In 2021, Christian Connection celebrated 21 years of helping single Christians meet and find lasting love online. Back in the year 2000 the idea of marrying someone you’d first met through a dating site was met with caution – especially in some parts of the church! But in the two decades since we’ve heard from thousands of couples whose journeys began with a click and a wave on the site (and now app too), who are happily married and enjoying fulfilling lives together.

If you’re serious about meeting someone special and prepared to try and find lasting love online, here are just some of the things you can do to increase your chances of success.

Focus on common values, not just interests

It makes sense to want to meet someone who spends their spare time doing the same things as you – especially where faith is concerned. It can be common for people to say that they want to meet someone who shares their taste in music, travel or perhaps a love for extreme sports. While shared interests can be a good starting point for a successful relationship, it’s also important that your core values are aligned, when you’re looking for a long term partner.

Find out how to find a date that shares your values.

Work out what’s important to you

With that in mind, it’s worth spending some time to identify your core values and what’s really important to you. Figure out what are your non-negotiables, and what you’re willing to compromise on. Keep the first list short and an open mind, particularly when it comes to distance, age and background. Many of our successful couples were surprised by who they ended up falling for.

Check out 8 simple steps to reset your romantic life and How important is compromise in dating? 5 questions to ask yourself

Choose the right dating site or app

If you’re looking for a meaningful relationship, rather than something short term, choosing the right site or app is key to increasing your chances of connecting with someone like-minded. Not all dating sites and apps are created equal! Christian Connection focuses on connecting people who have a shared faith, and are looking to start a meaningful relationship. If your faith is of central importance, this is a great starting point! So choose a dating app that’s aligned with your goal.

Read Online Dating: Be Willing, Wary & Wise.

Be intentional and proactive

One of the most important factors of increasing your chance of success with online dating is how much you engage with the process. It’s not enough to just upload a profile and wait for people to contact you – you need to proactively connect with others too. An icebreaker (a wave or like) can be a good start, but a well written message is more likely to get a response.

Take a look at the Christian Connection guide to writing great messages.

Still wondering if you can find lasting love online? Look for the proof!

If you need some encouragement on whether it’s possible to find lasting love online, have a quick read through our success stories. We’ve heard thousands of stories of couples whose journeys began with a click and a wave who are now happily married.

Here are just three Christian Connection couples who shared the stories of how they were able to find lasting love online – each story unique but each started with taking the first step to join.

“Jonnie and I met on Christian Connection back in 2017. We each had a set of friends who met on it themselves and encouraged us to give it a go. 4 years later, the 6 of us are super close, and 2 of the 3 couples have had babies!” Johnnie and Eilidh

“Met in September 2013 over spaghetti Carbonara and the love of Abba, fast forward to February 2015 Clem surprised me and took me to Paris where he proposed on the top of the Arc de Triomphe where of course I said yes! 18 months later we got married in July 2016 in front of all our friends and family and we continue to be in a happy marriage today. Thank you to Christian Connection for bringing us together, our paths would not have crossed otherwise.” Clem and Tash

“11 years later we are still very happily married with two amazing children and we attend a lovely church in Malvern.” James and Paula

Read many more stories from couples here or join Christian Connection here.