Outreach + Missions

Outreach Ministry

Our Outreach ministries exist to make Him known in transformational ways locally, regionally, and globally through our communities, church-wide collaborations, and mission partnerships.

At Arbor Road we desire to be “Salt & Light” in our community and world through our Great 8 initiatives to serve the Hungry, Thirsty, Stranger, Naked, Sick, Imprisoned, Orphan, and Widow.

Read more about our local partnerships below

Food Pantry

Our food pantry is managed by our food team and supplies meals for those who are in need in our community. We are so grateful for the donations made to our food pantry during the pandemic. If you are interested in donating, please send an inquiry to info@arborroad.com

Olive Crest - TAY Ministry
Our Transitional Aged Youth ministry with Olive Crest is a partnership where our outreach team and church members donate resources, skills, and time to serve and  support young men and women who have aged out of the foster care system. These events are seasonal and periodic. Look for announcements.
Women for Missions
Our women’s missionary care groups meet once a month for fellowship and to support our missionaries & mission organizations supported by Arbor Road. There are currently five groups that meet for this purpose. If you are interested in WFM, please email info@arborroad.com for more information.
Homeless Outreach
Our outreach to the homeless involves two simple components. 1) Lift Kits are available in the church lobby for purchase (to maintain stock) if you’d like to hand one out to anyone in need. A Lift Kit is a simple hygiene and help kit. 2) We have an ongoing donation drive for jackets, shoes, beanies, and socks. To donate please contact our outreach team.
Long Beach Rescue Mission

Every 1st Thursday and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 5-7:30pm, we send a group to serve hot meals and put on a chapel service for the residents at the Long Beach Rescue Mission.

Stories

“This is a love thing for me. I get to connect and love the people by handing out food. And the consistency is important because the people rely on the help.”
Mark
Food Pantry Volunteer
“In that moment of receiving [C’s] husband’s donated clothes, I felt healing and comfort in the heart for both of us. It was an honor to care for someone else in need.”
Abel
Widow Care Volunteer
“When I help make an Easter basket for a TAY it brings a sense of community with the TAY. My hope is that when they get the baskets, I hope they see that they can give back to their community as well in any way they are able.”
Trinity
TAY Volunteer

Regional Partnerships

Our regional partnerships are ministry agencies we partner with beyond our immediate community to assist people in a variety of ways.

Mexican Medical

Providing medical aid, health fares, and food assistance for the needy all over Mexico.

California Department of Corrections - Chaplain Sandra Evans

Providing Bible studies, discipleship, counsel, and prayer for women in jail.

Long Beach Rescue Mission

Volunteers may assist in cafeteria food service, chapel service, mentoring, and tutoring.

Gideons

Free Gideon Bibles are provided throughout the world.

Precious Lamb Preschool

Daycare, school, and meals are provided for children of homeless parents in downtown Long Beach.

His Nesting Place

Crisis pregnancy shelter and church, which assists in helping pregnant mothers in crisis and homeless mothers with children.

GLOBAL MISSIONS

In alignment with the vision of Arbor Road Church, “to know God and make Him known”, the ARC Global Missions Ministry exists to “Multiply Transformational Churches through Strategic Collaboration.”

Our Missionary Partnerships

We enjoy hearing about the missions work that happens every day through our Missionary Partners across the globe. Below are 10 of the missionaries we partner with. Take some time to read about where God has placed them and pray for their specific needs.

Interested in partnering with us for a long-term or short-term mission trip?

Please fill out an application below. We’d love to get to know you and hear about your call to missions.

Meet the Outreach Team

Ashraf

Egypt

Ashraf is from a Muslim majority country in the Middle East.  Ashraf came to know Christ as a young man.  He is now part of the Converge movement to reach Muslims throughout the Middle East.  Ashraf also coaches USA churches in local outreach to Muslims.

Tim + Bethany Spears

Philippines

Eastern Visayas School of Theology is a cloud school that we have started in partnership with local Converge churches. Our teaching, collaboration, and current campus is all online on various cloud-based applications. Later, we hope to also have physical locations as well once the pandemic crisis is brought to an end in the Philippines. We also hope that this school’s influence will continue to extend and expand beyond the Philippines.

Kris

Undisclosed

Kris is reaching Muslims with the Gospel in an undisclosed location.  She has had a life-long history with Arbor Road Church, where she was dedicated to Christ a few weeks after birth.  Then at just 7 months old she left California with her international family starting fellowships in South America.   Kris attended LCS during 2 home assignments.  Today she is part of a team seeking to reach Muslims through a wide variety of humanitarian outreach efforts.   She has built friendships with dozens of families from many North African countries and shares the gospel privately.  The goal is a church of Muslim background believers that will reproduce planting daughter churches

Rachel Closs

Papua New Guniea

Lord willing I will be heading to Papua New Guinea this year, to join a team and move into a tribe where we will learn their language and culture, teach them God’s Word and disciple them to be followers of Christ who continue to grow and mature as they reach out to those around them and beyond. This will not happen overnight and it will not happen on my own. With the help of God’s Spirit in us and the support from His Body – the Church – He will make His name known.

Paul and Margie Varberg

Philippines

The Varbergs are church planting in Tacloban City among the Waray People of Leyte Island. At the beginning of the Varberg ministry, the Waray were considered an unreached people group. Paul and Margie have started the Tacloban Community Church, the University Student Center and the Bethel International School. They have assisted in establishing several daughter churches in outlying towns and villages. Among their current projects is a NT translation in the language of the Waray people.

Stephanie Sudman

Democratic Republic of Congo

Stephanie Sudman is working with Africa Inland Mission in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo. She and her team are working with churches to encourage and train children and youth ministry leaders within the church.  Sunday Schools, Bible Study groups and Kid’s and Youth activities are all part of the vision to build a mature, Christ-Centered Church. She is currently working with three small churches to start Sunday school programs and develop curriculum for both teacher training and kids Sunday school.

Brian + Christine Virtue

Philippines

Brian is leading the Executive Team at IGSL (Philippines) in Strategic matters (2025 post-pandemic strategic planning, 2021-2022 Strategic planning, Digital transformation, online education initiative, and program innovation. These are all teams I’ve been leading over the past year. Christine has led the Partners in Ministry Team through their navigation through many of the same issues.

Kellee Popp

National School Project, California

For 18 years, we’ve equipped Christian students as “teen evangelists” to reach their peers and classmates for Christ. To date, we’ve seen over 9,000 students from nearly 400 schools give their lives to Christ through on-campus, student-led outreach events. The best part? These students now have the confidence to be evangelists for years to come. Kellee’s main job throughout the year continued to be building relationships with our donors and inviting them to give financially to NSP. And as a result I was able to invite donors to make EOY gifts, and pledges for 2021.

Joash Mutua

Kenya

The church in Africa is growing rapidly but many of the pastors and church are poorly trained. Joash holds workshops where pastors come together for training and equipping. Joash also is pastor of Neema Church near the airport in Nairobi, which is growing rapidly. Esther meets with the wives of the pastors to teach and encourage them.

Interested in staying connected to our ministry via text updates?

Text HSMFAMILY to 51400 to be added to the list!

*No spam, just helpful reminders

groups

HEading For Popup

This is some optional text for your popup.