The New Year is a time when people have a renewed sense of purpose and drive – a great time to maximise your chances of meeting someone. But how can Christians get the most from online dating? Here are our top 5 tips.

1. Have faith

A great deal of church teaching tells us that God has a plan for our lives and many Christians worry that if we take matters into our own hands, we will be going against His plan. Can God really work through online dating? Well, you only have to read a few stories, to realise that God can and does bring people together online. Just spend five minutes hearing from Christians who have met online.

2. Have courage

You’ve taken the brave step of joining a dating website. Next it’s time to start messaging people. Keep your end goal in mind, and don’t wait for others to contact you or put you off. It’s ok to politely say ‘no thanks’ to someone you’re not interested in. Block people you don’t like, approach people you do – remember you are in control.

3. Be proactive

Social studies have shown that men require social signals from woman, before they make the first move. But how does this translate online, where there are no social cues? The answer – both men and women can make the first move within the context of online dating. You can start a conversation, with a ‘wave’ or a ‘wink’, but it’s better to mention something in their profile you like – this has proven to be far more effective. Remember to to reply to all your messages!

4. Follow the advice

If you’re new to online dating it’s worth spending a bit of time reading the advice to get the most out of the site. Most sites have excellent tips, from everything on how to create an outstanding profile, how to showcase your personality in your photos, how to stay safe online and tips for meeting up. We’ve compiled loads of advice in our help section.

5. Meet

Remember: you haven’t really met, until you’ve met in person. Studies have shown that most successful relationships that started online, met face-to-face within one week of making the initial contact. No profile can tell you everything you need to know about compatibility, so if there’s any interest at all, meet in person. You can always keep the first date short and meet up again to see if there’s a spark.

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Read about how to make online dating work for you, based on research carried out on our members. You can also listen to David Pullinger’s talks from Greenbelt, which includes his guide to Online Dating.