7 Fun Date Ideas For Christians Who Use Dating Apps
For when you're trying to find love, AND the love of God.
unsplash Nowadays, meeting someone online is the norm. It's harder to meet someone and start dating organically. Many Christians who are single and dating turn to apps and sites such as Christian Mingle, Bumble, and even Tinder. When you find a profile you like and you chat and plan to meet, it's can be fun, but awkward.
What are good first date ideas for Christians dating after meeting on a date app?
First dates are always hard to plan. Getting to know someone superficially when you have already made your self vulnerable enough in front of them to admit that you were interested in them romantically.
If you meet someone online, it is even more complicated. There is the worry that you won’t recognize them, what if they are boring or dull? What if they are annoying or just a bit too much? What if you just don’t like them.
Online dating is hard all around but it’s a little different for Christian Singles. When you meet someone on a Christian dating site, you already have one major thing in common.
It is like going on a date with someone whose parent already like you. There is a mutual understanding that both parties live their lives with God at the center. You want to go somewhere where you can talk to your date!
You don’t want to end up at the movies and not speak to each other the whole time. If you decide to go out a second time, it will be like a first date all over again. You also don’t want to go somewhere where you are forced to interact too much with other people.
If you're at a wine tasting, it may ruin the mood if someone keeps interrupting you to show you a cheeky merlot. With online dating it is very important to go to a public place. You never know who is on the other side of the internet.
Ultimately, you want to find a public place where you can talk, have a good time, and make a quick escape if it's not what you were looking for.
Here are some first date ideas for Christians who met online and want to meet in-person.
1. Karaoke is a fun first date idea.
Hear me out. Karaoke is embarrassing, and silly but I think you can tell so much about someone based on their karaoke performance. If they pick a slow boring ballad, maybe they take themselves too seriously.
If they pick a song just to be funny, you can get an insight into their sense of humor. Maybe they are too good. Can you ever really trust a person who is too good at karaoke?
You can see if they make fun of the other singers, or if they are supportive and want everyone to feel comfortable. Karaoke man. It works.
2. Many Christians meet for coffee or lunch as safe, first date.
Coffee or lunch are great first dates. They give you the opportunity to talk without putting too much pressure on you to be formal or fancy. You have more control over the time you spend together.
If it's not going well, you can sneak out of there after 30 minutes or so without seeming too rude. If it goes really well, you can spend hours talking and getting to know each other. Plus, it’s never too early to learn how your S.O. takes their coffee.
3. First dates that take place a museum gives you time to talk.
Museums are a cool first date. It is a public place so it will be safe to meet an online romantic prospect. It is also a good way for you to explore each other’s minds. It will give you things to talk about if conversation doesn’t spark up naturally.
It is a great way to judge if you are intellectually compatible. There will be other people in close proximity to you, so you will be able to see what your date is and isn’t comfortable talking about when other people can hear.
Are they too self-conscious? Are they too brazen? Maybe they're just right.
4. Going Bowling on a first date is a great idea because it's fun.
Bowling is great because the spirit of competition will fuel your conversation. It will help you to flirt a little more naturally then in a non-competitive environment. AND if your date turns out to be boring, bowling is always fun!
You can see if they are helpful when you are trying to pick out a ball, or if they just grab theirs and rush to put on their shoes. Do they get too angry when they do poorly? Do they get excited for you when you do well? Bowling is great.
5. Mini-Golf is a great first date idea.
Mini-Golf is a similar idea to bowling, only it is more conducive to talking. You can chat while you walk from hole to hole. It is also quieter on a mini-golf course than in a bowling ally so you can hear each other better.
6. Support local theater and go watch a play for your first date.
I know that going to the movies movies and going to see a play aren’t that different, but they are just different enough. You can talk before the play starts, and at intermission which is what makes it a great first date idea.
If you start talking before the show starts, it allows anticipation to build before you get to talk again at intermission.
Plus, local theater isn’t always a hit. Perhaps it will give you two something to joke about if you decide to go out again. And it always feels good to support local artists!
7. An unusual first date that's unforgettable? Try Pottery!
It may sound dorky but it's really fun. It is a good way to distract yourself from your nerves and just relax and talk. Your focused on making something so the pressure to talk isn’t there.
If there are silences, they don’t feel like they have to be filled. You will be able to tell a lot about your date based on what they decide to make. Maybe they make something funny to try to make you laugh.
Maybe they make something cool to impress you. It will feel a lot less stressful then just sitting and talking because you are constantly doing something.
Kaitlin Kaiser is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, entertainment news and relationship topics.