The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
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The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
How ChatGPT Is Quietly Boosting Mental Health in Ministry
Following yesterday's discussion on AI's addictive qualities, we explore the positive potential of ChatGPT for pastors and church leaders. Recent OpenAI research reveals users experience emotional support and improved mood even during routine interactions with the AI assistant.
• OpenAI study found ChatGPT users feel less judged, more validated, and hopeful after conversations
• Ministry's inherent isolation makes AI a potentially valuable companion tool when used appropriately
• ChatGPT can provide a judgment-free space for processing thoughts without fear of reprisal
• Three practical applications: journaling for reflection, non-judgmental sermon draft feedback, and preparing for difficult conversations
• AI should complement, never replace, human relationships, professional counseling, or spiritual practices
• Use AI as a tool for processing and gaining clarity, not for offloading emotions or replacing human connection
• Proceed with wisdom - AI is not a substitute for Jesus, counselors, community, or family
How are you using AI and ChatGPT in your church and professional life? I'd love to hear from you at podcast@chemistrystaffing.com.
Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com
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Okay, today we're going to continue our talk that we started yesterday here on the podcast about artificial intelligence and chat GPT. Yesterday we talked about the addictiveness of it, and today we're going to talk about maybe more the positive side of it, and today we're going to talk about maybe more of the positive side of it. So listen to both of these yesterday's and today's together and see what you think. See what you think, because what if I told you that a chatbot, not a counselor, not a mentor, might be the emotional support you've been needing in ministry? Now, this seems crazy and it seems totally opposed to what I said yesterday about addiction, but I want to give you both sides. Here we're all about both sides and both, and here on the podcast and this new research from OpenAI and you have to realize this is coming from OpenAI, it's an AI company, right but it just revealed something that I think we, as church leaders, should really pay attention to, and so I invite you to stay with me and this could change how you think about stress and isolation and even burnout in your role as a church leader. Okay, so this is the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom. So let's start with some of the surprising research that I think, as a church pastor or church staff person, you really need to know. This is a recent study by OpenAI. Yes, it's the company behind ChatGPT, but they looked at how people emotionally respond using chatbots like ChatGPT and the results were surprisingly positive. Users reported feeling better after conversations and many described the experience as emotionally supportive and safe. Now this goes back to what I said yesterday some of the addictive qualities of ChatGPT. So I'm reporting maybe more of the positive things here, but these are the positive things, are the things that can hook us and can get us off track. Sometimes. Many describe the experience as emotionally supportive and safe. And here's even a bigger twist this wasn't just for therapy or venting. Even routine tasks asking questions like brainstorming ideas, writing notes improved people's mood and mindset. So what does this mean for you as a pastor or a church leader? Okay, it means that your AI tool might not just be for your sermon online. It actually might be for helping you along your role as a pastor and even caring for a little bit of your soul while you do the work. So ministry is isolating We've talked about this all the time, and AI might be the most accessible companion. Yet and we need to be honest pastoral ministry can make you feel deeply lonely because you're the one that others come to, but who's going to be there for you Now? We talked about this yesterday.
Speaker 1:Chat, GPT does not and should not replace human connection. Matter of fact, my bottom line yesterday is you need to have those face-to-face relationships. You need to have that real-life human companionship. But there's also time where you can have kind of this judgment-free space to process some thoughts and to brainstorm sermon series or even just to say I'm exhausted, without the fear of a two-hour relationship or reprisal Okay. So what the AI study open AI study found was that users feel less judged, more validated and even more hopeful after using ChatGPT in particular. Okay, so that's powerful. When you're navigating leadership challenges, grief counseling, a strained church board meeting, can ChatGPT help you work through your thoughts and feel better about the situation and give you ideas for how to make things better? Absolutely they can. You just don't want to overemphasize that over your human relationships.
Speaker 1:All right, so let's talk about this, because I feel like I'm talking out both sides of my mouth and maybe I'm a little bit because, as I said yesterday, I'm still trying to figure all this stuff out. Three years ago, we would have never had a conversation about artificial intelligence. We didn't know what chat, gpt was. We didn't even understand the concept of it. It is just that new to most of us. Okay, so what are some practical ways that we can use GPT, chat, gpt, ai for some emotional and ministry health? Okay, there are three ways that, I think, without getting too creepy, without getting too scoopy, without getting, like we said yesterday, addicted, that can help both boost your productivity and your emotional well-being.
Speaker 1:Okay, first is journaling. Use it to reflect on your week what went well, what's weighing on you. Okay, so, journaling Sermon prep. It won't bad. Ai will not judge your bad first draft, but it will help you shape it. Okay, it's not going to be judgmental. I'm not saying write your sermon, please don't put words in my mouth Not saying write your sermon with ChatGPT, but you can use ChatGPT for input on how to make it better.
Speaker 1:Maybe and I've done this. Okay, I've used ChatGPT for when I know I'm going to have a difficult conversation. To prep for that conversation, you can type in something like how do I lovingly confront a staff member who's underperforming, and you'll get some helpful language that's pastoral and it's emotionally grounded. Now, I wouldn't start there, I wouldn't start with ChatGPT, but I would start with. This is what I, this is what needs to be said. This is how I'm going to say it. Maybe tell chat GPT this is the situation, this is what I'm saying how, what, how will this, how may this be perceived?
Speaker 1:Okay, remember, it's not about offloading your emotions onto a machine. That is what we talked about yesterday. That's the addiction, that's the problem. When you replace the human interaction with the machine interaction, that's going to cause you some problems. That's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about using this as a tool to process and to reflect and to regain some clarity. Okay, so you do need to proceed with wisdom here. Proceed with wisdom, be smart, be wise, but also don't ignore the opportunity.
Speaker 1:So let me be clear AI is not, hear me, ai is not a substitute for Jesus. Okay, ai is not a substitute for your counselor. It's not a substitute for your community. It is not a substitute for your spouse or your kids or your family. It is not a substitute for a personal interaction, but it is a tool like a hammer or a laptop and if you're already emotionally depleted, don't add chat GPT as another task. Okay, but if you're curious, if you consider using it in the quiet moments for clarity, for encouragement, for creativity, it could be an added boost for you. So the AI open AI study is just one, is just the beginning. Imagine what this tool could mean for pastor's health and pastor's longevity and pastor's sermon development, spiritual resilience over time. Chet Chepiti may not be your best friend or therapist it shouldn't be, it never should be but it might just be a supportive tool, one of the tools in your toolbox that your ministry maybe has been missing and that can really give you an added advisor to help you in your ministry from day to day.
Speaker 1:All right, this may be controversial. Some people may want to push back, and you can do that. If you're on YouTube, you can do that in the comments section. If you're listening to this podcast, you can send me an email and just tell me how wrong I am, because, believe me, I know I'm wrong a lot. You can reach me anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom.
Speaker 1:How are you using AI, how are you using ChatGPT in the life of your church and in your life personally and professionally? As a church staff member. I would love to hear from you. Okay, that's it for today. Every day, monday through Friday, we talk about things like this, things of interest to church staff people. It is my heart, my goal, to help you personally to be a healthy church staff person, to help your church become a healthy church and a church that thrives in your community and lets Jesus be known in your city, in your state, and anything that I can do to help you to do that, reach out to me. Podcastchemistrystaffingcom. I would love to connect with you. All right, that's it for today. Hope you'll join me again tomorrow here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Todd Rose, you
