New updated course materials available – click here to visit the UCCF web-site to download these FREE of charge!

New bulk-buy offer for churches and other organisations running the PURE course. Order packs of 10 or more and take advantage of our special prices! Click here for more details

Welcome to the website to accompany the IVP publication Pure by Linda Marshall. On this site you will find details of how to run a course based around the contents of the book Pure and find resources to help in the practical aspects of setting up a course for your Christian Union or other small group. There is an introduction from the author followed by materials to match the contents of each chapter of the book. If you have feedback or comments you wish to share about the book or the course then please email us at pure@ivpbooks.com

For Pure Course Leaders

Why Pure?
If you asked an evangelical Christian “Should the gospel affect every area of your life?”, they would undoubtedly reply “Yes!” … but in practice many young Christians aren’t sure about what this looks like in practice. In the area of sex and relationships, many are aware of “what they should and shouldn’t do” but actually aren’t very sure exactly why they should or shouldn’t. Pure aims to clearly show the reasoning why by starting from what God says in the Bible and applying that into our lives. Each session is roughly split into a Bible study section and an application section.

Why have a whole six week course on sex and relationships, why not how the gospel affects our work, or language, etc? This is an excellent question – and yes, sex and relationships is only one area among many where the gospel should have its way. But yet, as we read through the Bible and particularly the New Testament, we see that God’s Word itself puts a stress on how the Lordship of Christ should affect us as sexual beings. It is an emphasis the Bible itself has.

Experientially too, all of us will know of people, perhaps even ourselves, who have fallen away because of struggles in this area. We can all testify what a fight it can be to let Jesus be Lord in the world of our thoughts and deeds. Pure was born when we were approached by a Christian Union President who was dismayed at the number of people in the CU going out with non Christians, feeling bitter about being single or sleeping with their boyfriend or girlfriend.

Stylistically, pure uses a variety of teaching methods to suit all learning styles … from up front didactic teaching, individual reflection, group work (mixed and single sex) and brainstorming. It is fast paced and so hopes to keep everyone’s concentration.

You’ve read the book, why not run the course?

Making sense of the Pure course

• Each session lasts for 1 hour and 5 minutes (including 15 minutes for tea and coffee)
• The website contains copies of session plans (what is required, timings, bible study questions, spacefor evaluation and talk outlines/ script), overhead masters, handout masters, evaluation form masters and a powerpoint presentation to advertise pure
• The session plans are labelled as follows
• o01 pure perfection
• o02 pure rebellion
• o03 pure planets
• o04 pure sex
• o05 pure gifts
• o06 pure forgiveness
• You will need to open pure presentation in PowerPoint so it will work

• If your church / Christian Union / group has a laptop and projector available, you can use the PowerPoint presentation. You’ll need to find some thoughtful music to go alongside it – perhaps something current in the charts?
• If you don’t have access to a projector why not make flyers for everyone in the form of mini valentines cards (with the graphic of pure on the front) and a verse on the inside…
  • Roses are red
  • Violets azure
  • What does God say about sex?
  • Come and find out at pure!
  Then you can print the details of the venue and time. Why not put a love heart sweet on everyone’s seat too?
• Quite a powerful way to advertise – find quotes from people (questions, struggle and challenges – loads in the Relationships Revolution book) and the male and female leader can read these out. And along the lines of “The Bible says we are all fallen. In every area. That means we are all sinners sexually. Everyone of us in this room. Don’t struggle alone. Come to pure and find out what God’s plan is for sex and relationships…”etc.
• Anything else? Go on! Be creative!!

• Pure is run best with one male and one female leader for each session throughout the course
• In a venue with tea, coffee and nibbles available (helps people feel more relaxed!) and where chairs can be moved easily to move in and out of group work
• For sessions 3 and 4 (pure planets and pure gifts), two rooms are required for when guys and girls split
• Have a question box available during each session so that questions can be gathered each week for the final Q and A session
• The session plans provide every thing you need to run the course, including the talks. Please feel free to adapt these to your own style – as long as God’s word is explained and applied, that’s the main thing!
• Having a bookstall each week is so helpful! There are some recommended reads on the session plans. Why not contact IVP? They can make you up a greatly reduced book pack including Relationships Revolution, Sex and sensibility and The Single Issue. Copies of pure would be very useful for all the delegates. Contact IVP sales on 0115 978 1054
• Before the first session ensure that you have enough copies of pure (the book) available
• Encourage people to read the associated chapter after your session on it. It may mop up any misunderstanding and provide further reflection on what you have said.
• Before each session, make sure you have all the handouts and acetates you need for that session. Check in the section named “resources needed”
• Each session contains a Comedy Gender Gag (a joke about boys and a joke about girls). These went down surprisingly well and helped people to relax. The observational jokes about men and women worked particularly well! If you, are uncomfortable with telling jokes – then don’t! Have a look online for some appropriate jokes about men and women.
• At the last session, give out the evaluation sheets for people to fill in. Collect these at the end of the session
• Provide some sort of follow up after the course (at the very least contact details of the leaders). God’s word does its work of cutting and pruning - as leaders, we need to be pastorally aware

Pure Perfection

Pure Rebellion

Pure Planets

Pure Sex

Pure Gifts

Pure Forgiveness