A Beautiful Day

We want to express our gratitude to you for your support all year long, but especially for your extra support on North Texas Giving Day.

A Great Day for Non-Profits

Nearly 64 million dollars was raised for over 3,200 North Texas nonprofits yesterday, through the efforts of the good people at the Communities Foundation of Texas.  We are grateful for their tireless, year-long effort to put this campaign together each year.

Support for Mission Arlington^®

Through the efforts of the North Texas Giving Day campaign, 187 donors gave a gift to Mission Arlington, totaling $42,179.  Many more gave directly through Mission Arlington’s website, making the day such a wonderful blessing for the people we serve.

Your gifts get to the people.

Our administrative overhead is 1.47%.  This means that more than 98.5 cents of every dollar you give directly ministers to individuals and families in need.  The daily needs for emergency assistance, unfortunately, continues to be strong, with over 600 people every day (six days a week) coming through our front doors for help.  Wages are increasing slower than costs, making it difficult for ordinary families to get by.

Every day, we provide food, clothing, household items, furniture, and emergency financial assistance to assist people in a moment of need.  We are helping to keep families in their homes through emergency rental assistance.  We are helping to keep the electricity and water working in people’s homes too.  We can do this, because you so faithfully and generously provide.

Thank you so much! You are making a difference here, and we are truly grateful.  We thank God for you!

Tillie Burgin, our director, has been at Mission Arlington since the beginning. We are in our 38th year of service in and with our community.

We are so grateful for your faithful, generous support all-year long.  Thank you for spreading the word about this special day of giving on Thursday, September 21st, from 6:00 a.m. until midnight.  Your extra support on North Texas Giving Day makes such a difference.

Unexpected crises can come in so many forms, and all of us need a little help every now and then.  Through August, we have seen about 600 people a day coming in for help (six days a week) – ordinary families – who just need a little support to make it through the month. We wish you could see the tears and experience the hugs that we receive when we give away for free what you have so generously given.

In a very real way, because you give, you are always in the room with us when we pass along what you have provided – such as groceries, or a little extra to pay a utility bill, or with beds, so that children can have a place to sleep.  We hope you know that you are truly making a difference in people’s lives.

How to Support Mission Arlington^® on NTX Giving Day

From 6:00 a.m. until midnight, Thursday, September 21st, you can provide extra financial support to people in need through Mission Arlington^®.

1. Give through our Website – Link Here, or
2. Give through the NTX Giving Day Website: Link Here.

You gift on this special day of community giving will make a real difference in the lives of people in need.  If you want to schedule your gift in advance, you can do it now through the North Texas Giving Day website. Thank you so much.

The Mission Arlington^® Difference.

1. Mission Arlington® is faith-based. People matter to God and to us.
2. We are open 364 days a year, closed only on Christmas Day. Emergency services are open 6-days a week.
3. We have longevity. We are in our 38th year of serving this community.
4. Our administrative overhead is low – at 1.47 percent. More than 98.5% of every dollar you give ministers directly to people in need.
5. We are accountable. In addition to a local & respected board, we are audited each year. We partner with multiple charity watchdogs, in good standing with all.
6. We are holistic, caring for the physical, spiritual, emotional & educational needs of people – a kind of one-stop shop to help.
7. We are truly grateful – aware that provisions come from the Lord through a generous community.  We do not charge for any service, and we do NOT sell or re-sell what you provide.

Come See Us

We love to see you when you drop by.  Your smiles and sweet spirits are always such an encouragement to us.   If you are dropping off donations, or if you want to volunteer, come see us anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday.  If you are needing a little help, drop by (no appointment needed) anytime between 8 and 5 Monday-Friday or 9-2 on Saturday. We love to help, and we look forward to supporting your family.

We love serving in this beautifully generous and caring community.  We do thank God for you.  Hope to see you soon!

Children from one of Mission Arlington’s Bible studies, attending a Children’s Camp this past July.

A Full & Meaningful Summer

We are transitioning from a full summer here at Mission Arlington^®.  It has been a strong season for so many reasons:

1. Emergency Assistance – By God’s grace, and through your generosity, we have been able to provide food, clothes, household items, and furniture to almost 600 people a day, six days each week.
2. Rainbow Express – Attendance in these 4-day, every week events, from the Spring through mid-August reached 17,846 children in 292 locations.  3,591 students from 125 church groups came into our community to serve and to make a difference.  We were so blessed.  325 children & youth accepted Christ through Rainbow Express^®. What a blessing.
3. Our Bible studies & congregations in over 360 locations were active and involved in people’s lives, with strong attendance, including all kinds of summer programs & weekly worship services and Bible studies.  166 students (7th-12th grade) attended our annual youth rally.
4. Summer Missionaries – Thirteen beautiful students from across Texas and around the country came to give all, or part, of their summer to serve at Mission Arlington^®.
5. Summer Camps – 1,025 student enjoyed great outdoor fun, and spiritual learning through one of Mission Arlington’s 7 camps this summer, for kids of all ages (K-12th grade).
6. School Supplies – Over 9,000 students received school supplies.

Transitioning Into the Fall Season

1. School Supplies – Our community has worked hard all summer to collect school supplies for Arlington ISD students. We collect these supplies all year round, but donations ramp up throughout the summer.  Families, neighborhoods, civic groups, and businesses all work together to get us the supplies we needed to provide students the start they need.  We have provided supplies to more than 9,000 students so far.  Wow!
2. “Back to School” groups.  Colleges & Universities often sponsor activities with their students just prior to the start of the school year.  As part of developing unity among the student body, the students come and serve at Mission Arlington^®.  We have been so blessed to have the strong, energetic, and positive support of so many students.

In All Seasons

Our ministry truly happens year-round, in every season.  We are excited about the Fall, and all of the upcoming events in each season.  Before we know it, it will be time for Thanksgiving and for our Christmas season once again.   We are so grateful for the way this community walks with us through every season.  Thank you so much.

A group of children gather outside on a mat to enjoy games, songs, crafts, and Bible stories. These 4-day weekly gatherings – from Spring to the end of Summer – are called Rainbow Express.^®

Mission Arlington’s Rainbow Express^® has concluded for the year, and what a great year it turned out to be. Rainbow Express is our version of a “back-yard Bible club,” which happens over about 2 and a half hours from Monday-Thursday each week, beginning at Spring Break and lasting through the end of the summer.  We just finished the last Rainbow Express^® experiences this past week.

The great news is that 17,846 children and youth attended Rainbow Express^® in 292 locations this year.  Wow!  That’s a lot of young people who got to experience the music, crafts, snacks, games, and Bible stories.  But wait, there is more good news, because 326 children & youth accepted Christ through one of these Rainbow Express events.

We wish that you could meet the amazing young people who come to serve in Rainbow Express^® from multiple cities across Texas, and many states across the nation. You would be so blessed to engage with these talented, energetic young people – who just want to serve to make a difference.  And make a difference, they do. This year, 3,591 young people came in 125 different groups cme from 11 states and  twenty-six (26) different Texas cities.  They blanketed our community, sharing God’s love everywhere they went.

We continue to be so grateful for this wonderful community.  Your prayers, your financial support, and the time and energy you invest when you volunteer is truly transforming our community – “one life at a time.”  We are thankful for you!

Come see us when you can! You are making a difference here!

Mission Arlington^® will host seven (7) free Camps this Summer, and they are so much fun. Two of the camps will be for older children, (4th-6th grade),  and three of these camps will be for younger children (K-3rd grade).  A final camp, towards the end of the summer, will be for students (7th through 12th grade).

For many years, we have been pleased to partner with Camp Thurman who hosts our two camps for older children.  147 children and sponsors attended the camp there this past Saturday, July 8th.  The children enjoy swimming, zip lines, rope climbs, bouncing, and an entire assortment of other games.  We also provide great food, and lots of love & personal attention from Mission Arlington’s Bible study leaders. The camp for our younger children is hosted by the Mission in central Arlington, and the last camp happens at SJ Stovall Park.

One of the great features of the camp is the Bible study time. The Bible verse and focus of the teaching time last Saturday came from Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light shine before men, so that they will see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heaven.”    The children talked about various kinds of light that provide direction in darkness, from birthday candles to flashlights.  Then, the learned how Jesus is the “Light of the World.”  It as a sweet time to study the Bible together.

We are grateful every day for the privilege we have of serving in this community.  We enjoy so much sharing God’s love, especially with our children.  Thank you so much for your constant support and for your prayers.

This grouping of students represents 1/2 of the group here in town to lead work projects an to serve in Rainboe Express this week.

In the Cambridge English Dictionary, a surge is defined as a “sudden and great movement forward.” Over the last two weeks, Mission Arlington’s mission has certainly moved forward, as the Lord has sent 1,000 students to make a difference in our community.

Where do they come from?

These student groups of varying sizes represent churches from multiple states across America, and a number of Texas cities.   Last week, students were here from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Missouri. Through Spring Break and the start of Summer, students have come from 13 Texas cities, small & large, from coast to coast.

You might think that Mission Arlington^® has engaged in some kind of massive marketing campaign to enlist the help of these churches spread across the nation. However, as Tillie says often to these groups: “We did not invite you to come, but God did.” These student groups come, simply in response to the Lord’s prompting, and we are so grateful.

What do they do when they are here?

Each morning and afternoon, these student-led groups gather to worship, to hear a devotional thought from the Bible, and to pray. When this time is over, some students stay on our campus to help with a variety of work projects and tasks before us each day.  The rest of the student groups head out into the community to lead Rainbow Express.^® Last week, these 4-day events happened in 36 different locations.  This week, our student teams are leading Rainbow Express^® in 64 locations .  More than 2,600 children & youth were in attendance last week, and over 6,500 have attended so far this year.  Rainbow Express^® includes snacks, crafts, indoor/outdoor games, singing songs, and Bible stories.  Our community’s children truly have so much fun, and they learn much about the Lord.

What is the impact?

Children love these events, because of the activity in the midst of summer, the contact with & personal care from the student groups, and because they learn more about the Lord.  Students who come to serve from across Texas or around the state are affected too.  One student from Conway, Mo. told us this week that the week of Rainbow Express as a student volunteer last year changed His life.  Wow!  What a blessing.

Join us, won’t you?

Thousands more children will attend Rainbow Express^® this Summer.  Would you keep us in your prayers?  Also, it isn’t too late for you to bring a team to come and serve.  It would be so much fun, and meaningful too.  Come join us, won’t you?

A student group from Mississippi is here in town this week, leading Rainbow Express in three (3) different locations across our community. A large group of children attended this Rainbow Express in central Arlington this afternoon.

Rainbow Express^®

Rainbow Express^® is Mission Arlington’s version of the traditional “Back Yard Bible Club.  Crafts, snacks, games, music, and Bible stories form the fun.

A Great Spring

In the Spring, nearly six thousand (5,909) children attended these four-day events in 79 different locations across our community.  92 children accepted Christ.

Summer Winds

Last week, our community’s schools let students out for the Summer.  This week, Rainbow Express begins^® again – to last throughout the Summer Season. We are truly excited.

We are off to a strong start.  Four different church groups are here in town – from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas – to lead Rainbow Express.  In the first week, on the first day, attendance has already been strong.  Children are having so much fun as they laugh, play, and learn about God’s love.

Grateful for Your Constant Support

This coming August, Mission Arlington^® will turn 37-years-old.  We can be here, because of the constant way you provide support through your prayers, your gifts, and your help.  We probably can’t say it enough.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

FUN days for children were added to the repertoire of Mission Arlington^® services over the last couple of years. Our most recent FUN day happened on the first Saturday in May.

What is a FUN DAY?

Children enjoy playing together outdoors, surrounded by loving adult leaders & mentors, while learning together about God’s love, and it is so much fun.

What happens on a FUN Day?

Early on a Saturday morning, Bible study leaders from Mission Arlington^® pick up children & youth from across the community and transport them to Parkview Fellowship, one of Mission Arlington’s congregations in central Arlington. The Parkview facility has a huge field behind the church, including Hunter’s Field, a great place to play baseball.

These active and energetic young people can play games outdoors, such as baseball, basketball, soccer, tug-of-war, and so much more.  However, they can also play all kinds of indoor table-top games too.  The fun begins around 9:30, and finishes with a Bible study and lunch just before noon.

So Much Fun!

This past Saturday, May 6th, a few hundred children came out to enjoy the sunshine, the care of loving adults, and the interaction with each other, and just running around outdoors, absent of all technology.  They were also able to hear a story from the Bible, and to experience care from so many people.

Our Gratitude

We can do these things with young people, because you constantly pray, volunteer, and provide financial resources to make our ministries possible.  We are grateful to God, and we are thankful for you!

A Special Service

Two hundred fifty (250) 7th – 12th graders from across our community were picked up by their Bible study leaders and transported to Grace Street Fellowship, a Mission Arlington^® congregation located in the center of Arlington. These students joined their Bible study leaders in a service of worship designed specifically for them.

Designed for Youth

These young people were challenged and encouraged to focus on God. They worshipped and took the “Lord’s Supper” together, then dismissed to small group time with their Bible study leaders.  Free pizza topped off this beautiful night. Beautiful voices filled the room when the student worshipped God. It was truly beautiful to experience.

With Maximum Impact

Afterwards, several students described the event as positive and meaningful.  One student shared how much the night meant to him: “I discovered that I had many things in my life that were taking the place of God,” he said.  Other students expressed how much it meant to them to worship with people who were their own age.  It was a beautiful night, and a highlight of our Easter Week.

We are grateful for the young people in our community who love the Lord and who serve Him faithfully. Please keep this beautiful group in your prayers.

We are so thankful for your constant support!

Our Last Week

Rainbow Express^® is in its last week for the Spring. Twenty-five (25) students are here from Calvary Baptist Church in Lumberton, TX, leading these creative, meaningful backyard Bible club events each afternoon, when the students get out of school.  Rainbow Express is well attended everywhere we go, because it is just so much fun for the kids.

A Wonderful Spring Experience

Rainbow Express^® in the Spring happens over a period of about five weeks, from the first week of March through the first week of April. Thirty-eight (38) student groups have served over this period from eight different states (Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee) and, of course, multiple Texas cities.

An Effective Experience

During Arlington & Grand Prairie’s Spring Break, our largest week, we held Rainbow Express^® in 51 different locations across our community.  All together, we hosted these four-day events in 75 different apartment communities and neighborhoods with a total attendance of 5,613 children.  Ninety (90) young people accepted Christ over this time period.  What a blessing.

More to Come

We are so grateful for the privilege we have of sharing God’s love through the ministry of Rainbow Express.^® We will take a short break, then begin again in late May and run through the Summer. This active & engaging ministry of Mission Arlington^® is one of our more effective methods of sharing God’s love.

Thank you so much for your constant prayers and support. We are grateful for you!