Success Stories

“Hello there. My name is Chloe and we met on Christian Connection. I’d like to share our story with you. My friend met her husband on the website as well. I am in my 30s, and had a free week with the website. I worked at a boarding hostel, in Dunedin. I came home one day to see who was on. Saw this breakdancer photo of Andrei, and we got chatting. I am a dancer and I loved the shot from the Oriental bay here in Wellington. I decided to give him a wave, well I didn’t just give him one wave I gave him 10. Just in case he didn’t get my first one.

Shared interests matter. Sometimes looking for a good match online can feel like searching for a tiny fish in a very big pond. Having faith in common is a given, but ideally you’d like to meet someone who shares – or at least appreciates – your hobbies and concerns too. It can feel a bit risky to add your likes to your profile – will there be anyone else who appreciates bird spotting or paddleboarding? But couples who’ve met through Christian Connection tell us time and time again how important it was to see favourite music, films and places, among other things. It was also a great way to break the ice in a first message.

“In July 2017 my now-husband and I met on Christian Connection. My husband, Callam, had signed up to CC as one of his best friends had met his wife through the platform. I joined CC after googling Christian dating sites as it was on my heart to find my husband. I had created an account on CC several months earlier and after having no success I had logged out. To be honest, I was quite disappointed and thought it hadn’t worked out for me. Anyway, after not using CC for a few months something in my heart told me to log back on and try again.

“I never expected to even find anyone compatible let alone meet my husband,” former Christian Connection member Johanna told us. She’s not the only one. Seeing photos of happy couples who met on Christian Connection can seem a world away from the waves and awkward first messages on dating sites.

Taking a chance on online dating can feel like a big step – new people, potential connections but lots of uncertainty, too. It’s understandable that signing up might mean putting aside doubts or managing expectations. Read some of the experiences couples who met on Christian Connection had before they started out here, starting with Johanna, whose story took a surprising turn – and much quicker than she expected!

“People are either inspired or think we’re slightly bonkers after discovering we were married within a year of meeting, with a blended family of 5 boys aged 8-13. It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind experience and we often pinch ourselves we are doing this. But we are a testimony to what God is able to do when a relationship starts with faith. I had not been on Christian Connection for long and was ready to give up when L responded to my brief message in August 2019. I don’t think either of our circumstances matched our desired lists, but I had spoken a little about my faith and something I shared resonated with L.

Online dating can sometimes seem like a success just for other people. Couples who’ve met on Christian Connection know otherwise! For some, it was a case of on-and-off membership until the perfect connection happened. For others, that final search, wave or message before closing their account led to a life-changing relationship. Though some couples meet quickly and without any bumps on their road to the altar, others tell a different tale. Learning the stories behind the smiling faces and wedding photos can be both an encouragement and a guide for CC members. Timing matters, but so does not giving up!

It’s a saying as old as Shakespeare that the path of love doesn’t run smooth, and when it comes to online dating that can certainly seem true! No two couples who meet on Christian Connection have the same story. While some clicked straight away, many didn’t – and there’s lots to learn from their stories. What advice do those who found that meeting the person they went on to marry took time, stops and starts, and even a missed connection or two, have for daters?

As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on a challenging and eventful year. The blog posts which made our top 5 for this year reflect the impact that the coronavirus has had on all of our lives. But the message of hope and the determination of people to find love and connection is a common thread.