Dear CCW family,
The New Year is upon us! The New Year to most of us presents something fresh with prospects beyond the normal. As a believer you may say, “This is a new start for me to go further into understanding God’s word.” That is a healthy desire and one you can certainly accomplish because it is God’s desire also. This practical article,“Reading Scripture Rightly,” may help.
For more help, read “My Preferred Way to Read the Bible,” under the “Books” menu at ccwtoday.org.
The CCW Scene
We are excited about this next year. In fact, we’re talking through several plans for the year including some new publications which we will be anxious to get to you.
But one thing overshadows all of that. By God’s kind favor, we have been given a new CCW Communicator to work with us! For some time now, we have been looking and praying for the right choice to help us in the work. No person has been clearly the “right one” until recently. Marco Scouvert, currently a missionary in South Africa, will now help us in this work. Marco is my son-in-law, married to my daughter Laura.
Marco and Laura were sent out by our church here in Kansas City to the work Marco had already started in Johannesburg, South Africa. They have done an exceptional job. Since our ministry and the church have a high view of missions and wish to put many more into the work globally, it was a difficult and prayerful decision to even ask Marco and Laura about this. Yet, we consistently saw the kindred spirit, the way God has aligned them to our purposes, the desire to live by faith in the Lord, the commitment to Scripture, and the appreciation for our direction in our writing.
Marco has been working primarily in the Johannesburg area, including the needier areas of townships and informal communities. The churches in Johannesburg and several other places there and in the US have called for his ministry in teaching as well, and he has even done several Bible Intensives using our model. So, after discussing and praying and getting the board’s approval, we have extended the request for them to consider joining us, and he has now affirmed that he believes this is God’s will.
So, for those of you who pray, here is another one on our team we want you to pray for. He will be trusting God, as we do, for all his needs. He will not ever ask for funds, just like the rest of us. We hope you will open your hearts to their family and use him in your churches, cover him in your prayers, and rejoice over God’s guidance in this important decision. He’s already working on a possible trip to a small seminary overseas, planning to serve the Lord with all his strength and heart.
Included below is Marco’s bio and a photo of the family. We all hope you will pray for him, encourage him, and use his excellent gifts. He is eager to serve the Lord by serving you.
Best wishes for a Christ-filled year!
Jim Elliff, with Steve Burchett and Marco
Marco and Laura Scouvert
Marco is a speaker and writer for Christian Communicators Worldwide. He is passionate about communicating the gospel in various ways and settings, and is a gifted Bible teacher for retreats, conferences, and seminars. He is also active in what CCW calls “Bible Intensives,” a way for groups to learn the Bible inductively.
In 2003, Marco earned his B.A. in Chemistry from The University of Buffalo. He grew up as a nominal Roman Catholic in upstate New York and became a follower of Jesus in his twenties through the personal evangelism of a coworker. He attended The Master’s Seminary in Los Angeles, California, and received a Masters of Divinity in 2014.
Marco ministered to inmates in Los Angeles County jails and men from drug and alcohol backgrounds for several years with Only Hope Prison Ministries. After that he traveled to South Africa and served the Lord for almost six years. He first labored as a Pastoral Assistant and then as a missionary engaging in evangelism and strengthening churches through supporting leaders and teaching.
Marco married Laura Elliff of Kansas City, Missouri, in 2018. They presently have two children: Abigail and Matthew.