Events

Christian festivals have always been a fantastic place to connect with other believers, get inspired and re-energise your faith. But they can also be a great place to meet new people outside of your usual networks.

Rising temperatures and light nights bring a wealth of opportunities to get outdoors and hit the reset button after winter. So here are seven suggestions of on-trend, seasonal date ideas, that’ll help you make the most of this summer.

The support that being part of a community offers is really valuable. For single people in particular, having a bunch of friends and acquaintances to hang out with brings a rich variety of experiences and social opportunities. Instigating and arranging group days/nights out can also be a great way to network and get to know other singles, but lots of trips to cinemas, restaurants and cafes can become expensive. So here are some tips and ideas to help you plan inclusive, fun (and wallet-friendly) activities.

Christian Connection was back at the Greenbelt Festival at the end of August. Along with the usual social events and meetups, we arranged a special panel with the title “Has Online Dating changed everything?”

‘I’d like to get out and meet more single believers in a low-pressure setting,’ said the email. ‘There are no Christian social groups in my area, so I thought I might start one myself. Do you have any advice, HopefulGirl?’

‘One of the hardest things about being single is having no one to go on holiday with,’ said the Facebook post. ‘I can’t imagine going away on my own, so I haven’t been on holiday for years. What do other singles do, HopefulGirl?’

It’s been a while since you were last flying solo and perhaps you saw it coming, but perhaps you didn’t. Perhaps you’re very happy about it; you’re moving on from something that turned out not to be right for you, full of hope and anticipation of what lies ahead – the dating scene seems full of opportunity and prospects, meeting new people is an exciting new journey upon which you’re more than ready to embark. Or perhaps it’s feels more like singledoom…you’re disappointed, disillusioned maybe even broken hearted and singleness is unwelcome, daunting, a distant memory you hadn’t envisaged you’d be revisiting. So, whether your glass is half full or half empty, here’s some practical suggestions when returning to the single life:

The BBC’s flagship religious TV programme, Songs of Praise, featured Christian dating this past Valentine’s weekend.