Christian Dating Advice

Be Patient and Do Your Homework

Its not uncommon for one or both individuals to be nervous when meeting someone in person for the first time; especially when they first met on the internet. Just be patient and take things slow. There is no need to rush things, afterall, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Before you decide to meet somebody in person, you should first do your due diligence. Often times, men will agree to meet a woman simply because of physical attraction, and then there is a major personality clash when they realize they aren't compatible. This is why dating profiles have introductions, essays, and other bits of information aside from the personal photos.

Rank	Dating Site	Starting Offer	Get Started
#1	Christian Mingle	$13.99/mo.	Read Review
#2	eHarmony	$23.95/mo.	Read Review
#3	Christian Cafe	$8.16/mo.	Read Review
#4	Catholic Match	$12.49/mo.	Read Review

Doing your homework also saves you from embarrassment later. There is nothing worse to ask somebody a question, to have them respond "You would know that if you actually cared to read my profile." Finally, it can't hurt to Google the person, or look them up on Facebook, which we will go into more detail below.

Be Polite

Different environments provide different kinds of language. You might act one way around your friends, but may have to sharpen up your manners in a different setting. Maybe the person you are meeting has no problem with hard sarcasm, the way you and your friends poke fun at each other, but you probably don't know that going into the date. Its not worth risking turning someone off by being too lax with your casual language. Women always love being courted by a polite and chivalrous man, and a man will always feel respected when a woman is polite to him.

Set Up an Attractive Profile

You just might be the best single person on the entire planet, but if nobody wants to look at your profile, it will be extremely hard to meet that special somebody. First, all the dating sites will tell you that you can increase your traffic between 100 and 1000% just by adding a personal picture. First rule with pictures, don't just put any picture. Put pictures that show your face, your personality, and a full body shot. Also, don't post pictures of your pets or your car. People don't want to date your pets, they want to date YOU!

Also, it is crucial that you fill out the essays and other options given by the dating sites. Don't be afraid to list what you want and don't want. You shouldn't be afraid of sounding like a jerk. If you are a man and do not want an overweight woman, you should list that. It will save both you and others time by knowing upfront whether or not you are compatible. Same goes for women. If you are a tall woman and want a taller man, don't be afraid to post that short men aren't what you are looking for.

Search on Facebook and Google

In todays world, everybody can be found somewhere on the internet, and without a whole lot of effort. It can't hurt to make a quick search on Facebook and Google to find someone you are interested in meeting. As we mentioned earlier, you will want to set up an attractive profile, but you also want to make sure the person you meet is more than a person with a nice profile. That handsome and polite young man won't post pictures of the keg stand and strippers at his buddy's bachelor party on his dating profile, but they might be on Facebook. Or that nice young woman forgot to mention that she loves mountain biking, and you share a similar interest. Facebook and Google are good to check for red flags, but can also be used to confirm good character.

Don't Pester

Men and women are both prone to being a pest when dating, but usually for very different reasons. Men are often annoying when in pursuit. They like a woman and want to gain confirmation that she would like to continue to see him. The man might pester too much about going on another date, with the intensions of showing interest, but crossing the line of annoying. If you are a guy that has a hard time figuring out where that line is, just consult with some female friends of yours to ask "If I do this or that, etc... would you find that annoying?" You should also ask some of your guy friends who are successful at dating what they would say or do, and how long they wait before trying to contact the woman again.

Women often pester after they know there is mutual interest. She knows the guy likes her, and she thinks he is a really great catch. The woman often gets excited and does more talking than the guy can handle. If you are a woman who tends to dominate a conversation when you get excited, just keep in mind that you need to slow down to give this guy time to digest your information, and then respond. Also remember, he really likes you, and he wants to know everything about you... but he doesn't need to know everything in one night. Also, men are not as verbally intellectual, so just keep aware of the rate of speed in which you are shooting information his way.

Men - Don't Talk About Sex

Men, we know you think she would be great in bed, and she knows it too. Even if you are a responsible Christian guy, saving your virginity for marriage, everyone involved knows you are going to have some thoughts about her in a sexual way. No matter what crosses your mind, don't talk about sex, ESPECIALLY on a first date with someone you just met from the internet.

If she brings up the topic, then its ok to respond to her questions, but nothing more. She might just be checking your character, if you believe sex is only for marriage, or if you had a dirty past that is unacceptable to her, you should just answer her questions honestly. You don't need to go into details of your wildest fantasies. Odds are, she has similar feelings about sex as you do, but too much information coming out too early is going to scare her off. If you develop a relationship, it is probably safe to let out more information as you grow closer to one another, but again, take it slow so you don't scare her off.

Women - Set Boundaries and Focus on Safety

Odds are, you are going be on a date with a guy who will try to put a move on you. These moves may be non-threatening and harmless, but nonetheless, you always have to be aware of what his intentions are, and where he wants things to go from there. Always make sure you set boundaries before you actually meet the guy. You don't need to tell him that you have boundaries, because he might respect your space and never attempt to cross any lines. But if the guy DOES cross over your comfort zone, you HAVE TO tell him. You don't need to be rude, but if you don't have a good feeling about the guy, you don't need to be polite either.

Your safety is the most important thing, no matter who you are with, but when meeting a guy from the internet, you may want to take a few small precautions. First, you should always provide your own ride to and from the point of meeting. The odds of him being a rapist or other kind of criminal is extremely small, but for a first date its a good idea to not risk it. Second, you should always meet in a public place.

Third, make sure you have a friend send you text messages checking in on the date. You should also tell the guy, "its just my friend asking how things are going". This will let him know that you have friends who are keeping tabs on your safety. If the guy actually is a creep, it will probably scare him off, and if he is a normal guy, he will be happy to know that you have friends who care about her, and he will respect you for that.

Also, it can't hurt to suggest a group date, especially if you are very scared of meeting someone alone, or if you get very nervous when you are on a date 1 on 1. Finally, give yourself a few bail out options in case you feel threatened, or if your date is just unbearably horrible. For more Christian Dating Advice, be sure to check out the rest of our Dating Articles.