Love has many forms in the Bible. We know of ‘Agape’, (God’s divine love), ‘Philia’ (brotherly love), and ‘Eros’ (erotic love), for example. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is probably the most popular scripture reading at weddings but its instructions can be used for all of these types of love, and more. You can also turn to these verses when you are looking for a romantic relationship and apply them to dating too.

“I never expected to even find anyone compatible let alone meet my husband,” former Christian Connection member Johanna told us. She’s not the only one. Seeing photos of happy couples who met on Christian Connection can seem a world away from the waves and awkward first messages on dating sites.

Taking a chance on online dating can feel like a big step – new people, potential connections but lots of uncertainty, too. It’s understandable that signing up might mean putting aside doubts or managing expectations. Read some of the experiences couples who met on Christian Connection had before they started out here, starting with Johanna, whose story took a surprising turn – and much quicker than she expected!

Connections didn’t stop during the pandemic. We’ve heard from couples who met, dated, got engaged and married through Christian Connection during lockdowns and we were thrilled we could help them connect. Looking at life post-pandemic – or with the pandemic factored in to more regular life – presents exciting opportunities as well as questions.

Remember Lot’s wife? The story in Genesis about the woman who looked back at a burning city and apparently became a ‘pillar of salt’? I’ve always felt sympathy for her. Who isn’t tempted to look back? And maybe even go back to the old and familiar?

But her story can be read as a psychological truth about life and relationships: looking back and revisiting a previous relationship can leave you stuck. While it’s true that sometimes old connections can be positively revisited — if the issue was bad timing, for example — it’s been my experience that new connections are the ones with more potential. But, why?

Three years ago, a friend died in her early fifties from cancer. It was sudden and a shock to us all, a shock that prompted many of us to re-evaluate our lives. We vowed to focus on the important things – our hopes, dreams and deepest longings – and to stop sweating the small stuff. I said I wanted to get a dog, something I’d been talking about for a decade or more. Another mutual friend said she wanted to travel the world. I met this same friend a few days ago and we noted that, three years on, I still hadn’t got a dog, although I’d begun my search in earnest, and she hadn’t travelled the world (or found a way to do so once the pandemic eases). It happens, doesn’t it?

Sometimes life can deal you some really difficult cards – dealing with a long term sickness and believing God for healing, praying for a loved one to come to know Christ and change their ways and it seems nothing is happening, or maybe you’ve been praying for the right person to come along to share your life with and it seems God is not listening to your prayers. Recently I’ve been reflecting on Easter and the significance that it holds for Christians. Easter is the bedrock of our faith; if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we are with no hope, and to be pitied above all people, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:19.

Over the 20 years that we’ve been helping single Christians meet, we’ve seen what can help make meaningful connections. Whether you’re just starting out with online dating or wanting to refresh your dating efforts, here’s what we’ve learned about messaging that lead to dates, relationships and lasting connections.

When you’re talking to someone online it can sometimes be hard to tell if they might ‘like you’ like you or if they’re just being polite. It’s good to know if someone is interested in you romantically, so that you don’t waste your time or pin your hopes on something that isn’t leading anywhere. Here are 8 ways to know if someone likes you online.