Aug 30 2021 August in Review
Friends,
The past 18 months have been mixed with great sorrow and loss…but not without great gain and opportunity in the Lord. Punky and I have been stretched in learning to do ministry in new and creative ways; reevaluating what was working and what needed to be put on hold, in order to focus on what was most important. All that to say, we’ve missed hearing from you and updating you on the work we’re doing in disciple-making and getting the message of the Gospel out deep and wide.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the Lord showed Himself to be abundantly faithful to this ministry — through your faithful giving and generosity — and we are truly grateful. Countless lives were impacted because of your partnership with The Tolson Group. Here’s how…
DISCIPLE-MAKING AT DTS:
Last summer, Mark Yarbrough, President of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) asked us to partner with them to create a Disciple-Making Initiative among current and former students. 57 DTS students applied and were paired with one of our disciple-makers to work through The Four Priorities during their school year. Through this initiative, over 100 people were impacted and influenced through their discipleship journey in The Four Priorities.
Darryl, a DTS student, had this to say about the experience: “The process of going through The Four Priorities was a blessing to me. Coach Schue shared his wisdom from years of life experience in ways that impacted my life in practical and relevant ways. Darryl was passed the “baton of discipleship” and is ready to run the race set before him, making more disciples along the way!
The next phase of this initiative will include John’s Disciple-Making Summit on the DTS campus in November — for current students, alumni, faculty, and pastors in and around the Dallas area.
THE GATHERING OF MEN:
One of our most loved and attended outreach events at The Tolson Group is the Gathering of Men luncheon series. COVID wasn’t going to keep us from this incredible opportunity to connect with businessmen and share the Gospel! When we couldn’t meet for lunch, we “met” online with John’s prerecorded video message emailed to the Gathering Table Hosts—who sent it out to their “guests” in Dallas, throughout the state and around the country. As a result, the Gospel news spread even further than ever before. In person, we plan for 300 men each week. ¬But— online, John’s Gospel messages were viewed more than 2,300 times! We thank God for extending His reach, and we look forward to when we can meet again in person!
LIFE ON LIFE PODCAST:
COVID-19 created another opportunity for outreach in women’s ministry. We heard from an overwhelming number of women desiring an online bible study. Punky saw this as an opportunity from the Lord and created a 7-week Life on Life Bible Study series addressing biblically the challenges we were facing in 2020. It was a unique time of teaching and fellowship with over 300 women signing up! You can view the Bible study, and all seasons of the Life-on-Life podcast, online at PunkyTolson.com/podcast.
Season 6 of the Life on Life podcast begins September 14th! Until then, you can always find Punky’s encouraging messages on Facebook and Instagram.
We hope this update has encouraged you in the work of this ministry!
Our team is so grateful for the work we get to do, and we are tremendously grateful for you! Thank you for your faithful support, your prayers, and your love. Please do let us know how specifically we can pray for you as we continue “to pray for you with joy because of your partnership in the gospel” (Philippians 1:3-5).
Warmly in Him,
John Tolson