Younger children enjoy a summer camp with Mission Arlington.

Mission Arlington® hosts seven free summer camps for children of all ages each July It’s that time again, and it is going to be so much fun.  On Tuesday nights in July, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., we host kindergarten through 3rd graders for two hours of games, crafts, Bible stories, activities, and a whole lot of fun – all free, of course.  The first camp for younger children starts this Tuesday night.

For two Saturdays in July, the mission sponsors a camp for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.  We partner with Camp Thurman in Pantego who does so much to make this camp possible for these children. At the camp, there will be swimming, food, ropes and climbing courses, outdoor games, zip lines, creative lessons from the Bible, and more.  Students, who might otherwise never be able to attend a camp like this, have so much fun.

Mission Arlington® also sponsors camps for youth, in the 7th through 12th grades.  These camps will happen on one Saturday in July, and one in August.  Hundreds of children and youth will attend these camps this summer.  We consider it an honor and privilege to love the Lord and to serve the young people of our community year after year.  It really has become a Mission Arlington® tradition.

You can help by providing prayer cover for these camps.  Pray for the Lord to use these camps to make a difference in the lives of the young people in our community.

We are ever grateful for your support.

July 4th parade, last year.

By Jim Burgin

Arlington’s July 4th parade celebrates 50 years of service to our community this week.  It has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember.  Erman Lester, my grandfather, ran a gas station in downtown Arlington, at the corner of Pecan and Abram Street, directly across from the old City hall – currently the site of a parking lot for the City of Arlington. Tillie Burgin, my mom, and Mission Arlington’s director grew up across the street, near the corner of Pecan and South streets in the downtown area.

Though the parade started in 1965, fifty years ago,  the first one I remember was the summer of 1976, when I was 15 years old.  The 1976 parade celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of America’s birth.  America had turned 200 years old that year.  It was quite a celebration, and an amazing parade.

Erman Lester’s old Gulf station was quite the place from which to view the parade. My granddad iced down various kinds of bottled soft drinks in large tubs and sold them for a quarter. He also kept plastic jars full of bubble gum which he handed out freely to the kids. Families with children watched in amazement as the various floats passed by. Adults gathered up and down Abram Street in front of the old courthouse to listen to the various presentations, and to the affirmations of Arlington’s longstanding mayor, Tom Vandergriff.

Watching the parade was then, and is today, a wonderful experience. It has become one of our favorite annual traditions. As most people know, Mission Arlington® doesn’t close, except on Christmas day.  However, on July 4th, the streets around us are closed off, for the parade, so for as far back as any of us can remember, we take a break on that morning to watch the parade together. Staff members, board members, volunteers, and a host of people from our many congregations join us for food and for the fun. It is always an exhilerating experience.  Our doors will open again to help people who need it as soon as the parade finishes.

A few years ago, SJ Stovall, former Mayor of Arlington, and the long-time board chairman of Mission Metroplex, inc., began a breakfast in honor of the summer missionaries who spend the summer with us, helping us reach people for Christ.   So, on the morning of the parade, the mission family – now years after Mayor Stovall’s passing – still gather for breakfast, beginning at 8:00 a.m. After a great meal,we watch the parade together, before we get back to work for the rest of the day.

Our spot is at the corner of Abram and West street downtown.  This year, for the first time, due to the contribution of a generous donor, we will actually have some shade. Tillie Burgin, our Director, is always at the top of the stairs there watching and waving.  If you are in the parade, look our way. If you aren’t in the parade, come by to say hello.

We love being downtown in the midst of all the people. We are grateful for the privilege we have of serving our Lord in this wonderfully generous community of people.  We can be here for the people, year after year, because you give, help, and pray.  We are grateful.

We look forward to seeing you on the fourth.

More than 500 students gather at Mission Arlington for a moment of inspiration from and prayer with Tillie. Then they spread out across our community to share God’s love.

“Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Much of the work of Mission Arlington® is outside. In a Texas summer, the heat can be grueling, but the work is somehow refreshing. In fact, most of us don’t think of it as work at all.  The ministry here can  involve long days, but the time passes quickly, and we are surrounded by a generous and supportive community who walk this journey with us.

So many of you write, come by, pray, give, and/or find multiple other ways to express your support.  We hope you know how much that lifts our spirits. Combined with the Lord’s presence in and through this ministry, we truly feel that we are carried as if on the “wings of eagles.”

On an average week, it takes approximately 2,500 volunteers to keep Mission Arlington running – from our front room, to the “out back,” to the health clinics, feeding programs, the weekly Bible studies, and so much more.  Add to this the student groups who are here to spend the week with us – to share God’s love, using Rainbow Express, all across our community – and the number serving here skyrockets.

Mission Arlington® also has partnerships with organizations, such as Cru (formerly Campus Crusade), Student Life, and SOAR, among others who send groups of students here throughout the summer. Today, through the partnership with SOAR, sixteen different church groups will be here from three different states, and several Texas cities. These groups will head out into various locations across the city to “hug on” children and youth, play games, sing songs, and to teach God’s Word.  More than five hundred (533)  students and sponsors will be here on campus and out into the neighborhoods through this partnership.  Altogether, including the Rainbow Express and other groups, there will be around 850 additional sets of hands here today to make a difference.  This kind of support not only encourages us, but lifts up the work. Only the Lord could have put all of this together. His Spirit surely is the “wind beneath our wings.

Please keep the mission in your prayers throughout today.  When the day comes to an end, may more people than ever before know about our Lord’s great love.

Thank you for walking this journey with us.

A volunteer works in Mission Arlington’s food pantry, helping other get the food they need for their families.

When most of us get hungry, we take a look in the pantry and fix ourselves something to eat.  If the pantry is empty, it isn’t a crisis. We head to the grocery store, or to the nearest restaurant, to meet our needs. It is easy to think that our experience is normative, but that isn’t always true.  “Food insecurity” is a term which means that people don’t have enough resources to provide food for their family.  Adults can skip a few meals and be alright, of course, but it isn’t the same for the children.  Thankfully, because you give, Mission Arlington® is available to provide the food which meet’s people’s physical needs.

Unless directed specifically with a donation to do so, Mission Arlington® does not purchase food. We simply trust God’s provisions for His people. Yet, in nearly 29 years of operation, we’ve always had just enough to take care of the people.  Our sense is that what we witness here every day is the same story which occurred in John chapter 6, where Jesus takes bread and fish from a young boy, and then multiplies that food to feed more than 5,000 adult men, plus the women and attendant children.  When you give, God takes your gift, and multiplies it to meet the need.

We wish that you could be here every day to see what your support means to real people in need. Early on Monday morning, a man got out of his car to speak with a Mission Arlington® team member.  All he wanted to know was whether the mission had any food.  When he learned that there was something here to meet his family’s needs, he was visibly relieved.  The staff member didn’t know what this man’s circumstances were, but he thanked God for all who give, so that we can be here in someone’s moment of need. Seeing this happen is so fulfilling that it becomes a source of nourishment, a “kind of daily bread,” for those of us who volunteer here every day.

We want you to know, as you give, that we don’t spend money on ourselves.  Our administrative overhead continues to be very low. Almost 98 percent of each dollar gets directly to the people.  When you give food, that food is always given to people immediately, and free of charge.  We hope you are being blessed as you give out of your resources, your food pantries from home, and from your funds, so that someone else can find the support and the help that they need.

What is beautiful in these days is to watch many give who once were here in need themselves.  There is a beautiful circle of love here at Mission Arlington.®

Thank you for walking this journey with us.  We are truly blessed by the privilege.

Children eat a nutritious meal, provided with lots of love through Mission Arlington’s Summer feeding ministry.

In partnership with the City of Fort Worth, Mission Arlington began serving meals to children in six locations yesterday. Around 100 children attended the first day.

We serve these meals in the summer, because when the children are out of school, they don’t receive the free lunch programs which the school provides, and their families are not able to provide for them, so they would go hungry.

Mission Arlington® will serve these meals five days each week (Monday to Friday) through August 15th. It is such a privilege for us to help out the children of our community in this way.

The volunteers who lead these ministries do more than just hand out nutritious meals. They sit with the children, learn their names, ask them about their favorite foods and subjects, and so much more. The students also get to sing, and to learn a lesson from God’s Word.

We are so grateful for the privilege we have of serving our Lord, and loving the  children in our community.  Thanks to each of you who give, help, and pray for or work.

You are making a difference here.

Mission Arlington® hosts backyard Bible clubs through out the community, primarily during the spring and summer. These gatherings of children and youth involve age-appropriate Bible studies, crafts, singing, fun and games.  These 4-day (2 1/2 hour long) events are called Rainbow Express®, and they are a big part of what we do as we “take church to the people.”

From Spring Break through this week, we have held Rainbow Express in 163 locations. More than thirteen thousand (13,212) children and youth have attended these events so far, and it has been a beautiful experience.  This week, we started Rainbow Express again.  On average this week, 466 young people have come each day.

We received a note from the mother of a child who was attending Rainbow Express last week:

“I wanted to thank Mission Arlington/ Mission Metroplex “rainbow express” that came this week for sharing with my son and kids here at our apartment community. He had a great time and was sad today was the last day. I appreciate your effort and time. You can never under-estimate the impact you can make on a child and the seed you plant. Thank you for all you do! Just wanted to share that and let you know to keep up the great work thank you!”

For us, the “end of the Rainbow” isn’t a pot of gold, but the ability to share Christ, to teach God’s word, and to love without hesitation the children and youth in our community.  Rainbow Express® allows us the perfect opportunity to go where the people are, so that they can know God’s love.

We are grateful for the privilege we have of doing what we do, alongside of you.  Your generous giving, and your faithful praying make the difference here.  Thank you so much!

Dr. W. P. Mackay (1839-1885) left home at 17 with the Bible his mother gave to him, yet he ultimately turned from the faith. He sold the Bible to meet some of his needs.  Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Mackey became a successful medical doctor.  On one occasion an accident victim came under Dr. Mackay’s care who wouldn’t live long.  The patient asked for someone to send him “the Book” from home.

After his death, Dr. Mackay was interested in the book this patient desired so intensely, and it turned out to be the very Bible he had sold years before – with his mother’s inscription on the front flyleaf. Overwhelmed by this, Mackay gave his life to Christ and ultimately became a Presbyterian preacher, author, and songwriter.  One of his best known refrains from one of his hymns is “Hallelujah, Thine the glory.” “Revive us again.” (Read the full story here.)

It is the sentiment behind this well-known refrain which is on the hearts and minds of Mission Arlington® as we turn the corner into June.  Starting this weekend, our revival services begin again.  Our heart’s desire is that these won’t simply be a series of meetings, but a true intersection of God and his people. To that end, we ask you to pray with us.  Growing in number, the mission will host 15 different multi-day revivals in various locations around the city. Though some have been around long enough to still call these special events “tent revivals,” the huge outdoor tents (with an exception or two) are gone, and services are hosted inside.  Many people accept Christ each year at these events.  You can find a partial list of these services listed here.

Recently, Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, issued a call for Christians to pray for spiritual awakening nationwide.  We covet your prayers for the same work here in our own community.  Thank you for your constant, faithful support of our work here.

To God be the glory!

Mission Arlington Offices

In the news this week are four charities which the federal government has identified as shams. The Federal Trade Commission claims that four cancer charities, located in various locations across the US, “spent about 97% of donations they received either on private fundraisers or on themselves. Only 3% went to help cancer patients.”

The concept of “administrative overhead” is an important one for consumers, helping them understand how much of the hard-earned money they contribute actually makes it to people in need. Understandably, every non-profit has some level of administrative costs, because it takes people and processes to help the organization run effectively. Knowing this particular percentage helps consumers make wise investments with their money.

Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex is governed, under God’s direction, by a board of directors who meet monthly. Their names are published on our website. Our philosophy with respect to giving is available, along with the our approach to administration.   Our hope is to be transparent, and our desire is to be accountable to you.  To that end, we voluntarily associate with multiple accountability organizations who review our work annually. You can find those organizations listed and linked here.

At the monthly meeting of our Board of Directors last night, the directors received the audit report, prepared annually by PSK, giving the organization a clean bill of health. The auditors also reported that Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex spends 2.8 percent of its budget on supporting, or administrative, services.   This means that 97.2 percent of each dollar you give does directly in ministry to people in need.

We have been serving our Lord, walking alongside of this community for almost 29 years.  We take seriously our calling, and our privilege of attempting to meet people’s physical, spiritual, emotional, and social needs.  We are grateful to be doing this with you, and we look forward to being here for years to come.

Mission Arlington® is a special place. People come here from all walks of life. If you get a chance to come through every now and then, you will see the “hustle and bustle” of a busy community, filled with people who are called to serve, and others who are receiving authentic help.

The energy is so evident that some refer to us as a “city within a city,” and others say that we are as “active as ants at a summer picnic,” or as “active as a busy bee-hive.”  This makes us smile. Certainly we are a crossroads, a kind of intersection, where people in need meet people who care, all under God’s watchful provision.  It takes about 2,500 people each week, working with a small administrative staff,  to keep things moving.

Volunteers from Alcon loading and distributing water and food

Groups of all kinds come to lend a helping hand each week, along with individuals and families.  Scout troops, student groups of all ages (elementary to high school), other non-profits who work with children & youth, civic clubs, church groups, and businesses too come here to help.  The mission family is always so grateful for the support of this community. Together, and hand-in-hand, we can do so much more than we can on our own.  Mission Arlington® is the “proof in the pudding.”

For the past four weeks, Liberty Mutual has sent between 8 and 10 employees each day – Monday through Friday – totaling over one hundred people, just because they want to make a difference in their community.  More than 100 from the Liberty family have come to serve.  Today, another 100 employees from Alcon corporation are here serving.  These hard working, energetic, and loving people from both companies give freely of their time and energy, and they have fun while they serve.  The laughter and the smiles are evident everywhere as they carry food to cars for deliveries and load couches and washers & dryers into trucks, and so much more.

From the beginning, Mission Arlington® has simply been a community crossroads.  You give, and we give it away.  We are the ones who are truly blessed.  We receive the gifts from you – who give with such joy, and then we get to turn around and give your gifts to people in need.  We wish that you could see the tears and the smiles of children and parents that we often get to see, because you sacrificed and made things ok. for someone else.

The same is true in other ways too. When you give financially, for example, 98.4 percent of every dollar you give goes directly to the people in need. Our auditors have confirmed this month that Mission Arlington’s administrative overhead remains at 1.6 percent.  This means that when you give, once again, we become a conduit for your gifts, so that people can receive the blessing of your faithfulness.

We are so honored to be a part of this great and generous community.  Thank you for all you do to make our work possible.

UTA’s Greek community sends about 100 students to help Mission Arlington this past Monday.

A college town can refer to a community that has a large number of University students. The University, in these towns, tends to be play a central role in the economic and social life of the city.

A college town can also mean a neighborhood within a University setting where college students and the community at large connect in multiple ways.  The University of Texas at Arlington says that its college town has “no formal application, no dues and no monthly meetings.” According to the University, this “college town” is an “‘open sign’ hanging in the entryway of your favorite place to go for conversation, entertainment and enrichment.”

DBU soccer student helps out at Mission Arlington.

On the other hand, it seems to us that Mission Arlington® is a kind of college town too. Students from every college and University in the Metroplex serve with us at some point every year – TCU, SMU, Dallas Baptist, Texas Wesleyan, and of course, UTA  and TCC too, along with many more.

Often these vibrant, energetic, hard-working students from multiple colleges intersect on the campus of Mission Arlington®.  For example, this past Monday,  approximately 150 students from UTA, TCC, and Dallas Baptist were all serving here at the same time.

Colleges and Universities understand the value of service, and see the difference it makes in the students when they give back to their communities. Consequently, these places of higher education both formally and informally encourage students to “give back” by investing themselves in the community.

Mission Arlington® is so blessed to be a place where students can give of themselves to help people in need.  We are better for it, and truly blessed.

We are grateful for each college & University community who send their students our way.  We value the energy and spirit of the students as they serve. We especially love watching the people who feel better and get real help for their lives, because these young people gave of themselves here.

We love being one part of such a vibrant, giving community. Thanks to each of you who give, pray, and help.  We love walking this journey with you.