How do you change the direction of a church? That’s not an easy question to answer or an easy thing to do. Typically if change is going to occur it is initiated by the pastor. He drives it. He sells it. He leads it. There are a number of approaches pastors take to create change. Suppose for a minute you were the pastor of your church and you wanted change to occur. You could preach about the new direction and hope that change would occur. As the pastor, you could use the “as if” approach and assume people understood and were “on board” with the change and begin functioning “as if” the change were already occurring. As the pastor you could legislate change through board meetings, congregational meetings, etc.

A good question to ask of anything we do in the church including changing direction is, “Is what we are purposing to do rooted in Biblical principle or example?” NCFP encourages pastors to take an approach to changing the direction of a church which is both. It is Biblical and requires both lay and clergy participation. We call it the “Permeation Principle.” What is the Permeation Principle? It is the principle of change found in Galatians 5:9, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." Often used in the Bible as an illustration of sin because of its corrupting power, yeast illustrates the Permeation Principle.

What do you know about yeast and how it works? First, you know that it is very small, in fact, it is tiny compared to the lump into which it is placed. It doesn’t take a lot of yeast to create the desired effect on the lump, does it? Second, you know that yeast causes fermentation and soon the entire lump is fermented. The character of the yeast is taken on by the whole lump. Soon the whole lump is changed because of the yeast. That is the Permeation Principle in a nutshell. In contrast, a small number of changed, committed people can, like yeast, change the direction and character of the whole church by influencing others for good.

The Permeation Principle applies to the purity ministry in a local church. Like yeast, it does not require a large number of men and women who are walking in purity. A church needs a “critical mass” of men and women, to begin the change process. Second, like yeast, those pure men and women can begin to permeate the congregation and influence others to desire purity for their lives. Soon the entire congregation begins to experience the effects of purity. Women will know that men are looking at them righteously, not lustfully. Men will stop sexually sinning. Teens and children will see godly role models. The command of God to “be ye holy even as I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) will be taken seriously.

This is why the National Coalition For Purity exists. Not simply to purify men, women, or teen, although that is a priority. NCFP exists to “purify the Bride of Christ, one church at a time.” How will we do this? Through the Permeation Principle. We will purify the critical mass of men, women, and teens who the Lord gives us and pray for Him to use them to permeate the entire congregation with purity. It is a great vision! We are grateful for your partnership with us in turning the vision into reality. Thank you!