John Tolson and his wife, Punky, are committed followers of Jesus Christ, and for many years they have daily pursued Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 to “make disciples.” John and Punky see Jesus’s Disciple-Making efforts throughout the four gospels as a lifestyle of developing life-on-life relationships through a three phase process: Learning, Following and Reproducing. Most often it is the “reproducing” phase that tends to be forgotten. It’s one thing to learn about the Christian faith from someone and follow them as they follow Christ, but if you don’t take the truths that have been invested in you and pass them onto someone else, the cycle is broken. Thus, John and Punky want to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples!
John is also the author of The Four Priorities – a guide to help disciple-makers in the discipling process. Now in its third printing, The Four Priorities is being used in churches and by individuals all across the country and in Cuba. Take A Knee, another book by John, is a motivational book based on the locker room messages he gave while serving as team Chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys.
Punky is an experienced Bible study author and teacher, as well as an inspirational speaker. Additionally, she was a contributing writer for the book God Crazy Freedom, a compilation of stories of redemption and overcoming challenges, designed to give women hope in Christ.
Both John and Punky are sought after speakers. John has served as the keynote at men’s conferences such as Promise Keepers and New Canaan Men’s Society, men’s retreats, and for major corporations including I.M.G.. Punky speaks locally and nationally at women’s events sharing her personal story of life as a single woman and finally marrying at the age of 43, working as an actress, and being a breast cancer survivor. Together, John and Punky lead Disciple-Making Summits and Marriage Seminars around the country.
John is the Founder of The Gathering USA, Inc., a Disciple-Ministry that has helped about one million men to be successful in life, family and business. John also started one of the first team chaplain programs in the NBA, and has served many professional sports teams – most recently the Dallas Cowboys.
Punky is a Bible teacher, speaker, author and blogger. She pursued loved and satisfaction through many avenues, including being a film and T.V. actress, to discover that true love comes from a personal, intimate and loving relationship with Jesus – who ultimately changed her life.
At The Tolson Group, we want every person in America to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Punky continues the work of discipleship with women primarily through her ministry, Life on Life. You can find Punky’s blog, teaching, online bible studies, and podcast at www.punkytolson.com and connect with Punky on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
We believe Jesus’ last command “to go and make disciples” means we are to intentionally invest our lives into other believers by entrusting in them the Word of God, teaching them and equipping them to follow Christ, and to grow in their faith as maturing, reproducing disciples of Christ.
Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Deuteronomy 6:12; Matthew 28:16-20; 2 Timothy 2:2
We believe that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth and the life.” We believe that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved.” Therefore we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He who is fully God came to earth as a man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died to pay the penalty we owed for our sins, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again someday.
John 1:1–3, 14; John 14:6; Romans 3:23; 1 John 5:11–12
Philippians 2:5–8; Hebrews 1:1–3;
We acknowledge the Creator-God as our heavenly Father, all-knowing, all-powerful and always present, yet intimately acquainted with each one of us. We believe God is good, faithful, loving, and “is patient, not wanting any to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”
Genesis 1:1; Psalm 103:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 3:9
We believe that “all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” We place our confidence in the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God without error. It is completely reliable as the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.
1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15–17;
2 Peter 1:20–21
We recognize the Holy Spirit as the third member of the Trinity who is constantly at work, convicting those who have sinned, comforting those who hurt, and guiding those who believe in Christ.
John 14:26; Acts 1:5, 8; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Ephesians 1:13–14
We confess that we are all sinners, by birth and by choice. Our relationship with a holy, sinless God can only be restored through Christ’s work of salvation. We believe that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Genesis 3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10–18, 23; 5:12; 1 John 1:9
We believe that God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is available to everyone- without exception. Those who receive it by faith, apart from works, receive the forgiveness of their sins and experience a restored relationship with God that results in permanent life-change.
John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10; 1 Corinthians 15:1–5; Ephesians 1:4–12; 2:8–9
We are convinced that at the end of time, believers will enter into everlasting communion with God and unbelievers will be condemned to everlasting separation from God.
John 11:23–27; 1 Corinthians 15:51–57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Revelation 20:4–21:5
We are grateful to be a part of the church universal, which exists to proclaim God’s truth, to stimulate spiritual growth, to facilitate healthy relationships, to promote the unity of all believers, and to bring glory to God.
Acts 2:41–47; Philippians 2:1–4; Hebrews 10:24–25
We anticipate our Lord’s promised return, which could occur at any moment. We believe that until His return we are to strive to live according to His Word, “bearing fruit that will last” by “making disciples of Jesus Christ.”
John 15:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 19:11–16;Matthew 28:16-20