Sarah met Simon on Christian Connection in 2009. She got in touch in 2013 to share their story so far. “I have always been sceptical about online dating but decided to give it a go on my friend’s advice. I wasn’t expecting anything but after a few days I saw a guy whose profile I […]

With news of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on our screens every day, we understand this is a worrying and uncertain time, and we want all our members to stay safe and well, and to continue to find connection. There’s a lot of differing advice about how to respond, and with the situation changing daily, it can be tricky to know what to do. Our usual advice is to meet up within two weeks of making contact online, but that might not feel like the right thing at the moment, wherever you are.

All of us have been tongue-tied at one time or another – especially on a first date. For some, it can be a common occurrence. Any environment or situation that brings on nerves will increase the likelihood you’ll struggle to think on your feet. The answer is to not put too much pressure on yourself to come up with on-the-spot chat. Instead, using prepared conversation starters avoids awkward silences, encourages you to find out a little about each other and helps you both relax and ease into the date. You can have a few topics lined up, so you can focus on enjoying yourself. So, what are the best things to say and ask at the first meeting?

I used to have a prayer corner in my living room. It was a beautiful little desk, dedicated to just prayer. It was in a windowless corner of my house, making it free from distractions. It wasn’t where I sat down to do any work or bookkeeping or any of the boring stuff that needs doing as well. It was purely my place to pray. I had a candle there I could light as a symbol of God’s presence. There was a stack of prayer books, bibles, devotionals to choose from if I needed inspiration. There was also a ‘board of inspiration’ on which were prayer request from friends and missionaries I supported, prayer letters, drawings, whatever inspired me to pray for someone or something. I regularly changed what was on there.

Sometimes it can seem like Christianity asks a lot of us. Yes, we get the assurance of salvation, our sins forgiven, and a wonderful relationship with Jesus, but then there’s all the extras. The lifestyle of purity, the commitment to loving community, the many, many meetings…

It has been said that you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect to get different results. When it comes to how we think meeting people should happen, a lot of us are pretty set in our ways. Take me, for example. My single life routine was pretty much going to work, then home, church, then home and repeat. I hung out with friends and went to parties here and there but that was pretty much it. I expected that if I was going to meet someone it would have to happen either at church (even though there were only a handful of men) or through one of my friends.

If you’re not yet dating properly (and unsure if it’ll even progress to that stage) you may be wondering how to handle the 14th February. Should you send a card, buy a gift, or suggest a Valentine’s Day meet?

A friend of mine is about to join a Christian dating site (this one, as a matter of fact), and wanted advice on getting the most from online dating. ‘In your experience, HopefulGirl, what’s the key to success?’ she asked. I had no trouble giving her an answer…