Administration is always part of the package

I don't know about you but I honestly would be perfectly happy if I never had to do anything administrative ever in my life. The problem is, no matter how big or small a youth ministry is you can never delegate everything to someone else and so you wind up doing something administrative. Maybe it is just me but I hate doing even the simplest things like making phone calls or putting together camps or making sure that everything is in order for the after school program. Probably the most difficult thing for me is making phone calls, which probably comes from being a part of the impersonal generation where social networking has become way more popular. Seriously, I am way less terrified of someone rejecting me or getting angry at me if it is done over facebook than if I am talking on the phone with them or talking with them in person. Over e-mails or facebook or text I have plenty of time to think up a logical gentle response that keeps me from sounding like a complete jerk. Over the phone or in person I have no time, I must respond right away and it better be a good response too.

Now, I have learned that not all administrative things are connected with some sort of possible conflict or possible rejection. But, just because something administrative isn't going to create a conflict doesn't make it any more exciting. I don't jump out of my seats when I have to make flyers or create lists or handle money. I would much rather play a game of Egyptian War with my students who are pretending to be working on their homework in the other room, which is probably the only game I have a 99% chance at winning. I win so much at the game because I am so fast at slapping the deck every time there is a double of a card and then I win the whole pile. However, just today I realized now matter how boring or repetitive or annoying doing administrative "type" things are the more you do them the easier it gets. Honestly, what started out as something that felt like teethe pulling I realized isn't as terrible as I thought and I am getting better at it as well. I am still terrified of taking care of things that might cause some sort of conflict but I have come to a point where I am more adept at dealing with whatever conflict that may show itself.

So, in a sense, practice makes perfect, or rather practice makes something terrible a whole lot more bearable.
Seriously, I am really good at Egyptian War.

B.