Tripp Age Of Opportunity Summary

In his book, Age of Opportunity, Tripp works to discuss the biblical role of parenting in a teenager’s life. While this book is not specifically geared toward youth ministry, many aspects of it can still be taken and used to supplement the youth leaders approach toward teenagers. This is because youth ministry is meant to compliment and support the family. Three things that specifically impacted me while reading this book include Tripp’s chart that identifies the themes of modern culture, his discussion on taking small steps to address change, and his points on preparing teenagers to leave home. Each of these ideas have helped to further shape and mold the way I will carry out my ministry.
On page forty-eight of his book, Tripp offers a chart …show more content…
In this chapter, he explains, “Mountains are not conquered in a single step. Relationships do not change overnight. Change is a process, not an event. God does his miraculous work of change through the small, faithful steps we take” (234). He goes on to outline these steps, including practical applications that can be made to the life of the leader. One important step that Tripp outlines is that everyone is a sinner and that leaders should not be surprised by their student’s struggle with sin. Tripp states, “You know that your teenagers live in a fallen world. You know that he is a sinner by nature. You know that Satan exists as a liar, schemer and tempter. You should not be shocked or surprised at the presence and power of sin in your child’s life. You should expect war” (238). I agree with Tripp and believe that it is important to remember and reflect on your own struggles with sin. Although leaders are often much more mature and experienced in handling the battle with sin, they were all once in the same position as these students. Acknowledging this can help leaders better understand, know how to minister to, and be more patient with their students. This is something that I will try to implement into my own ministry. If I can remember my own struggles with sin, then I will be able to strengthen my ministry to these students through my own experiences and …show more content…
In addition, they create an entire tool kit for youth leaders. Doug Field’s book, Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry, discusses the aspects that you will experience in the beginning stages of your youth ministry and how to successfully navigate those aspects. In his words, “it’s about making good choices so you’ll survive and become a healthy youth worker for the long haul, no matter what your role” (13). Supplemental to that, is Mark DeVries book, Sustainable Youth Ministry, which covers the challenges that youth ministry presents and advice on how to handle such