The Blueprint A blueprint is a guide for making something. It is a design or pattern that can be followed. When we sit down to build something, we normally draw up a blueprint and then follow the design carefully. A blueprint helps you determine what to do. In this manual "The House of God" our goal is to discover God's blueprint for local churches and local communities of believers. We also share practical ways to build local churches according to God's blueprint. Our goal is not to present one set of "methods" and "techniques", but rather discover what God wants the local church to be. Each one of us will have to make our own journey with God as we develop our local congregations according to God's blueprint. Each one of us will have to discover our own expression of this blueprint in our local communities. Since God is a creative God, He has many ways and many expressions of His blueprint. The one common denominator is that we are all pursuing the same blueprint for each local church. The blueprint describes God's design. It is God's original intent. It highlights main characteristics. It describes key features. It points to important focus areas. When we follow His blueprint we know we are moving in the right direction and will eventually arrive at the right destination for our local churches. Your Ministry And God's Blueprint Regardless of what your ministry is inside or in relation to the local church, it is important that what you are doing, is aligned to God's blueprint for His people. As a pastor/Senior pastor, your responsibility is to ensure that the local church is growing and developing in all dimensions according to God's blueprint. As an itinerant evangelist, teacher, prophet or apostle whenever you minister to a congregation, your goal is to help impart and increase the congregation in some way according to God's design for the local church. Whether you serve as a youth pastor, worship leader, children's church, women's ministry, men's ministry, small groups, etc. you are working towards establishing God's blueprint in the lives of His people in that local church. Follow God's design closely and you will not go wrong!