Perhaps you’ve been on the dating journey for a while and you’re thinking, “What has dating ever done for me?” Don’t give up just yet! You may not have found ‘the one’ so far, but did you know that there are many skills you can develop during the dating process? You may not have thought about it like that, but even if your journey hasn’t connected you with the perfect person just yet, you are developing life skills that will benefit you, both inside and outside of the dating world.

Every year many of us pick up a tent, pack a backpack, and head out into the great outdoors for a weekend of music, mildly questionable food choices and (sometimes) mud at our favourite festivals. But whether you’re a regular attendee or a nervous newcomer, heading to a Christian festival can be a wonderful, welcoming place to meet like-minded people. It could even be the perfect spot for a first date! With so much to do at a festival, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But if you’re prepared, you’ll be able to tailor the experience to one that’s perfect for you. Here are our suggestions for making the best of your time.

One question the Christian Connection team is often asked is: “I’m an older person. Is online dating really for me?” The answer to that is a resounding yes! More and more mature daters are getting online to connect with potential new partners, using technology to make lasting connections. If you’re thinking about trying out online dating at a later stage of your life, you’re not alone, and we’re here to help.

“I was looking for a life partner. And I wanted to find someone who shared my faith and shared my beliefs. I heard about Christian Connection from a friend. I thought, ‘well, it’s pretty good way to find someone…’” When Andrew started out on his search he had no idea it would end up in an elegant first dance to his new wife Sharon. Find out how her wave to Andrew on Christian Connection sparked a lasting relationship…

One of the challenges of dating or starting a relationship is knowing how much personal information to disclose and at what point. It can be tempting to over-share or to hold things back. So, how do we strike a healthy balance? How can we avoid under- or oversharing in dating?

In Romans 12 verse 10, the Bible says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves”. Paul was talking to the church in Rome, but this also applies to us as Christians, and I believe can also be applied to dating relationships. The word ‘honour’ means to hold in high respect, or with great esteem. It might sound like something we reserve only for God (whom we should of course, honour), our parents or spiritual leaders. But we can see from Paul’s letter that it is meant for the rest of us as well. So, how do we show honour in dating?

Trust is a very important issue in all of life, and that’s especially true in the online dating world. We message and arrange dates with people we’ve never met, we show up and spend time with a stranger and have to decide how things will develop from there. We have to be wise, savvy and make sure we are safe, and we need to know if we can or can’t trust someone for the long term. Dating is about opening up, telling people about yourself, being vulnerable – we can only do that if we truly trust someone, otherwise we will be guarded, have a barrier up and the dates will grind to a halt. But we also need to balance our boundaries and sensible self-protection. So how we can take those first impressions of someone new and grow trust while dating?

Before Leesa and Leigh met on Christian Connection they shared similar stories – both had been married before, both had children and both felt prompted by God to join just when they did. Following God’s lead, Leesa joined just in time to meet before Leigh’s subscription ended. That connection led to an unexpected declaration of love in a fast food restaurant, a wedding surrounded by family and friends and exciting plans for the future.