By Jim Burgin, staff writer

By 7:00 this morning, volunteers are already checking in to serve. They will drive out to grocery stores and bakeries to pick up food ready to be given to people in need. We are amazed as we think about people who would take their time to prepare that food for us, who have the hearts to give out of their own surpluses to help someone else, and for people who would get up so early on a Saturday morning to make a blessing possible for someone else.

Volunteers and staff have been busy getting ready for a huge Fall Festival, one of our favorite events of the year.  Huge bouncy houses, a gym full of carnival games, free food, a tractor-driven hay ride are all prepared for children and families.  Our heart and hope is that children will have the kind of fun on this day that they remember for ever, and that moms and dads with young children will enjoy this a safe place for their kids to play, have fun, and to be cherished by the Mission Arlington family.  One of the greatest blessings for us is to be able to provide this Festival today absolutely free of charge.  Even the food is free.

Big Bouncy house slides are a part of the fun at the Fall Festival today. Pictured here, a young boy enjoying the slide at last year’s event.

The rain has been steadily falling on Friday, and through the night into Saturday morning.  What a blessing the rain has been.  As it clears off this morning, we want you to know that the Fall Festival will be fully up and running, ready for the children and their families.  The Festival happens from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., and it is located in the center of the city, near the corner of Fielder Rd. and 303. The physical location is 1514 Cherry Dr., Arlington, 76013.  It is going to be a great day.

At the same time that our huge festival is happening, people going through a moment of crisis will be able to come and receive food, or help with rent and utility bills. When they come in to Mission Arlington, they will be cared for.  Our heart here is so much more than about just handing out stuff. Anyone can do that.  We want to look people in the eyes, and to help them know that every life matters to God.  It has always been important to us to treat people with dignity and respect.  What an incredible privilege it is to share with others the very same love we have received from God.

Out back, our trucks will be moving through the community and returning to drop off the very clothing, food, and furniture that each of you provide for people in need.  We will pick up from over 100 locations today.  We pray that as you give, you will have a real sense about how your gift lifts the life of real people.  We never sell anything you give.  You give it, and we give it away.  By the day’s end, your gifts of love will be in the homes of people who needed the help and the hope that your gift provides.

All in all, our desire is to glorify the Lord in and through this place.  We have a song that we sing occasionally around here titled “It’s a great day to serve the Lord.”  Somehow, I can’t quite get that song out of my head this morning.  Rain or shine, serving God, and loving people going through difficult times truly makes this a great day.

Thank you so much for the privilege we have of serving alongside each of you. Your prayers, your help, and your financial support make the difference here.

To God be the glory!

With the assistance of the kind and giving hearts of children, Mission Arlington responds to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in our community. We are so grateful that children serve here every week.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

We hope most everyone knows of Mission Arlington^®‘s investment in the children of our community. Whether it is “bouncy houses” for the children to enjoy on “National Night Out,” or baseball camps, teaching children the fundamentals of the game, or the transportation of students to and from school, or helping children to discover healthy eating habits,  or reading programs,  or school supplies, the Mission Arlington^® family “loves to love” children.

It truly is more “blessed to give than it is to receive.” Pictured here, children having fun helping at Mission Arlington.

Add to that, the holiday season coming up – with our Fall Festival, food for Thanksgiving, and Christmas gifts for more than 32,000 children year after year, or the huge Easter experience provided for children, it isn’t hard to see how much love and practical help comes from you, through us, and straight to children in need.

Watching children “light up” when they don’t have to sleep on the floor anymore, or when they have the food they need to eat a meal at home, or when they have the same school supplies to start the school year just like everyone else – is worth so very much to us, and we know it is important to you as well.   We also know that this pleases our Lord who encouraged his followers routinely to care for children (Matthew 19:14).

On the other hand, it isn’t just that the children are recipients of your gifts through Mission Arlington^®, but they are also the givers.   All year long, we are the recipients of the kind-hearted, sincere gifts of children. They collect food from their neighborhoods and families; they ask their friends to give birthday gifts to other children through the mission instead of having a birthday party, and they volunteer in huge numbers, giving of their time and energy to make a difference here. Every week, without exception, children are here lending a hand.

Sometimes they come with their parents; other times they come with a group of some kind, such as their church, scouting organization, or with their school.  When they come to serve, we are able to provide activities and tasks which fit their giftedness, age, and ability.  We value watching families and various organizations who develop character in their kids, letting them invest in their world, and giving them the opportunity to make a difference too.

On Thanksgiving day every year, for example, several hundred children volunteer with their families.  The parents tell us that they want their children 1) to know how to work, and 2) to see that they can make a difference, no matter their age, and finally (3) to see that other children don’t have what they have. These parents tell us after a day of service on Thanksgiving morning, the children go home to have the best Thanksgiving meal of their young lives.

Mission Arlington^® loves to work with children.  We thank God every day for the privilege we have of serving alongside each of you, perhaps the most generous community anywhere.  We appreciate the privilege of caring for and serving with the children here.

Glory be to God!

Student from Liberty Christian School helping Mission Arlington get ready for Thanksgiving

Columbus day celebrates the anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12th, 1492. Columbus day became an official federal holiday in the United States in 1937.  Since 1970, the holiday has been connected to the second Monday in October.

In our community, while the banks, federal agencies, and other businesses are closed, the schools are open, and Mission Arlington^® is open for business as well.  People express their support for this day as a “day of service,” using their time and talents to make a difference in people’s lives all across our community.

Before 8 a.m. this morning, students were already waiting at the mission, ready to give their day in service and support.  Several student groups, churches, individuals, and families are here today, helping us, and taking care of the people.

We are grateful for the privilege we have of being open today, and of serving our community. The only day Mission Arlington^® closes each year is Christmas Day.

Student groups today are helping us organize, sort, and move donated food into position for Thanksgiving, among so many other tasks we needed help with today.

We are grateful for the constant, faithful, support of our community.  Together, we can make a difference.

Students gather in an apartment in central Arlington for fun at the National Night Out.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, National Night Out was an idea created by Matt Peskin in 1984. The idea was to encourage neighborhoods to get together one designated night each year to create a safer community by building relationships with neighbors, and with the police force. Arlington hosted 184 gatherings this year, and Mission Arlington® was privileged to join our community in these important times together.

The Mission Arlington^® family spread out across the community to support various organizations requesting partnership. We took out free food, “bouncy houses,” in multiple locations, and we enjoyed being a part of the larger teams supporting the community. Our staff and volunteers had a good time talking and spending time with people from all across our community. Pictured above is a picture from a National Night Out event in central Arlington where the children were enjoying good, clean fun on a beautiful evening in our city.

We are ever grateful to be a part of this generous and supportive community, and to participate in these important events. Together, we can do more than any of us can on our own.

Thank you for your continued support of our work.

This is a video produced this year by the good folks at the Official BEST of team from Hollywood, California. They provide TV and web viewers with the official best places to visit in a growing number of states across America.

After an organization is nominated, the research team from the organization consults with local Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce and other experts in the field to determine which nominations will be named the “best of.”

Mission Arlington^® was nominated and selected to be the “Best Charity of DFW.” We are humbled and honored by this designation.

You can view the video here (Press play):

Thank you so much for your support.

Leaving East Hall, First Baptist Church Arlington, September 29th, 1956.

Today, Bob and Tillie Burgin celebrate 59 years of marriage.  Bob grew up in  the small Texas town of Jewett, located in Leon country, about 1/2 way between Dallas and Houston off of Interstate 45.  the youngest son in a family with seven children, Bob grew up on a farm.

Tillie was the daughter of Erman and Bonnie Lester who hailed originally from Pittsburgh, and New Boston respectively.  Erman started and ran his own gas station after he moved to Arlington in the 1930s, and the family lived and worked in the heart of what has now become Downtown Arlington. Erman ran that station for 45 years. You could always get service with a smile, and he kept bubblegum handy for the kids. The offices of Mission Arlington^® are just one block from the Lester’s old homestead.

Bob and Tillie met, dated, and eventually, got married  in what is now called the “East Hall” of First Baptist Church, named after Henard East, a former, long-time pastor of the church. Bob entered the military in 1958, and was assigned to South Korea for a two year tour. Tillie followed Bob to Korea, living in missionary housing with the Methodists, because she wasn’t allowed on the base.  This experience in the war was part of their story a few years later when God led them back to South Korea as missionaries. By the time this couple (now with their two boys), retired, they had spent seven years in Korea, and ten on staff with the Foreign Mission Board of Southern Baptists.

When their oldest son entered college, the Burgins came home. Bob and Tillie were educators, so they jumped right back in to education in Arlington. There was a growing sense in their own hearts, however, that “if you can do missions in Korea, why can’t we do it in Arlington?” Bob served as a Vice Principal at Gunn Jr. High, then became Principal at Nichols Jr. High, and finally served at Arlington High School.  Then Bob taught and ultimately became the Associate Dean of the school of education for Dallas Baptist University. Tillie worked in various positions with the Arlington Independent School District, including Director of Personnel, and then in 1986, left to start Mission Arlington^®.

Today, Bob and Tillie have been married for 59 years. Their commitment to Christ first has strengthened their love for each other, and through them, they have faithfully served the Lord in this community.  Those of us who love them, near and far, are grateful for their influence in our lives, and for the legacy of faithfulness they are building in our community.

Happy Anniversary Tillie and Bob.  We wish you “many, many more!”

Seventy five (75) fifth and sixth graders from Gateway Church came to serve at Mission Arlington before they invested 3 hours of hard work this past Saturday morning.

This past Saturday, the Mission Arlington^® family was enveloped by hundreds of students, aged from elementary school through college, who gave their time to help here.   Guided by effective leaders, these student groups engaged their world in a personal way, so that they could contribute to real solutions for people in need.  We hear from these leaders, and it is our observation too, that the students learn more effectively, and that the “lessons learned” last longer, when the students experience their world in real time.

We began the morning with seventy-five (75) fifth and sixth grade students from several campuses of Gateway church.  Their motto was to “grow and go.”  As they grew deeper in Christ, they wanted their students to get personally involved in helping others.  As one leader said, “You’re never too young to start learning.”   It was beautiful to join their worship time, and to hear their prayers for the Mission.

Dallas Baptist Students engaging in Mission work at Mission Arlington. Here, they are moving Thanksgiving food into position.

Likewise, as a part of an “Engage Mission” conference, two hundred (200) Dallas Baptist University students spent their Saturday here, helping move Christmas toys, organize food, and generally position us for the upcoming holiday season.  One goal of this conference was to help students realize that “missions isn’t a trip,” but a way of life.  The energy and enthusiasm they brought more than demonstrated the heart behind their work.

In the same Spirit, Pantego Bible church sent sixty (60) student to Go Beyond their walls and into the community. Thirty ladies from Cornerstone Baptist joined in, as did “Old Bethel Baptist,”  and the first Wesleyan church from Euless.

It was quite a day, and so much work was accomplished. Many people received help, because of several hundred young people who gave their day, and themselves to make a difference.

We are grateful for the constant support of this community.

Ernst and Young family serving in the food pantry at Mission Arlington

It is a constant at Mission Arlington^®. Companies across the spectrum incorporate service into their core values, then put it into practice. The tag Line of Ernst and Young, for example, is “A Better Working World.” Today, they put these values into practice here at Mission Arlington^®, working all day to help us serve people in need. It’s hard work, and it is a full day, but dozens from the Ernst & Young team came anyway – just to make a difference.

Unloading food from a community pickup.

We also had another team here from the Securadyne Systems. In their every day life, this team of people provide specialized security services which protect “secure, prized assets.”  One of the companies core values includes “giving back” to their community. Around sixty (60) of them served here today, providing security and access for people in a moment of need. They stayed all day, sorting food, moving supplies, picking up furniture, and giving themselves in multiple ways to make a difference.

We are grateful for the corporate cultures which encourage support and personal investment in the community. We are especially thankful for the positive energy, hard working teams of the individuals in these companies who lend their energy to help others.  These are great days to serve here! #BetterWorkingWorld”

       Safe at the plate! Children learn the fundamentals of baseball at today’s baseball camp.

Mission Arlington^® started its baseball leagues today, a kind of coaching clinic for children, free of charge.  These young people learned the fundamentals of baseball – catching, running, hitting, and more.  They ran, played together on a team, and had fun too.  Best of all, they had an opportunity to learn more about the Lord and his love for them.  These leagues will run throughout the Fall.

Smiles all around at Mission Arlington’s baseball camp

We are grateful for coaches who volunteer, for a Mission Arlington^® congregation which allowed their land to be used, and for Bible study leaders within Mission Arlington^® who drove across the city today picking up the children, so that they could participate in the league.

We are grateful for each of you and the way you support our work day in and day out. Thank you so much for your encouragement. We are still working hard and having fun every day.

To God be the glory.

Click on the this link to see a few more pictures – on our FACEBOOK page.

By Jim Burgin, staff writer.

There is an old (1993) hymn, written and performed by gospel singer Andrae Crouch titled “My Tribute.” The first, and most often recalled, verse begins with a question: “How can I say thanks for the things you’ve done for me?” Crouch is expressing the sentiment of Christians worldwide who want to express their love to God for all he has done.  The lyrics to this tune adequately and effectively expresses the heartfelt sentiment within the Mission Arlington^® family this morning.

We know, and we believe,  that it is the Lord who sustains each of us in this place, and who provides for Mission Arlington^® day by day. We know that his ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), so it has been important to us to look to Him for our support and provision, and not to the plans of men.  Generally, over the past 29 years, we have depended on prayer and not fund raisers or marketing strategies to do what we do here every day. You can read more about these core commitments here.

Yet, when a day comes along, as it did yesterday with the North Texas Day of Giving, put together by good people wanting to support the important work of more than 2,000 non-profits across North Texas, we have been blessed to join in as a participant.  We are especially eager for each of you who prayed, helped, and gave to know how much your support means.  The word for encouragement in the Bible actually means one who has been “called along side” another to provide support.  In the truest sense of the word then, each of you has encouraged us this week.  The words we find bouncing around in our own hearts, to the tune of “My Tribute,” is “How can we say thanks?

We want you to know that because of your support, prayers, and gifts, 171 people provided financial support through the North Texas Day of Giving yesterday, providing more money from this offering than we have ever received before.  We are giving praise to our Lord this morning, but we are also especially thankful for you.  In a day when gratitude seems to be on the wane, we want you to hear loud and clear our expressed thanks.

With our audited administrative overhead at 2.8 percent, more than 97 percent of those funds will go directly in ministry to people in need. This feels good to us, and to a lot of people.  This means that ordinary people in a moment of need will continue to receive the help that they need to be ok., and that they will also hear of God’s love for them, communicated in personal and careful ways.

Of course, our journey is not over, and there are many more days to come in this year. We value and appreciate so much your support here not just on a special day of giving, but all year long. Thank you, and “to God be the glory for the great things He has done.”