From June 7 through June 14, 2019 Dr. John T. Spoede, Jr., LPC-S, LCDC, NCC, CSC (Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, National Credentialed Counselor, Certified School Counselor and the Director, Center for Research and Doctoral Studies and Assistant Professor of Education), acted as the trip lead for a group of 23, including the youth group, at South Main Baptist Church as they ministered on a mission trip to Collique and Lima, Peru. Leading up to the trip, Dr. John T. Spoede, Jr., LPC-S, LCDC, NCC, CSC met with students to prepare them for the trip by learning about various aspects related to the culture of Peru and assisting the students with the exploration and application of their spiritual gifts. While in Peru, Dr. Spoede participated in local children’s ministry and the local youth ministry at Luz de Esparanza church in Collique, Peru, and was the keynote speaker for Colegio San Andres 102nd anniversary assembly in Lima, Peru. Furthermore, he assisted with translating lessons prepared by the South Main Baptist Church youth as they taught to the children in Operacion San Andres (OSA). More information on the mission can be found at OperacionSanAndres.org. Both the youth group of South Main Baptist Church (comprised of 17 students) and the children who participate in the OSA mission (approximately 60 students in K-3rd grades), learned about God’s love for us, and the love we are called to have for each other. Dr. John Spoede is also a licensed and ordained minister and served as the family ministry associate for Missions at South Main Baptist Church.
On Thursday, June 17, 2019, Dr. Spoede was invited to present to Fort Bend Counseling Association, which is a Chapter of the Texas Counseling Association. He was the lead facilitator and presenter for a panel discussion on ethics in counseling and counseling supervision. The session covered a wide variety of topics. First, the ethical decision-making model was reviewed and presented. Next, an overview of ethics was presented and discussed. Additionally, specific real-world case studies were presented, analyzed and discussed. Then, a discussion about the interaction of counseling practice and counseling supervision was discussed and real-world cases were presented, analyzed and discussed. The session goals were to educate counselors on the various ethical decision-making models. Additionally, counselors were educated about ethical codes, state laws, and other governing tenants for the counseling profession. Another goal was for counselors to learn from real-world scenarios and apply laws, ethical codes, and an ethical decision-making model to these scenarios. Finally, ethical dilemmas related to supervision were presented, analyzed and discussed, as well as how to document the ethical decision-making model when deciding how to proceed with issues related to counseling and counseling supervision. Finally, Dr. Spoede facilitated a question-and-answer session with the panel, in which counselors shared about their concerns and general experiences related to ethical dilemmas and ethical decision-making models as they apply to counseling and counseling supervision.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Spoede was reelected for a second three-year terms as senator for the Fort Bend Counseling Association (from 2019-2022). Additionally, Dr. Alvia Baldwin, NCC, LPC-S, CSC was elected as the secretary for the Fort Bend Counseling Association for 2019-2020.
From June 19 through June 23, 2019, Dr. Spoede acted as the trip lead for group of 32 participants, including the junior high group at South Main Baptist Church, as they ministered on a mission trip to Geary, Oklahoma. Leading up to the trip, Dr. Spoede met with students to prepare them for the trip by learning about various aspects related to the culture of the Native American population generally and aspects of the Native American church specifically. He also assisted the students with the exploration and application of their spiritual gifts. While in Oklahoma, Dr. Spoede participated in service projects to the All Tribes Baptist Church, Geary Elementary, and the local nursing home. These projects varied from construction, to painting, to facilities maintenance, to interactions with students at the school and patients at the nursing home. The All Tribes Baptist Church was founded as part of the American Baptist Church. Both the junior high group of South Main Baptist Church (comprised of 25 students) and the church, school and nursing home learned about God’s love for us, and the love we are called to have for each other. Dr. Spoede is also a licensed and ordained minister and served as the Family Ministry Associate for Missions at South Main Baptist Church.
On Friday, June 28, 2019, Dr. Spoede was published in The City Journal, a publication of Houston Baptist University. He was published in the Christianity, Mind and Mental Health, Winter/Spring 2019 edition of the online journal. His article was titled, “Christian Counseling: My Life, Calling and the Counseling Ministry.” His article chronicled his own life experiences related to faith, his calling to ministry, the shape of his ministry, and the actualization of various aspects of his life in service to the Lord. He also offered an overview of Christian counseling, including references to Scripture and the growing need in society for Christian counselors and resources to support the ministry of Christian counseling. Further, Dr. Spoede discussed the spectrum found within Christian counseling. The four models explored in the article are 1) Level of Explanation Model, 2) Integration Model, 3) Christian Psychology Model and 4) Biblical Counseling Model. Additionally, Dr. Spoede discusses the various organizations that support each of the models of Christian counseling. The full article is available online (The City).