Interview: Steven Curtis Chapman

by Ryan Richardson

Ryan Richardson: Tell me about your passion for adoption.

Steven Curtis Chapman: Well, our whole move into this world of adoption has transformed our whole family, specifically the heart of the Chapman family. It has certainly changed the shape of my heart. I was reading this scripture the other day, Psalm 119* that says, you have enlarged my heart. Just as soon as I read it, I thought Adoption - that's our adoption story If you had told me six years ago, that we would be adopting not one, not two, but three girls from China, I would have said you were crazy. It's a beautiful, wonderful thought but no way. Then God started working and moving on our hearts.

I have always felt a real responsibility to respond to the Gospel with my life and being involved in doing the things that Jesus said that His heart beat for. I want to stand before Him and hear Him say, when I was in prison you visited me, when I was hungry you fed me, when I was naked you clothed me. I certainly want to be in that group of people, and not in the group that says "God, when did we miss you?". It has always been important to be involved with those kinds of ministries. I think I have always seen the importance in using the platform that He has blessed me with, to point people to those ministries that are valid and vital, that we need to be supporting.

The adoption was for us, such an unexpected life-changing thing. We came back from our first trip from China, realizing that this was much more than just giving Shaohannah a home, but that this was a whole new part of our lifework to try and raise awareness of the need, raise the awareness of the church to what God's heart is for caring for orphans. To ask, "Are we aware of the incredible invitation that God has given to us to know Him and know who He is?". We can better understand how we can have a relationship with the living God through Him making us heirs of His through Jesus Christ, through adoption, giving us a hope, giving us a name. I believe that it is one his greatest invitations to know His heart. It has been awesome. I have seen it shape and affect my wife's heart, I have seen her come alive in ways that I had never seen before.

RR: What would be your advice to a family that was starting to explore the process of adoption?

SCC: : We just returned the day before yesterday from China, picking up our fourteen month old Maria. This was our third adoption, and each time is different, so fresh and so new. It's like the miracle of birth all over again, with a new personality and a light that comes into their eyes when they know that they are loved. We had some major challenges with this last adoption, but my advice is to stay the course. It can get frustrating, we felt like all of Hell was against us, but we knew that God had the final word. Just hang in there and keep praying. The good news is that the process in China is getting quicker.

RR: : What is Shaohannah's Hope?

SCC: : We started to help families where we could, that did not have the income to cover the cost of adoption. My wife started writing checks, because she was not going to let that stop anybody form experiencing this miracle. So we started http://www.shaohannahshope.org/ with the mission statement that says we want to care for orphans by engaging the church. It's not the church leading the charge, but it needs to be. This is our response. We started that and exist to give grants to families that want to adopt and can not afford it. We have been able to help about 120 families. We have 1000+ people who are submitting applications for assistance. The grants are not specific to China - they can be international and domestic.

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