Buying a 1910 House with No Money and a Lot of Faith
(2000)
One ordinary afternoon, a staff member walked past the post office and noticed a “For Sale” sign. It hung in front of a run-down house built in 1910.
To most, it was an historical landmark in De Soto in need of lots of TLC. But when Bill Wilting and that staff member stepped inside, vision took over. This house could be so much more. Offices. A soda shop for teens. A place to house high energy big events for hundreds of teens.
There was just one problem: the ministry had no money and no line item in the budget for expansion.
A Scrap of Paper and a Big Dream
Plans for renovation were sketched out on a scrap piece of paper. The dream felt impossible—but at the same time, undeniable. God had already been stretching DYM’s capacity. Teens were crowding into the back alley basement café a block away. Lives were being changed. It was time to step forward in faith.
For more than a year, volunteers labored to transform the historic house. Walls were torn out, new electrical installed, floors refinished, paint applied, and prayers lifted. Little by little, the house took shape as a ministry center.
Why It Mattered
That house became more than a headquarters. It was a safe place for teens to belong. A hub for discipleship. A launching pad to ignite purpose in young lives and for new initiatives. What seemed impossible without funding became a testimony to God’s provision.
Sometimes vision looks foolish until God provides. This house reminded DYM that mission expands not by our resources, but by God’s.
Join the Story
Pray for courage to say yes to God’s invitations.
Give to sustain spaces where people encounter Jesus.
Gather with us in spaces that continue to shape lives.