Written by: Chip Stapleton on June 8, 2017

Chip Stapleton is many things: a husband, a father, a pastor, a coach, a collaborator and an encourager. A native of Western Pennsylvania, he has lived with his wife, Traci,  in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and for the past 7+ years have lived, with their 4 boys (Charlie, Jack, Ian & Henry) in Mansfield, MA where he is the pastor of the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church.

Chip’s life and work are defined by his passions:

• As a loving and supportive husband and father who strives to encourage, support and empower his family to laugh often, love well, and both work and play hard as they seek to fully utilize all the gifts that God has given them.
• As an adoptive parent, he has a heart to help the people he encounters know, understand and experience the saving love of our adoptive heavenly father.
  • This passion has developed into a desire to see Christians individually and as churches move adoption from the periphery into the center of our thinking, theology, teaching and reflection so that we may more fully respond to God’s adoptive love for us by reaching out to those children in need of that earthly parental care – as churches and as individual families.
    • Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
• As a pastor, he works diligently so that those entrusted to his care might grow to see and believe in their gifts and abilities and understand how God is calling them to use those gifts and abilities to glorify God, serve others and bring justice.  He is particularly interested in pursuing social justice concerns around clean water, hunger and equality
  • He is passionate about his own engagement with scripture and encouraging and empowering others to engage and explore scripture and deepen their relationship with God through both ancient spiritual practices and new and creative ways of interacting with scripture.
    •  He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
• As a soccer coach for all four of his sons – and lots of their friends – he enjoys the energy, fun and pure joy that is found on the soccer field.  He gets great enjoyment from helping the boys develop their skills and learn how to be better players, better teammates and eventually to become better young men.  He also does his best to not be the most competitive one on the field!

In his spare time (when not on a soccer field) he can usually be found watching and rooting on Arsenal, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Revolution; playing games with his family; piling on the couch and watching a movie or a show.

About the Author

Chip Stapleton

Follower of Jesus Christ. Husband to Traci. Dad to Charlie, Jack, Ian and Henry. Preacher of Sermons, eater of ice cream, supporter of Arsenal. I love to talk about what God is doing in the world & in and through us & create space and opportunity for others to use their gifts to serve God and God's people.

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