Dating & Relationship Advice

New Year. A blank page. As 2024 begins and we make plans, set intentions and prepare to write a new story, there’s a question that’s worth holding in our hearts and keeping at the forefront of our minds: how do I live authentically this year? This question could be posed in different ways: how do I stay true to myself? How do I live in alignment with my values? How do I live in accordance with God’s plan for my life? How do I live with integrity?

As we ring out the old year and welcome in 2024, our thoughts turn to all the opportunities the new year could bring. As a leap year, we already know one thing the year ahead has in store: one extra day! While February 29th might not be the best date for a birthday, years containing a leap day are often viewed as special, and can be seen as a time to be bold, especially when it comes to love. So whether you’re making a new start or a fresh start when it comes to online dating, you’ve picked the perfect time to make the most of all Christian Connection has to offer and leap into love!

It’s always a joy to share the encouraging stories couples who’ve met on Christian Connection send in. Each story is unique – a coming together of two people who would never have met without that first (brave!) wave or message. Or without first taking the leap and becoming a member! As we reach the end of the year, here are just a handful of the couples who’ve shared their #MetOnCC stories and lots of great advice for Christian Connection members, as well as what we’ve noticed helps to make a lasting connection.

Every week the Christian Connection blog has new advice, encouragement and inspiration for daters at all stages of life. Whether you’re looking for interesting, original date ideas, support as you navigate getting to know someone or learn from real life experiences, we ask experts and those who’ve been on similar journeys to share their wisdom. Over the years, this has grown into a diverse resource full of great dating advice. From practical tips on dating well to inspiring love stories that started with a click and a wave on Christian Connection, here are our most popular posts this year on the CC blog.

Deep down, we all want to be loved. But sometimes our desire for a romantic relationship is so strong that it leads us to show up as less than our full selves in our digital conversations. This then leads to a relationship that isn’t based on the whole truth – and that kind of relationship cannot last. Honesty is the best policy. We all know that. But when it comes to exchanging messages with prospective dates, it can be tempting to censor ourselves or present ourselves less than completely in a slightly different light in the hope of finding that elusive connection. At the root of inauthentic communication is fear.

Making the first move can feel like a big deal. Whether you’re new to Christian Connection or been a member before, there’s now a new way to show your interest and start a conversation. Once you’ve uploaded your photos and spent some time perfecting your profile it’s time to take the next step and reach out to someone you like. If hitting that message button feels daunting, don’t worry! Our new profile and photo reactions make it easy and stress free to make that first connection and let someone know you’d like to get to know them.

Today, having a deep, meaningful and strong connection with someone is a rare thing. We have so many distractions around us – social media, work, various screens and a never ending ‘to do list’. Our strongest connection can sometimes be with our smartphone rather than with God or with actual people. This doesn’t have to be the case. An early connection after meeting online can be nurtured and cultivated into something precious right from when you first start dating and as your relationship develops.

Building spiritual practice and growing in faith together is important in every Christian relationship, however, the timing and priority will be different for each couple. It can be difficult to know when or how to introduce this when you first meet someone, or a relationship starts to get serious. If you’re dating someone, ideally you should both have a similar mindset when it comes to spiritual activities, to avoid strife in your relationship. So where should you start?