PM - How We Got Here

More Than Just a Good Idea

Have you ever put off a good idea? Maybe there were more pressing needs at hand, or so you thought, and the good idea was postponed until it was soon forgotten.

In the early 1980's God gave a vision, a "good idea" if you will, to a small group of Christians in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. This group, led by Rev. Glenn and Beth Frey, Dr. John Kreider, Rev. Dr. Woody Dalton and David Miller, felt the Lord directing them to open a home for the disadvantaged. They had their eyes on a building at the corner of 20^th and Paxton Streets in Harrisburg, the former Messiah Home.

Their desire was to bring hurting people to Jesus. Scripture is filled with stories of persons with this same desire--for example, the four men who lowered the paralytic through the roof to Jesus. And the parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates God's heart--that of the father racing towards and embracing his son in need.

But the Bible also has stories of person's who passed on by individuals in need of love, care and redemption. The Priest and the Levite, for example, ignored the beaten man before the Good Samaritan reached out his hand. They were too busy to help the many in need.

The group that started Paxton Street Home did not get distracted though. They were not too busy to fulfill God's purposes. They also did not let the "mountain" that stood in front of them deter them from the plan God had revealed to them.

So they went out on a limb, "put their money where their mouth was," so to speak. They offered to buy the former Messiah Home building and come up with the $100,000 down payment within three months. It was a bold move, but they knew if this vision was of God--the God who created the heavens and the earth--that the money would come in. In the few days before the three-month deadline the money did come in. A wild and wonderful journey was begun.

In November 1981, the vision finally became a reality. Paxton Street Home opened its doors, and it's founders opened their hearts, to adults of various needs. To this day these doors remain open and God continues to impart His vision to the people of Paxton Street Home.

This section of our website is dedicated to reflecting on where God has brought us, including many ups and downs along the way. Here you can read a more detailed account of the founding of Paxton Street Home and learn more about our history and growth since 1981.

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