Gifts.  More than six thousand (6,300) individuals, families, churches, schools, colleges, businesses, and community groups volunteered in the store.

The Christmas Story

For us, the most important part of the Christmas Store is the “Christmas Story.”  Before moms & dads enter the store, they have the opportunity to hear the Christmas Story from Luke chapter 2.  This year, volunteers shared the story in seven (7) different languages – (English, Spanish, Sign, French, Romanian, Ukrainian, Arabic).  As a result, 941 different adults made spiritual commitments of some kind.  Two hundred sixty-two (262) people made first time decisions to trust the Lord for salvation.

Gratitude

We are so humbled for the privilege we have of walking this journey with you.  Thank you for the way you gave, so that people could hear the message of God’s love, and also, so that they could find Christmas gifts under their tree.

3,000 volunteers wait outside on a wet day, for the privilege of delivering Thanksgiving Food to people in need. It was such a great day.  Thanks to everyone who came out to “make a difference.”

Thanksgiving was so special again this year, because it always is, but also, because you made it that way for thousands of people who needed a little help to get by.  We are truly amazed by your selfless generosity.

The Results

On Thanksgiving morning, three thousand (3,000) volunteers showed up at 8:00 a.m. to deliver turkeys, Thanksgiving boxes, and hot meals to 6,293 families, representing 26,181 people). We were also able to serve 150 plates of hot food at a sit-down dinner for people who didn’t have a place to be, or a family to be with on Thanksgiving Day.

The Blessing

We heard over and over again how blessed people felt to receive the Thanksgiving food.  On the other hand, we also heard how blessed the volunteers were to deliver that food – even on a slightly rainy day. People love to serve, and they love to make a difference in someone’s life.  On Thanksgiving Day, volunteers got to do both.

The Provision

We are often asked, “Where does the food come from?”  The answer is that it comes from you.  We received food drives again this year from elementary schools, high schools, civic clubs, companies, families, and individuals too.  We love how this community purchases, collects, and donates food to provide for those in need.  You did it.

The Partnership

We are grateful for each person, every family, and all the teams who gave to help families in need.  It takes all of us, working together, for a day like this to work.  Thank you so very much.

Each year, on the Saturday before Halloween, Mission Arlington^® hosts its annual “Fall Festival.” Free food, multiple sets of bouncy houses, a huge hayride, and a parking lot full of carnival games makes up the bulk of the day. Children have so much fun too. From hotdogs to hayrides to prizes, the event is a hit from start to finish.

Designed as a family-friendly experience, we notice that the parents have a lot of fun too. At the festival, the children are given a bunch of prizes after the playing of each carnival game.  They also receive a bag of candy as they leave the event.

Two thousand (2,000) children (with their families) attended the Fall Festival this year.  Smiles and laughter filled the event.  It was truly a special day.

it takes a lot of volunteers to make this event work.  We are so grateful for each and every volunteer and volunteer team who came out to help.  You were such a blessing to us, and to the children.  Thanks also to each of you who donated candy, and the fun prizes that children enjoy so much.

We are grateful for you, and we are already looking forward to next year.

An After School program in central Arlington.

When the Fall comes, and the students are back in school, the Mission Arlington^® family ramps up its after school programs again.  We meet weekly in thirty (30) different locations, helping children with their homework, while sharing God’s love in various ways.  In 2021, these after school efforts averaged over 1,300 students a week over 26 weeks.  Total attendance for the year topped 34,000.  That’s a lot of homework help!

Our volunteer teams meet the children as they come home from school.  Snacks, games, Bible stories, and all kinds of activities, make these after school programs feel special to the students who attend.  Plus, our volunteers help students to do their own homework, so that they can thrive in their educational journey.   Our afterschool programs are truly special places to have fun, and to learn.

One writer suggests six benefits to afterschool programs. They 1) “create a sense of belonging;” 2) “improve social skills;” 3) “provide academic support;” 4) “make learning more fun;” 5) “provide safety and supervision;” 6) “build confidence.”  We see all six of these benefits in the students we serve each week.

The work of Mission Arlington always hopes to be holistic.  We want to care for the physical, spiritual, emotional, and educational needs of people from all walks of life in the best way we can.  Our after school work is one way we work towards that end.

We are so grateful for every volunteer and team who care for the well-being of students across our community.  We are so grateful for the privilege we have of sharing God’s love with our community – young and old.  We are also, always so grateful for you, and the constant support of this community.

Summer Programs

We call them “Summer Programs,” primarily, because they happen in the Summer months.

Students are home, and looking for things to do, and eager to learn about the Lord.  Mission Arlington^® sponsors these “Summer Programs” in multiple locations across our community during the Summer, and the young people have so much fun.

Crafts, snacks, various activities & outings, and Bible study are part of the fun. Young people have so much fun, while learning about the Lord, and His Word.

Gratitude

We are so grateful for the privilege we have of serving the Lord alongside you, and for the joy we have of sharing God’s love with the children & youth of our community.

Thank you so much for your constant support.