Parenting by Paul David Tripp
Week 9: Principle 8 — You Need to Operate as a Community
Read Chapter 8 of Parenting by Paul David Tripp.
Previewing Week 9 of Parenting
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 17-week guide when you’re ready.
Against the fiercely individualistic grain of modern parenting culture, Tripp argues that parents were never meant to do this alone — and that the local church community is one of God's gifts to the family. This week invites you to examine your connections.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Tripp argues that isolated parenting is unbiblical parenting. What is his case for the necessity of community, and why do you think so many Christian parents default to going it alone?
2.He points to the local church as the God-designed community within which families are meant to function. What does it look like — practically — for a church to actually support and invest in the parents and children in its midst?
3.Tripp describes how isolation breeds a kind of private mythology in families — unchecked patterns, blind spots, and distorted self-perceptions that community would correct. What blind spots in your parenting do you think community might expose?
a.Are you in relationships deep enough for that kind of honest feedback?
b.If not, what is preventing it?