An Annual Tradition

On the Saturday before Easter each year, the Mission Arlington^® family hosts a giant Easter egg hunt, affectionately called the “World’s Largest.” No one can quite remember how long this fun-filled, family event has been on the calendar, but it has run non-stop each year, going back at least into the 1990s.  During the pandemic, when gathering large groups wasn’t possible, we kept faith with this tradition by taking eggs out to homes, so that each family could host their own egg hunt safely and with much fun.

Dates & Times

The “World’s Largest” Easter egg hunt happens from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 16th.  The event is located outdoors, in the open field behind Grace Street Fellowship. Everyone is invited. Please bring your family and friends.

Fun for the Whole Family

This Easter egg hunt is open for all, and it is especially fun for families.  The event begins with the telling of the original Easter story. Afterwards, families sit around picnic tables to eat lunch outdoors.  Giant bouncy houses cover a large outdoor field, where children can jump and play.  Finally, we provide six-lanes of open field, with an arsenal of over 100,000 plastic Easter eggs, filled with candy.  Children (and their parents) have so much fun hunting for Easter eggs. Truly, this is an event which is  fun for the whole family .

Free of Charge

As with every Mission Arlington^® event, this one is also provided “free of charge.” There is no charge to attend the event, and no charge for anything happening within the event.

How you can help

You can bring plastic Easter eggs, and/or individually wrapped bags of candy to Mission Arlington^® anytime up to the day of the Egg Hunt.  Volunteers are also a great help. It takes “many hands” to make this event work.  If you, your family, and/or your team, would like to help, please give us a call at 817-704-6143.

We love working with children, and families.  Jesus said, “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). The Easter egg hunt is one of our favorite events of the year.  We hope to see you there!

A mom and her children volunteer at Mission Arlington.

Volunteering Values

Reports indicate that volunteers enjoy serving, because they can  (1) use their gifts to help people in need; (2) connect with others as they serve, making new friendships along the way; and 3) learn new skills while “making a difference.”

All of these indicators are so true at Mission Arlington.^®  We can also add that – not only do volunteers help us “carry the load,” making a difference in the lives of people we serve, but they enrich our lives too. We value so much the relationships we make when we serve alongside each volunteer on a daily basis. Below are a few things to know about volunteering with us.

Volunteering with Mission Arlington^®

Volunteering at Mission Arlington^® is easy enough.  All you have to do is (1)  “show up” whenever you are available, anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  (2) Come by yourself, with a friend, family members, or a team.  (3) Come for a couple of hours, a few days, or for a few days each week over time; (4) If you are bringing a group of five or more, call ahead to 817-277-6620, and we’ll get your team on our schedule. (5)) All ages are welcome here.  Children, youth, and adults make a difference here here every day.  We always have plenty to do, and your help is so appreciated. (6) We document and record your volunteer hours upon request. Check in with our Volunteer Office when you arrive, and we’ll get you going.

Volunteering brings Joy

A student from Gateway Community Church volunteers.

One of the common confessions from people as they finish a moment or a season of serving with us is that they had “so much fun.”  It truly is “better to give than to receive,” and volunteering is one of those areas that brings so much joy.  For some, it’s fun, just because they “got out of the house” and did something different.  Others enjoy being outdoors, or in a different setting, around people with similar hearts.  For many, the fun comes when they see the results of their work touching the lives of someone in need.  In and of itself, separating, sorting, and folding clothes may not be that much fun.  Yet, when you see a young mom picking up those same clothes for herself or her children, it makes all the difference.  Volunteering brings a sweetness to the soul which breaks out in big, beautiful smiles.

Come and See

We are grateful for the friendships which have formed through the years. Volunteers become a part of the Mission Arlington^® family, a canopy of care for our wonderful community.  We love it when you come by. You are making a difference here! Come see us!

Rainbow Express begins again, starting in March. Pictured here, some fun & games from a Rainbow Express event in a previous year!

A New and Exciting Season

Rainbow Express^® is “pulling out of the station.” Starting next week, student groups from around the nation and across Texas arrive to lead Rainbow Express^® throughout our community. We are so excited.

What is it?

Rainbow Express^® is Mission Arlington’s version of a “backyard Bible club,” with crafts, snacks, songs, activities, and Bible stories. These events happen from Monday through Thursday each week during Spring Break, all across our community.

How you can help!

Please pray, as Rainbow Express^® gets underway.  If you want to help, you can bring Snacks, crayons, &/or craft supplies. In 2021, more than twelve thousand students attended at least one Rainbow Express event.

We are so grateful for your support!

Mission Arlington on a cold, snowy day, February 3rd, 2022.

Coats, blankets, sweaters, and all kinds of garments to keep people warm are “flying off the shelves” here at Mission Arlington^®.  We have these items to give away, because you – the most generous community we know of – constantly provide.

We hear from you things like, “I had this extra coat in my closet, so I dropped it by.” Or, “I was at the store, and saw this on sale. I thought someone might need it.” You always make it seem like its “no big deal,” or no cost to you to give. We’ve learned to listen to the sounds of love through the years, because that’s exactly what it is when you give like you do.

Some know what it’s like not to have something warm. They remember a time when their own cupboards were bare, so they give back. Others haven’t stood in those places, but they seem to know how hard it must be for parents & children not to have food, or the warm clothes they need when the weather reaches chilly temperatures like it has this week.

We love who you are, and we wake up every day grateful for another chance to serve alongside each of you, so that ordinary people in a moment of need can receive help and find hope again.

One more thing to add – something that we know for sure. The same families receiving help today will get stronger. Then, at some time in the future, they will be the ones lending a hand to others in need, and they will do it with passion.

We are grateful for you, and all glory to God.

“Food Insecurity” is a term which refers to the “lack of access to enough food to live a health life for all household members.”

For most of us, if we discover that our pantry is bare, it’s not a crisis. We simply go to the grocery store to replenish, or we go out to eat. However, it isn’t that way for everyone.

Reports indicate that 18.1 percent of Tarrant County residents are “food insecure,” a few percentage points higher than the national average.

We don’t need a report to tell us this, because we see the people who come through our front room every day.  90% of those who come through need and receive a 3-5 day supply of food from Mission Arlington^®.

In 2021, more than 50,000 families received food, representing 176,152 people.

Mission Arlington^® has food to give, because you provide it, day after day,  You are making a difference here, and we are so grateful!  Thank you!

Students enjoying their service at Mission Arlington during on Martin Luther King’s “Day of Service” at Mission Arlington.  Come join us, won’t you?  You can make an authentic difference with your life!”

This coming Monday, January 17th, is a national holiday, celebrating Dr. King’s birthday.  It is also a day when our community loves to give back – serving others with joy and making a difference with our lives.

Mission Arlington^® will be open for this important holiday, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.  You can come and serve for all, or for part of the day.  Come by yourself, or bring a friend.  Bring your family too, even the children.  Mission Arlington is a great place for the children to learn how to give back.  We have many age-appropriate ways that the children can join in the fun, and make a difference too.  Or, you can bring your team, civic club, business associates along too, all to make a difference here.

We are getting ready for this “Day of Service” even now.  There will be clothes to sort and food to organize, plus so many other “hands on” ways that you can make a difference.

You don’t need an appointment. Just come on in whenever you are available this Monday, and we will get your team to work.

We look forward to working alongside of you.  Together, we can make a difference!

Join us, won’t you?

Year-Long Preparation

The Mission Arlington^® family prepares for Christmas all-year long, and 2021 was no exception. Every day of the year, our community drops-off Christmas gifts. We keep them, and get them up to our free Christmas Store.  Starting in February, a group of volunteers begin getting the store ready – working steadily through the year  – to place toys on shelves, and to get the store ready for the next Christmas Season.

12 Days of Christmas

Physical Results: Over 12 days this past December, our generous community provided Christmas gifts to nearly 26,000 children(25,861), including a few adults whose children picked-out gifts from the store for them. This represents more than 6,000 families (6,204). 4,500 children received bikes, and over 5,000 volunteers came to help. Wow!

Spiritual Results: An essential part of our Christmas Store is the “Christmas Story,” which we tell to every adult who comes through – this year, in 5 different languages.  As a result, 327 adults trusted Christ with their lives, and a total of 1,056 people made a spiritual decision of some kind.

So Thankful

For You: Both the volunteers who served, and the people who were receiving help recognized God’s presence and Spirit throughout this nearly two-week experience. The generosity of our community was unparalleled, bringing truck-load after truck-load of cars, so that children in need would be cared for on Christmas Day.

For God: We are thankful to God for his provisions for the children, and want Him to receive all glory for the work which happens here.  We are looking forward to serving alongside each of you again this year, especially when next Christmas roles around.

We are grateful for this amazing community!

With December’s arrival, preparations for our free Christmas Store have ramped up, and excitement is in the air. Volunteers are busy placing Christmas gifts on shelves, getting us ready for December 11th’s opening day.

Christmas Store Dates

1. December 11th – December 22nd (excluding Sundays), from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
2. December 23rd – 10:00 a.m. – noon.

Volunteer Opportunities in the Store

Coming by yourself, with your family, or a few friends?  You don’t need an appointment. Please just show up, and we’ll get you to work.  Coming with your group or team?  Give us a call at 817-277-6620, and we’ll get you on our schedule. Please note: we are kid-friendly. We love it when your children come with you. There are plenty of age-appropriate tasks for them to do.

1. Stock Room – receive, organize, and place Christmas gifts & toys;
2. Shopper Helper – help moms & dads find gifts for their children;
3. Childcare – help us care for children, while parents are shopping in our store;
4. Gift Wrap – wrap the gifts people have chosen for their children;
5. Much More – there will be plenty of ways to serve while in the store.

Christmas Gifts / Toys are needed

For children up through age 17. Wrapping paper, gift wrap, and ribbons, and tape are helpful gifts too. Here are a few ways you can get gifts to the children who will be receiving them:

1. Click on this LINK for Christmas gift ideas, then bring those gifts to the Mission Offices anytime up through Christmas Eve.
2. Purchase through our Amazon Wish List to have the gifts delivered. Click HERE.
3. Online Giving: Give directly to us online, through our secure Website. Under the option for “funds,” select “Christmas,” and we’ll use the money to provide Christmas gifts;
4. Provide a Bike for children & youth – by bringing the bike directly to us, or by providing funds online for the purchase of a bike. Select the fund “Bikes for Mission Arlington” when you give.

Your Prayer Support

As you give and volunteer, we do have one more request. Please keep this Christmas season with Mission Arlington in your prayers. It isn’t just a prayer request for enough toys or volunteers, but that God would be glorified in us and through our work, and that people would experience God’s love as they receive these gifts.  We will be telling the story of Luke chapter 2 to everyone who will be coming through the Christmas Store. Please pray that God will use the story, and all of the Christmas Season, to bring people to Him.

6,000 volunteers gather at Mission Arlington to deliver Thanksgiving food to people in need. What an amazing community.

Mission Arlington^® delivers turkeys and Thanksgiving food to more than 6,000 families (about 27,000 people) on Thanksgiving morning.  What started small has now grown into a massive undertaking of love.  Here are some ways you can help – before and on Thanksgiving Day!

Before Thanksgiving

• bringing turkeys and/or Thanksgiving food to the Mission Arlington^® offices before Thanksgiving Day. For a list of food items needed, click HERE;
• volunteering with us – anytime between 7 a.m. & 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday – to pack and prepare turkey baskets prior to Thanksgiving Day. It takes a lot of hands to get everything ready. You don’t need an appointment. Just come on down.

On Thanksgiving Day

• Be at the Mission Offices by 8:00 a.m. There will be plenty of places to park around the Mission.
• It takes about 6,000 volunteers to deliver all the food, so don’t fret if you see a lot of other people there. We still need your help;
• We will get you, your family, and/or your team registered, and then give you your assignment.
• You will pick up your turkey, Thanksgiving boxes, and make your deliveries, and you will be such a blessing to the people receiving the food.
• We typically finish by noon, and then you can go home to have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your own family and friends.

If you are bringing a team with you, or a group, give us a call, and we’ll provide you with a special set of instructions for the day.

We are so blessed to be working in this faithful, generous community.  Thank you for making a difference in this Thanksgiving Season.

Children enjoy a beautiful day outdoors with their families at our annual Fall Festival. The smiling faces pictured here are enjoying a hayride. 2,197 children attended with their family. It was such an amazing day. We are grateful for your support.

Our annual Fall Festival has come on gone, but the beautiful experience still remains in full view. More than two thousand (2,197) children attended this free, outdoor event last Saturday.

Families enjoyed a day with their children and grandchildren. Bouncy houses, hay rides, a hot lunch, and outdoor carnival games were all part of the fun.  The weather cooperated too, making it a great day to enjoy a safe and fun, outdoor event for the whole family.

About 300 volunteers – seniors, youth groups, and college teams, churches, and businesses – gave their Saturday to make a difference. They cooked hotdogs, served thousands of free meals, drove tractors filled with hay around an open field, helped children in and out of bouncy houses, and cheered children on at the outdoor carnival games.

As with all of Mission Arlington’s services, the event was completely free from start to finish. Plus, every child received multiple, fun prizes, and some candy to boot.

The entire event, from start to finish, was so much fun.  We are grateful for the privilege we have of serving the Lord alongside this wonderful community. Thank you so much for your support.