[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 90 (Thursday, May 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WELCOMING THE GUEST CHAPLAIN

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, let me just say a word of welcome today to 
Pastor Adam Weber. You heard him offer the opening prayer today. I am 
very privileged to have him here, and Adam is someone whose family I 
have known for a long time. I sort of watched him grow up, if you will. 
He is a Milbank, SD, native, a graduate of Augustana College, and at 
the young age of 24, started a church called Embrace Church in Sioux 
Falls, SD. And at that time, I think their first service had 32 people.
  His office was a Chevy Cavalier, and a decade later, it was one of 
the fastest growing churches, literally, in this entire country. They 
have continued to grow through the years and they will do it the same 
way they always have and that is one person at a time.
  Embrace's heart is to relentlessly reach the next person for Jesus. 
It is something that Adam lives out. He seeks out strangers. He goes 
for what he calls ``nonfluff'' conversations, and he reaches people, 
lots and lots of people, with the good news of the Gospel.
  And I have had the opportunity to attend services at Embrace along 
with my wife. Adam also has a podcast which reaches literally thousands 
and thousands of people that I have listened to.
  He interviews people from all walks of life and talks to them about 
their spiritual formation, and it is very meaningful to his listeners 
and certainly has been important in my life, too, as we try to apply 
the truth of the Scriptures at a time when we face enormous challenges 
as a country and in a lot of our communities across the country.
  So I am delighted to have Adam here, thankful for his ministry, and 
grateful to Chaplain Black for making it possible for him to be 
Chaplain for the day. And I would tell my colleagues what I have said 
many times before, and that is that we do have a Bible study the 
Chaplain leads on a weekly basis, Thursday at noon, and encourage all 
of my colleagues to attend.

  It has been enormously important to me through the years in keeping 
me anchored and grounded on the solid rock at times when things can be 
very uncertain and sometimes tumultuous around us. So I am grateful for 
the Chaplain for his leadership here and delighted to have Pastor Adam 
Weber from Sioux Falls, SD, and Embrace Church with us here today in 
the U.S. Senate.

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