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 ..read more

So how can we tell if someone is trustworthy or not? I remember my first impression of my now husband when we first met – I recall thinking that he was an open, honest and trustworthy man. Obviously we can’t just go on the outside as looks can be deceiving, but you can pray that you get an initial reaction with someone, pray that you can be at ease if they’re right or unsettled if they’re not, and take your time getting to know them. Working out how to grow trust while dating requires discernment too. Here are some simple ways you can develop trust as you date. Wisdom Pray for godly wisdom be ..read more

It was the recommendation of his pastor that led Leigh to joining Christian Connection. “He actually met his wife through Christian Connection,” says Leigh. “I actually put it off for a little bit, and then it was a prompting from God…” Leesa says, “I was just curious to see, just to meet some new people and see who was out there… we crossed over because when his subscription was about to finish, I came on earlier through God’s prompting, so we really feel like God ordained that.” When Leesa joined she was expecting “a fun way to meet people”. She embraced the experience: “You have to not ta ..read more

We can’t force ourselves to be attracted to people we’re not. That’s not the path to a sustainable relationship and it’s not what I’m suggesting here. But it’s worth exploring whether our dating preferences are prejudices, whether they are stopping us from meeting potential mates and how we can become more open to people who aren’t our usual type. Let’s take height as an example. I know from speaking to many people who are looking for love that women tend to want their partner to be taller than them, while shorter men often get overlooked on dating sites and apps or ruled out after a meet-up ..read more

James was also intentional about what he was looking for. “I was coming out of a previous marriage,” he said, “I did want to remarry. And I wanted to be a Christian. So I thought, I don’t want to waste my time sort of fishing around on other sites. I know what I’m looking for.” He joined Christian Connection because to meet people who were “genuine about their faith.” Their priorities for their dating profiles were similar: to “let people know that I’m serious about Christ. That was just really important for me,” said Victoria. “I liked the fact that talking about your faith was evident,” sa ..read more

There are certain realities as we move through the possible dating life stages, and that that come with getting older. What you might have considered your ideal future may no longer be a possibility, and sometimes this can be difficult to deal with. It can be disappointing as someone – male or female – who has ‘waited’ for marriage since you were young, to realise that the ideal you had in mind is no longer a possibility. However, you can still have a fantastic future with someone, and it doesn’t have to feel like settling for second best. Late teens and twenties In your late teens and twenti ..read more

We want to open our hearts to love, taking down any walls we might have built to protect ourselves from hurt, whilst setting and maintaining healthy boundaries and holding on to who we are. This can be a difficult balancing act so here are five signs you may be losing yourself in relationships, along with five ways to hold on: We want to open our hearts to love, taking down any walls we might have built to protect ourselves from hurt, whilst setting and maintaining healthy boundaries and holding on to who we are. This can be a difficult balancing act so here are five signs you may be losing y ..read more

Most of us know how frustrating it is to be on the other end of that awkward situation when you like someone but are doing all of the chasing. Or spending time over a tub of ice cream / glass of wine wondering to friends where you stand. It’s exhausting, draining and frankly quite damaging to mental health and wellbeing, spending valuable hours dwelling on someone who is not showing similar interest or being clear about where they stand. If we were all honest and open about our feelings, then a lot of anxiety inducing moments would dissipate! Practically, how can we show someone we’re not int ..read more

What to consider as you navigate life changes If someone you’re getting to know tells you they’ve had some really bad news, for example, a bereavement, how do you support them through it? Are there rules as to what you should and shouldn’t do, especially if you don’t know each other that well? What if you’re the one that suddenly has an unexpected life event? Or one that may not be unexpected but requires considerable thought and planning? Should you pause your dating life whilst you deal with it? If you’re serious about someone, is there a way to navigate these life events together? Understan ..read more

Every affirmation in ‘Celebrate you’ is rooted in scripture. Watch the film and then read more below. Your passion: “Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.” Song of Songs, 8:6 Joy and kindness: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 Faith: “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23 Purpose: “For I know the plans I have for you,” decla ..read more