Blueprint Ministries: replacing rotting floors through the love of Christ

Dee Dee Sedgwick enjoyed directing youth ministry at University United Methodist Church in northwest San Antonio for over two decades. Besides the week-to-week demands of ministry was the challenge of orchestrating events. One summer camp stood out in its life-changing effect on the youth: Service Over Self, an inner-city construction project.

Beginning in 1994, Dee Dee and husband Perry Sedgwick (president of Sedgwick Construction) began leading student and adult volunteers to Memphis for the week-long camp. They participated in renovation work for low-income homeowners.

The Sedgwicks and other adults involved in the yearly trip desired to bring the experience to San Antonio, which has the highest percentage of substandard housing for any major U.S. city. They wondered: Why not utilize students in their own city?

After incorporating in 2004 as Blueprint Ministries, their pilot program involved 45 students repairing three homes. The numbers of participants and homes have grown yearly. Last year 8500 volunteer hours were logged. Next summer will bring 200-plus students in four one-week camps, repairing six houses each week.

Dee Dee Sedgwick now works full-time for Blueprint Ministries. She gave up her church role last April to oversee the expanding work, which now includes weekend renovation jobs in addition to the spring break and summer camp projects. Her role includes programming for incoming groups and developing relationships with churches that supply the volunteers. Blueprint Ministries is not connected to any one denomination, so her job necessarily includes fund development, and writing grant requests—which have yielded some blessed results.
“God has done so much. I can’t wait to check my messages!” Sedgwick exults. A measure of accomplishment merits her enthusiasm. Last June the ministry moved into a 100-yr-old building in south San Antonio, the former McKinley Avenue United Methodist Church. A family foundation provided funding for renovations. Another grant provided a commercial kitchen to feed the large groups of “campers.” Their building can now accommodate 120 people in its ample space. Original blueprints of the structure provided some inspiration for Blueprint Ministries’ name. An inspiring verse confirmed it: ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ (Jer. 29:11 NAS)

Blueprint Ministries provides a “safer, warmer and dryer” home, at no charge, though recipients are invited to help if they can. Some grants have come from churches to cover the cost of a home renovation—around $2500-$4000 per home. However, the ministry doesn’t end with home repair. Relationships are established through sharing the love of Jesus—the first mission of Blueprint Ministries; they also seek to fit homeowners into a local church when needed.
Heart-breaking conditions can greet the Sedgwicks when visiting potential repair sites. Needy homeowners who apply for renovations often don’t have family; many are elderly or disabled. Some must heat their homes with gas stoves; others need wheelchair access.

Perry Sedgwick offers his expertise to the ministry.  He trains and oversees renovation volunteers. While middle school kids might paint, high-school students help with roofing, tiling, or tearing up flooring. Typical renovations include roof, ceiling and wall repair, and replacement of flooring and bathroom fixtures. Electrical and other licensed work is reserved for volunteer contractors.

Students benefit from their service/training even though they pay to be there, just like other mission camps. They spend evenings enjoying a speaker and praise band. “But they are impacted,” Dee Dee Sedgwick adds, “from having been the answer to someone’s prayers.”
Church groups and individuals are invited to serve with Blueprint Ministries. Besides the renovation teams, volunteers can help with materials delivery, food preparation, and clerical work; construction workers are always needed. Visit blueprintministry.com, or call (210) 533-2761.