Steven Curtis Chapman

As one of the most prominent artists in contemporary Christian music, Steven Curtis Chapman was first signed on to a songwriting deal in the early 1980s, based upon the strength of his song Built to Last . The song was recorded by the popular gospel group The Imperials.

Born and raised in Paducah, Kentucky, Steven learned to play several instruments while hanging out in his father's music store, excelling at guitar and piano. As a young man, he enrolled as a pre-med student at Anderson College in Indiana, but decided instead to pursue a music career. He moved to Nashville, where he began performing in a music show at Opryland USA. When he wasn’t performing, Steven was busy writing songs, a skill he learned from his father. I n 1987 he signed a record deal with Sparrow Records, where he rose to prominence.

Known for writing most of his own lyrics, Steven has recorded over 15 albums since his debut including For the Sake of the Call, The Great Adventure, Speechless, and All Things New. He is the all-time winner in GMA Music Awards, with 50 awards in his career. He is also the winner of several Grammy awards including Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album in 2005. In 2003, Steven starred in the film Christmas Child.

Steven and his wife Mary Beth live in Nashville, Tennessee and have three biological children, as well as three adopted girls from China. They are recognized advocates for adoption and together they founded Shaohannah's Hope, a charity organization which offers grants to qualifying families to help defray the cost of adopting, at home and abroad. Both he and his wife were awarded the Angels of Adoption award by a Congressional Committee for adoption in Washington, D.C.

Steven Curtis Chapman “Unplugged”

We spent some time with Steven working on a ministry project. We asked him some questions about raising a family and adoption. You can see more of Steven in one of the Bluefish TV video resources on the right.

Bluefish TV: As an advocate for adoption, how do you encourage others to get involved?

Steven Curtis Chapman: If you really want to see the face of Jesus, and I believe, see the heart of God, if you want to hear the heartbeat of God, then all you have to do is look at Scripture and it’s so clear where His heart beats the strongest and the loudest. It’s in the least of the least…I’d say “If you want to have your heart changed and really come to know more of who Jesus really is, then get involved in the miracle of adoption…we started something called Shohannah‘s Hope. It’s a foundation that assists families in the cost of adoption because a lot of families are stopped in the process. They start building the bridge to get to that orphan, that lonely child on an island, they get half way there and all of a sudden, finances stop them. So, we’re trying to help get those bridges built to get those families and those orphans brought together. So, that’s one thing. There’s so many great ministries like that that people can get involved in but I would say “It’s a Miracle and don’t miss out getting to be a part of it.”

Bluefish TV: You have adopted three children, how has that affected your family?

Steven Curtis Chapman: Adoption takes the Gospel and it makes it real in a profound way that nothing else does…I mean, every time one of the 3 girls run in the room it’s like there’s the Gospel again. There’s a little girl by no merit of her own, by nothing she could do, nothing she did to earn this, only by the miracle of adoption God placed her in our family. Now she has an inheritance, now she has a name, now she has a future, now she has hope where she didn’t have that before. I think my kids see that, I think they get it…It’s been so amazing to watch especially my sons…watching my boys, have little sisters, who not only are little sisters but are little sisters who they’ve seen go from helplessness…just to watch them relate to them, watch them be big brothers to these little sisters. I’ve watched them blossom and become so much better men as a result of it. It’s so cool to hear them talk about what their families are going to look like one day. “I want to have one from India, one from Africa, one from China”. They’re formulating these rainbow families, of all colors. It’s so exciting for me as a Dad…It’s opened their hearts and it’s opened their eyes to the Gospel, to the Big Story of God…all over the world and not just our little picture we get of it in our culture.

Bluefish TV: With six children what is the biggest challenge for you and your wife in raising your family?

Steven Curtis Chapman: The greatest struggle for me, for us, is just having 6 kids-having kids that range from 18 years old down to a 1 year old. I mean when you have high school and college age kids, you’re in a mind set of, “We’ve got basketball games and practice, we’ve got musicals, we’ve got college applications to fill out and all the scholarship information.” My wife is an amazing mom in that way…she’s involved in everything and she’s great at those things…and that’s a full job right there. Then you’ve got raising babies and infants and toddlers and that’s a full time job…so we have 3 of those (toddlers and infants) and 3 of the others (teenagers)…So, that’s been the hardest challenge for us is just blending that together, as much as anything, just the age.