Dating & Relationship Advice

When couples who met on Christian Connection get in touch to share their stories we love to know how they first began to connect in person. What did they choose to do on their first date? What hobbies or interests did they share that made their dating journey fun and unique? What became their ‘go to’ activities or places as their relationship developed? We’ve learned of so many great #MetOnCC date ideas, we’ve created a blog series to share them! Here are the ABCs of tried and tested, real life Christian Connection couples’ dating ideas, to get started…

Do you know where you’re heading? Do you know what you’d like your future to look like, what shape you’d like your life to take? Clarifying your hopes and dreams for the coming years is a key step as you look for love and consider committing to a relationship, while dating with the future in mind will ensure you choose someone with whom you are aligned. Taking time now to become clear on your dreams and work out what questions you might want to ask potential partners will set you on the right track for the future.

Many people love to talk, but they don’t like to listen. Being a good listener is a skill, but one that can be acquired with practice. Listening well takes effort and patience, and requires you to focus on the other person, instead of yourself. If you want to really get to know someone well on a date and beyond, becoming a great listener is an important step.

Have you ever wondered about your listening skills? Maybe you’ve had feedback in the past that you’re not very good at listening, or you’re unsure what not to do. Now you’re thinking of heading into the world of dating and want conversations to go well. If you want to have great first dates – and don’t want to be thought of as a bad listener – what should you avoid doing when you meet?

For years, I thought love would simply happen for me. That I’d stumble across my future partner on an airplane, in the seat next to mine, or meet him at the supermarket checkout. This may happen for some, but I didn’t find love this way. I had to get intentional about my dating journey. If you’d like to decide your dating priorities for this year, this blog is for you.

When I first met my husband, we weren’t friends. We met online, and as we got to know each other and realised we liked each other, we decided to start dating. This meant that, effectively, we were dating whilst we were still strangers. But we wanted friendship to be the foundation of our relationship, so we started building our friendship foundation whilst dating. We’ve been married 8 years now and we’re still working on that friendship – it’s a journey.

New year is a time when most people will be thinking about resolutions and making a fresh start: taking on new skills, exploring new habits and kicking out bad habits. When it comes to dating, the new year is also a great time to think about meeting new people and finding that Mr or Mrs Right. For some people, this can come with some trepidation. Fear of rejection, feeling overwhelmed, or not knowing where to start could make one give up before one even starts. I get it; I’ve been there myself. But the truth is, if you’re serious about meeting someone, you need to be brave. Here are 5 ways to do that this New Year, starting now!

As a new year dawns, we are gifted a fresh opportunity to build the life and the relationship that we desire and deserve. So, how do we make the most of this opportunity? How can you let love into your life? I believe we do this by giving to ourselves, to our lives and to others the love we hope to receive.