Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex’s  sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This is the 11th consecutive time that Mission Arlington^® has earned this top distinction. This is especially noteworthy this year, given that Charity Navigator used enhanced financial methodology to evaluate charities this year.

Since 2002, using objective, data-driven analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, the charity watchdog added 17 metrics, (focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness) to its rating methodology.

These “Accountability and Transparency” metrics reveal which charities have “best practices” that minimize the chance of unethical activities and whether they freely share basic information about their organization with their donors and other stakeholders.

According to Michael Thatcher, President & CEO of Charity Navigator, this four star rating puts Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex in

a very select group of high-performing charities. Out of the thousands of nonprofits Charity Navigator evaluates, only one out of four earns 4 Stars – a rating that demands rigor, responsibility and commitment to openness. Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex supporters should feel much more confident that their hard-earned dollars are being used efficiently and responsibly when it acquires such a high rating

The Mission Arlington^® / Mission Metroplex^® family voluntarily cooperates with multiple charity watchdog organizations like Charity Navigators as part of our commitment to our Lord and to each of you who give so faithfully to support the ministry here. We are pleased to receive this honor for the 11th year in a row.

Thank you so much for your constant support.

A young boy enjoys Rainbow Express at his apartments earlier this year.

School Supplies! Summer Missionaries! Rainbow Express! Revivals!

As the school year ends, Mission Arlington^® turns the corner into the summer season, and the view is beautiful from here.

Summer is always such a busy time, but so much happens through these few short months, much of it life-changing, so that we are always eager to get going.

As the students get out of school, our summer programs and lunch programs will begin.

School Supplies are being collected now!  Already, school supplies are coming in, donated by a generous community, helping us to support over 9,000 students again this year.  You can help. Learn more about what to contribute, how to sort the supplies, and when you can hand out these supplies to the students.

Summer Missionaries begin to arrive!  Summer Missionaries – students in high school or college – who will live with us for most of the summer, begin arriving this Sunday evening.  We will have more of these amazing young people here with us this summer than we ever have had before. You can read a few of their stories here, here, and here.

A young student learns about Christ’s love through a multi-colored bracelet. Her smile is so typical of the experience.

Rainbow Express reboots!  Student groups from around the nation and across the state are making their way into our community to invest in our children and youth in significant ways.

Rainbow Express is our version of a “back-yard Bible club.” Crafts, snacks, games, music, and Bible stories form the foundation of this work with children and youth.

Thousands of children will hear of God’s love, and see it in action four days each week in their own neighborhoods.  Rainbow Express starts again on Monday.

Revivals services happen weekly.  Though we have already had one two-day, outdoor revival service on the West side of our community, and although these revivals will continue through the end of the summer, they do begin in earnest starting next week.  We love these services, because our Bible studies & congregations gather to worship, to pray, and to respond to God’s invitation to a new and/or a deeper walk with Him. Please pray with and for us as these services begin.

Thank you so much.  Your constant, faithful support makes such a difference here. Thank you for the way you give, help, and pray.  Together, we are making a difference in his name.  We are grateful for you.

A young man listens to the message at Mission Arlington’s first outdoor revival service of the season.

Toward the end of the school year, and near the arrival of summer, Mission Arlington^® hosts special three-day worship services designed to help people deepen in their own spiritual walk, and also to provide a venue where many people might respond to the gospel message for the first time.  For many years, we designated these events as “tent revivals,” because nearly all of them were held outside and under a tent.

How these services have changed over time:

The revival services were held primarily in June, and stationed in centralized locations across our community, making it easier for Mission Arlington^® Bible studies and congregations to gather for these special times together.  Each year, many new people would come to faith in Christ, and many other believers would be strengthened in their spiritual walk, and/or recommit their lives to the Lord.

As the number of our congregations have grown over the years, the needs of the people have become more diverse, and various individual congregations have grown numerically to the point where they are hosting their own revivals. Instead of having centralized locations with larger crowds, many of our revivals have grown smaller, but more focused, because they are held right where each congregation meets.  By the time the summer is over, we will have hosted more than ten separate revival events.

We do a couple of special things at each revival service:

1. 

   A young boy enjoys a Bouncy House at the Revival

   About an hour before each experience, the Mission volunteer teams serve a meal. Usually, this involves hot dogs and chips, but over the summer, there is a variety of offerings.  This allows families to attend the revival services without having to worry about dinner, and it is also a great way to gather people prior to the start of the services.

2. For the children, 8 and under, we offer Rainbow Express^®, our version of a backyard Bible club. The children play hard, enjoy crafts designed especially for them, sing, and hear a story from the Bible – communicated in a large and small group setting – and in a way that they can understand.  Children love Revival Rainbow Express, and they learn much about faith and our Lord there.

Our first revival service was held last night on the West side of our community. The worship was sincere and beautiful. The messengers were in tune with the Spirit’s direction, and the people were responsive.  We will meet in the same location this evening.

The need for spiritual awakening is evident in these days:

As you are prompted to do so, would you join us in prayer for these events? You can ask the Lord to keep His message pure, to draw people there who need to hear, and also, that these would not just be an item on our list to “check off,” but that God’s Spirit would be free to move in ways that will transform each of us, and our community, for a lifetime.  If you are interested in coming to a revival in your area, give us a call, and we’ll get you set up.

We are so grateful for the way you pray, give, and volunteer to make a difference here.

Mission Arlington^® dedicated a newly-built baseball field to the Lord this past Saturday. More than a hundred (101) elementary-aged children, belonging to Mission Arlington^® Bible studies and congregations, put the field to good use immediately afterwards.

A baseball camp, organized by Jim Reeder and Jerry McCullough, and led by multiple volunteers from across the community, demonstrated for these children the basic techniques of baseball – catching, hitting, fielding, and running the bases.  Tillie Burgin threw out the first ball.

Laughter and fun were evident everywhere, as the kids played ball, and more than a few exclamations of happiness came from the watching adults as they saw how much fun these young people were having.  These Spring, Saturday baseball camps will last through May.

This field, located on North Fielder Road behind the Parkview Fellowship facility, was dedicated to Jonathan Hunter Irwin, a young man who grew up in Arlington and who attended Grace Street fellowship, a Mission Arlington^® congregation. Mike Irwin, Hunter’s Father, was prompted by the Lord to build this field for the glory of God in honor of his son, and found the support of so many people and teams who put this field together.  The Mission Arlington / Mission Metroplex^®  family expresses our gratitude to the Irwins,  and to each and everyone who contributed to make this “field of dreams” a beautiful reality.  We are grateful to God and for you.

As the children finished for the day, the coaches walked them by the memorial to Hunter, built in love, which dedicates this field to “all of God’s children and to all those who seek our Father now and in the Future.” One by one the children placed their hand on the plaque and quietly, but sincerely expressed their sincere thanks to Hunter and to God.  People standing close by listened to the stream of children, saying “Thank you Hunter. Thank you, God.”  It was beautiful to see and to hear. May God’s love flow from here through the generations.

We thank the Lord for the constant support of this community. Because of your loving, generous support, we can provide sports venues, such as basketball, wrestling, and baseball for the children of our community. We thank God for you.

Novartis – Alcon team member volunteering in our pantry, providing food to people with such a great spirit. So thankful for all volunteers who make a difference here.

If you have never had a crisis where you needed a little extra help to get by – perhaps not from a place like ours, but from anywhere, you might not understand Mission Arlington.^®  On the other hand, if you have had something fall through unexpectedly with your employment, in a relationship, or with your health through the years, then you probably remember what it took, and how good it felt to know that someone not only cared, but provided practical support. Providing help like that is what we get to do every day.

We love the privilege we have of walking this journey with such generous, thoughtful, and caring people like you. We can be in place to support families in a “moment of crisis,” because you give.

Perhaps to some, a $50 or $100 isn’t much, but when it makes the difference in keeping your lights on, or staying in your home another month until things get back together, it means so much. Add to that, a week’s worth of food, and other household items or furniture, and the support means a lot.

Through the first quarter of 2016, nearly 30,000 people (29,778) received help through our front room. This pace equals approximately 10,000 people a month.  We are so grateful for your help.

As you know, it is important to us that each person is treated with dignity and respect.  We want to hear people’s stories, and we offer to pray with each one open to that kind of spiritual investment.  We also follow up each week, so that we can know how the people are doing, and what other kinds of help we might be able to provide.

This week, a young lady received a house load of furniture on the same day that she applied for it.  When she was reporting it to her pastor later in the week, she gave praise to God, over and over.  We couldn’t agree more.

Thank you so much for helping us to help the people.  We are grateful for you.

By Jim Burgin, staff writer

I almost didn’t see her.  In the very back of the church, as far away from anyone else as she could possibly get, sitting alone, a young woman sat silently worshiping in the Mission Arlington^® church I pastor. I knew that sometimes, even in a crowded room, people feel isolated – cut off.

As I walked toward her, intending to help her feel welcomed, she seemed to shrink in front of me.  When I spoke, she nodded affirmation, but turned away. I thought I saw a face stained by tears. My heart hurt instantly for her, and I wondered as I walked away what burdens she carried, and how we could provide support. I made a mental note to catch her after church. When the services were over, she was gone.  Though I don’t know her name, and probably wouldn’t recognize her if I saw her in a crowd, I have been praying for her.

When you think of Mission Arlington^®, it is easy to think of our work in terms of large numbers. For example, since January 1st, thirty thousand (30,000) people have come through our front room for help. That’s ten thousand people a month. 4,600 children (including families) came to our Easter egg hunt which we affectionately call “the world’s largest.” Right around ten thousand children (9,869) children attended one of our Rainbow Express^® events this Spring.

Add to this – that a large number of different services for people happen here all “under one roof,” so to speak.  It isn’t unusual for people to say “you do that?”  We are humbled by all that God does in this place. Our confession is and has been that we are “over our heads,” and especially that this mission belongs to Him above all.

On the other hand, our conviction is that every life matters.  Tillie reminds staff and volunteers often that the most important word in John 3:16 is “whosoever.” This means that every person matters to God, and therefore to us.  “I’ve never met a number walking through a door,” Tillie prompts, “but only a life created and loved by God.”   For this reason, we still refer to ourselves often as a “ministry of ones.” Our prayer is that through the busyness, God would not let us miss any single person.

Earlier this week, a lady met Tillie here at Mission Arlington^® early one morning. The struggles were real and difficult, and the two of them talked for a while, then prayed.  No sermons or preaching happened. There were no “quick fixes” or easy platitudes – just a moment in time.  The lady stayed, and started to volunteer, finding usefulness in her skills as a translator. After a while, one of our volunteer medical doctors, a Christian, and this lady had a chance to sit down to talk.  This beautiful lady, so stressed by much in her life, and with so much to give, turned over her heart to Christ.

When we met early this morning (typical for staff meetings here), the dialogue wasn’t about the volume of people coming through our “front doors,” or “out back,” or the “number of pickups,” etc.  The conversation turned to God with thanksgiving for the changed life of this one lady. Requests for prayer around the room were for individual people that each minister was praying for and concerned about.

Years ago, a close friend of the mission gave us a picture which still hangs today in our front room. It is the picture of a shepherd reaching out for a sheep that has been lost (pictured above).  This portrait of love seems to be built around John 10 where the good shepherd “knows his sheep by name,” or Luke 15 where the good shepherd goes after “the one who is lost until he finds it.”  We see this picture every day and remember to love each one – even when they are simply lost, or find themselves shrinking in the crowd. We thank Him for reaching out to us when we were lost. May God help us always to keep it personal.

Thank you so much for walking this journey with us.

As has been previously reported, the Mission Arlington^® family works diligently to be accountable to God, and to you. We consider every gift sacrificial, and we keep in mind that you give so that people in need will receive authentic, practical, and timely help. Each month and every year, we report to you the results of our work. We also provide access for you to the reports of others who watch us closely. Transparency and accountability are twin core values here. Your trust matters to us.

Administrative overhead is one way among many to measure the efficiency of a non-profit organization. One component of our auditors‘ annual report to our board this week, in addition to providing a clean opinion, was recognition for continued success at keeping administrative (overhead) costs low.  We want to pass along their report to you:

For the year ending 2015, our administrative overhead was 3.2 percent. This means that almost 97 cents out of every dollar you give goes directly in ministry to people in need.

While this is up from 2.8 percent over the last two years, our auditors tells us that in the world of non-profits, an administrative overhead of 33 percent is considered to be good. This means that the ministry efficiency here is nearly 30 percent more effective than the industry standard, or what many would consider the norm.

While we are proud to report this news, we are also humbled by it, because we know how hard most people work to give, and that sacrifices are often made, so that someone struggling through the effects of a job loss, or a health crisis, can have the help they need to make it through.

We are also humbled by this news, because so much of the success related to administrative costs connects to the number of dedicated volunteers who grace our doors each week. It takes over 2,500 volunteers a week to keep things going here – from the medical to the dental, to our after-school programs, Bible studies, the front room, and/or to the volunteers carrying couches out back.  We are extraordinarily blessed by the number of people in this community who love to give their time to help someone else.

We want you to hear again and again how much we value our partnership with each individual and every team who lends a hand here.  Under the leadership of the Lord, and the long-time servant leadership of our Director Tillie Burgin, we will continue to keep the costs low – and to cherish the privilege we have of walking this journey with you.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done!

Normally the announcement that an organization is being audited spells trouble. It means that irregularities have been spotted by someone, so that now an investigation is underway to discover the truth about the organization in question.  For most of us, the concept or thought of an IRS investigation causes concern enough to keep us up at night.

At Mission Arlington^®, however, accountability is part and parcel of our daily routine.  On the one hand, we sustain a deep conviction that every gift is provided sacrificially, and so for us, those gifts are sacred . On the other hand, in conjunction with established procedures, a long-tenured team, and our auditors, every day, we watch closely what has been entrusted to us for people in need. Monthly reports are made to a local team of people who both support and watch what we do.  We welcome and treasure this accountability.

Tillie Burgin, Executive Director, here from the Beginning, August 1st, 1986.

In addition, we voluntarily partner with charity watchdog organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau, Charity Navigator, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), and Guidestar.  We are in good standing with each of these accountability/transparency groups.   We provide an accessible and public page for you review each evaluation and we link to each of these accountability partners on every page of our website.

Finally, as with every strong and healthy non-profit we partner with a well-respected, local team of auditors who inspect our work every year.  At our monthly board meeting this Tuesday night, the report was presented from these auditors giving us a “clean bill of health” for our work through 2015.  We wanted you to know as well. You can read their report here.

Our first commitment is to Christ, which calls us to a walk of integrity and a humble dedication to accountability. Our second commitment is to you, to be the kind of organization you can trust with the sacrificial gift of what you have worked hard to earn.

In our 30th year, as our birthday nears this August, we find ourselves grateful for the privilege we have of walking this journey with you – through the years, yes, but also day-by-day. Thank you for your willingness to provide support, and to give of your time and resources here. We are grateful, and we “praise His name!” Thank you.

It is such a simple concept – going where people are. That’s what Mission Arlington^® does. Early on, the call was clear: “If people aren’t going to come to the traditional church, for whatever reason, we were to take the church to them.”  Nearly thirty (30) years ago now,  led by Tillie, and a core of volunteers,  the Mission began teaching God’s word each Sunday in apartment clubhouses across town. Today, we are doing that in 349 locations.

Along the way, Rainbow Express^® became one way that we could minister to the children in the apartments. Youth groups from across the country picked up the pace, and they began to lead these four-day events throughout the community. Rainbow Express^® is our version of a “back-yard Bible club, involving songs, crafts, games, and the teaching of God’s Word. Over time this part of our work, prompted and led by the Lord, has grown to be a huge part of what we do every Spring and Fall.

Spring Break constitutes the “first wave” of Rainbow Express^® each year. Student groups from across Texas and around the country arrive in our city concurrently with the Spring Breaks of the local colleges and independent school districts.  During this week, student groups lead Rainbow Express^® in the morning and in the afternoon.  Around the country, Spring Break weeks don’t always coincide with local schedules, so for several weeks in the Spring, student groups come to lead Rainbow Express^® even when our own schools are in session. For those weeks, the groups help Mission Arlington^® in the mornings, but lead these fun Bible clubs in the afternoons when school is out.  Lots of hugs, smiles, and love for children make up the “every day” of each experience.  Many young people learn more about Christ, or meet him for the first time.

We are pleased to report that – for this Spring, nearly 10,000 (9,869) children attended Rainbow Express, and 287 people accepted Christ. Nearly 1,400 (1,381) students from 55 youth groups came to town from nine (9) states and twenty-one Texas cities. Students came from as far away as Michigan, and Midland.  Many of these young people grew in their understanding of Missions and went home with increased commitment to reach their own cities for Christ.

We are grateful to God for the way He has put all of this together.  It is important to us to keep all that we do submitted to Him.   Through faithful reporting we want to keep you in touch with what happens here, so that you can pray in informed ways, and so that you will know how much we desire to be accountable and transparent to all who pray, give, and help here on a monthly basis.

Rainbow Express is about to start again.  Yesterday, we published our May-June Curriculum here.  Please keep us in your prayers as round two begins.  May the Lord use us to communicate his great love  in practical ways, and may many more come to know him personally.

Thank you so much for all your support.

Students from Bailey Junior High’s Avid program, here this past week, helping us unpack, move, and store plastic Easter eggs. A huge group of these students came to help us get the work done.

Volunteers make a huge difference.

Volunteers are an important part of Mission Arlington^®‘s work here every day. No matter the age or background, and no matter how much time a person has to give, whether a little or a lot, we value the partnerships with people. Without their help, our ministry wouldn’t get done.

Volunteers come as individuals and in groups, and they come from all walks of life, such as corporate families, civic groups, church teams, students from every age group, and so many more. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

A student from UTA rakes leaves to help clean up a yard for Mission Arlington in conjunction with “The Big Event” this past Saturday.

A flexible and fun family

When volunteers come through this place, they are already eager to serve, and ready to make a difference in someone’s life.  Sometime the tasks are simple, but not necessarily fun – say taking donated clothes, putting them on hangars and getting them ready to give away. Sometime the tasks are more difficult, like loading couches into trucks for delivery to a home. Sometimes the need demands means that jobs start and stop and start again in a new direction.

Our observation over time is that people volunteering here 1) flex at a moment’s notice; 2)  work hard at every task; 3) and appear to enjoy their assignments. Right around 2,500 volunteers serve here each week, and it is so much fun. In fact, working together often feels like family.

Surrounded by your Support

There probably isn’t much way that volunteers would know how often their service here is a direct answer to our prayers.  Last week, when we needed to get quite a bit of work done – work that would have taken us a long time to accomplish – a group of 147 people showed up at our door.  We knew in those moments that they had been sent by the Lord to help – in answer to our prayers.

This past week, we had a big group of students here from Bailey Jr. High, and a big group from the University of Texas at Arlington in conjunction with their “The Big Event” – and that’s just to name a few.

All of this is to say “thank you” for the way you give your time to serve here.  We are open from 7 to 7 Monday through Saturday. You don’t need an appointment. Just drop in, and we’ll get you going.  You’ll be glad you did, and so will we.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.