Are there any general dating rules, tips or guidelines I should know about?

Common sense, prayer and making sure you involve the support of your friends and Church are the main rules you should follow if you want to have a (relatively) pain-free Christian dating experience.

1) Don’t join a non-Christian dating organisation

This may sound like obvious advice but from our experience non-Christian sites cannot meet the needs of committed Christians. Be aware that some sites that claim to be Christian dating sites are actually owned by non-Christians or are even part of much larger “adult” dating sites. You must be aware that if you join one of these your money will be going towards either un-ethical or positively immoral organisations which are, at their heart, anti-Christian.

2) Make sure you fully commit yourself to one, or at most two, genuinely Christian dating sites.

Set your heart towards being a fully active member who completes a full profile, takes time over adding photos, records a thoughtful video and logs in regularly. This way you are maximising your chances of meeting someone.

3) Make a commitment to setting up real dates in the real world.

Using an online dating site can be a lot of fun as you send emails and get responses but it is easy to forget that you are on the site to actually meet people. Many online friendships never make it into the real world and of those that do many fail to become relationships. While you are getting to know someone online think about meeting sooner rather than later. This way the relationship will develop in the real world and has more chance of succeeding.

4) Don’t become discouraged too quickly.

One of the realities of all kinds of dating is that you will have setbacks and disappointments. In order to succeed you will need to develop a thicker skin and start to handle setbacks as something to be learned from not something to make you shrink back in your comfort zone. With God all things are indeed possible and He can help you find your ideal partner. This won’t happen if you give up though so stay encouraged.