‘A joyful beginning’: 18 Baptized at Bowling Green Zomi Church After Months of Bible Study

The Bowling Green Zomi Church, Ky., celebrated on January 4, 2025, as 18 individuals were baptized following eight months of dedicated Bible study that began in May 2024.

Participants included young people, spouses of church members, and regular attendees who had not yet been baptized. The group met every Sunday for nearly a year, committing to learning and growing in their faith under the guidance of Pastor Thang Mang. He says that families played an important role in supporting the program, with parents consistently dropping off and picking up their children and spouses encouraging their partner to stay committed to the program.

“I feel so excited. It’s a marvelous thing to witness the Lord working in the church and the Holy Spirit touching so many lives,” Pastor Mang said. “This program brought together young people, parents and spouses.”

During the January 4 church service, many of those who were baptized shared their testimonies. Pastor Mang described this as a blessing as it provided a wonderful start to 2025.

“Several young people shared testimonies about how they felt God’s love and the Holy Spirit working in their lives after just a few weeks,” Mang said. “We chose [to do the baptisms] on the first week of January to symbolize a fresh start and new beginnings.”

The church plans to resume a similar program in 2026, using 2025 as a time to nurture and encourage those who were recently baptized while also preparing for the next round of Bible studies. For now, the church is rejoicing in the success of this initiative, which Pastor Mang described as the work of the Holy Spirit.

“It’s a joyful beginning to the year,” Mang said. “I am so grateful for the journey we shared and look forward to seeing how the Lord will continue to lead us.”