Month: September 2015

Extreme brutality is not incompatible with establishing a new state. It may not be the wisest course of action, and it probably won’t create a state many people would want to live in. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work, according to William McCants in his book The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State. The book provides a range of sobering insights into the organisation which has overtaken Al Qaeda as the most obnoxious in the world.

Where did it all start? The author traces the rise of the Islamic State back to 1999, when a hot-headed Jordanian named abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi visited Afghanistan to join al-Qaeda. After the collapse of the Taliban, Zarqawi relocated his operations to Iraq, ready to conduct guerrilla warfare during the anticipated American invasion, and to conduct sectarian warfare on behalf of the Sunnis against the Shi’a. By 2006, Zarqawi’s ambitions extended beyond al Qaeda to the formation of an Islamic State and, although he was killed by the US in June 2006, an Islamic State was proclaimed in October 2006 by his followers.

The Islamic State foundered for its first several years, being a state in no more than ideology. However, the organisation strengthened significantly in 2013 and 2014, and in June 2014 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named caliph. As a Caliphate, it now claimed authority over all Muslims in the world, and many Muslims from other countries who found the Islamic State’s apocalyptic worldview persuasive flocked to take up arms is support of the Caliph in Iraq and Syria.

The book provides extensive insights into the Islamic State’s history, leadership and beliefs. Some of the most interesting insights are based on correspondence between al Qaeda and various Islamic State leaders which has come into the public domain. The motivations and modes of thought of Islamic State leaders are poorly understood in Western countries. This book should help to address that lack of knowledge.

A church without volunteers is an unhealthy church, because the act of volunteering is an expression of worship, it serves people, and it builds relationships. Churches are among the few organizations where the same people are the owners, the funders, the staff, and the customers, according to Leith Anderson and Jill Fox in their book The Volunteer Church: Mobilizing Your Congregation for Growth and Effectiveness.

Part 1 of the book addresses the issues involved in building a volunteer culture, Part 2 discusses ways of recruiting volunteers, and Part 3 covers volunteer training and care. The best method of recruiting volunteers is said to be using other volunteers. Happy volunteers are keen to recruit others, so one of the key ways of maximising recruitment is to take good care of the volunteers you already have.

In addition to providing the theory, the authors provide some useful practical tools. Appendix 1 provides a training plan for staff and those who lead volunteers, covering 5 key steps of volunteer development: recruiting, training, building the team, appreciating and celebrating, and empowering. Appendix 2 provides an outline for a personal Volunteer Development Plan.

I am not a big fan of the distinctions large churches tend to make between “staff” and “volunteers” which tend to assume that staff have the skills and volunteers are unskilled. Nevertheless, church staff are usually the ones responsible for making sure the ministry gets done, and in my opinion this book provides some useful ideas to help with recruiting, organising, deploying and maintaining lay ministry teams.

Leadership doesn’t require a written invitation. It isn’t something that only “important people” can do. It isn’t a function of money, power, or title, although these elements can certainly affect, for better or worse, your ability to pursue your aspirations. Leadership is a way of thinking that engages your special talents now and, ideally, for the rest of your life, according to Robert Kaplan in his book What You Really Need to Lead: The Power of Thinking and Acting Like an Owner.

My full review of the book is available at my business book reviews website.

Today’s availability of technology means that any business in any industry can develop an audience through consistent storytelling. No longer does the company with the biggest marketing budget win the most attention. Businesses are now rewarded on the substance of their message and on the audience they can attract through the consistent flow of information, according to Joe Pulizzi in his bookContent Inc: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses.

My full review of the book is available at my business book reviews website.