Aaron Menikoff

Book Review: Eldership and the Mission of God, by J. R. Briggs and Bob Hyatt

Review by Aaron Menikoff | 07.13.2015

As the culture becomes increasingly hostile towards Christianity we need elders who will keep the dock sure, steady, and unmoved, all the while holding a rope out to those drowning in the water of the culture, looking for solid ground.

Book Review: Expository Listening, by Ken Ramey

Review by Aaron Menikoff | 04.16.2015

It’s hard to sit down and listen to an hour-long sermon when you spend your day flipping from the smart phone to the iPad to the big screen.

Ten Questions to Ask of a Song’s Lyrics

By Aaron Menikoff | 08.22.2014

How then should a pastor or team of elders select music that glorifies God and serves the body?

Historical Reflections on Baptism and Church Membership

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.18.2014

Maybe it simply worth noting that there is a long history, first in England, then in the States, of Baptists addressing the question of whether the unbaptized should be accepted into the membership of Baptist churches. To put it in a less sterile way, should the church really be split over a difference in baptism? The most famous account, […]

In Defense of Preaching Models

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.12.2014

I think we need to be careful. As I read Scripture, I’m struck by a couple things that are pertinent to this topic. First, we should expect that a disciple will resemble his teacher: “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). Jesus […]

What Members Are Asking about Elders

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.11.2014

If you are reading this blog post, you may very well be at a church that is already led by a plurality elders. You may, like me, be at a church that is thinking toward moving that direction. I’m in a unique setting because I’m not the first pastor at the church I serve to […]

Reflections on Elders from 1 Peter

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.11.2014

At Mount Vernon, the church I serve, we moved to elders a number of years ago. As our elders talk about shepherding—which is always—I’ve found that one of the most helpful texts to speak from has been 1 Peter 5:2-4 where Peter writes to the elders, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your […]

J. I. Packer On Why People Leave Churches

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.10.2014

I first read Knowing God in 1994. It was a real eye-opener. It was the first book on theology that I had been introduced to, but it was written with the expectation that if I truly grasped it, my love and passion for God would increase. God used this book to increase my hunger for the Bible. […]

Evangelism without an Altar Call

By Aaron Menikoff | 9Marks Journal: Evangelism - Part 2 | 10.25.2013

Wait, you can do evangelism without an altar call? Read on.

What about Movie Clips? Applying the Regulative Principle

By Aaron Menikoff | 9Marks Journal: Is Scripture Enough? | 07.16.2013

We need to keep in mind that we are not free to do whatever we want, whatever works, or whatever good people ask us to do.

Book Review: How Sermons Work, by David Murray

Review by Aaron Menikoff | 9Marks Journal: The Underestimated Doctrine of Conversion | 02.29.2012

How Sermon’s Work is slender enough to be used by the untrained and provocative enough to stimulate healthy discussion among more experienced preachers.

Are Parachurch Ministries Evil? Bad and Good Arguments for the Parachurch

By Aaron Menikoff | 9Marks Journal: Church and Parachurch: Friends or Foes? | 03.01.2011

The failure of particular local churches may be the best, most enduring reason for the need for solid, gospel-centered, evangelistic parachurch ministries.