A popular way for Christian single men and women to connect with each other is through Christian dating. Christian adults meet each other and learn if a a life together as husband and wife is possible. There can be many different roads to developing a lifelong friendship, discovering a soul mate, or forming a relationship for marriage. If you are considering dating other Christians for these goals, consider these three steps.

First, identify what you want in a prospective partner. Think about what traits that person would have that meet your interests and desires. Conduct a personal inventory of the type of personality and temperament that works best with yours. Do you want someone who is funny and spontaneous? Is service a big part of your optimal relationship?

Besides what you are looking for, make sure you know what you want to give in a relationship. Remember, a successful Christian dating relationship is based on a loving friendship with another person. Have the mindset to "connect with respect." God is present as "the third strand" in every relationship, especially dating, engagement and marriage. There are two sets of three strands in every relationship. The first set is two people and God. The second set is the virtues faith, hope and love. If you focus on these ideas, you will experience more success when you look for that special someone you want to marry and raise a family with.

Second, find out how you can discover and connect with a special person you desire to treasure and honor. Eligible single Christians are everywhere. Use traditional methods to engage a boy friend or girl friend like joining a Christian singles group, volunteer or participate in a church mission program, network through family and friends, or visit one or more internet Christian dating services.

Consider this 2006 survey on online dating conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Commission. Thirty one percent of American men and women know someone who used a dating website. About 30 million people know another person who got married or has a long-term relationship with someone found online.

Membership at dating websites grow every hour. The top Christian dating websites help you find your partner in the Lord. The Pew survey shows that three out of four singles who use the internet to look for a romantic partner did these things. Visited and used dating websites. Searched for information about potential partners. Flirted by email or instant messaging. Checked out the local singles scene.

Online Christian dating services are easy because you can look through a database any hour of day or night right from your own home. These services have a very large pool of potential soul mate prospects with the same values and interests that you are. You can type in search criteria for location, faith, likes and dislikes, and find new friends quickly and easily.

Free memberships of online Christian dating services are hard to find. Many of the professional services may cost between $100 and $250 a year, depending the quality and longevity of the site.

Online dating can be challenging because of the anonymous connection with an unknown person. You don't meet someone face-to-face, so there can be dishonesty about marriage status, income, education and other personal data. The Pew survey showed that seven million adults dated people they met online and nearly three million (17%) formed long-term relationships.

Third, connect with respect. A basic dating guideline for Christian single - whether at a church picnic or through a dating website - is to develop a loving Christian dating relationship that honors the other person. If you treat your date with kindness and respect, you strengthen those virtues within you. That habit comes back to you. God will lead you to the right person at the right time. Friendship comes first and then you grow from there.

Develop a strong Christian friendship. Use online or traditional ways of dating. Both approaches are valuable resources as you seek to discover God's plan for a marriage partner.