ChristianMingle has been around for a long time, and it’s the premiere dating website for men and women of the Christian faith. The site has already sparked thousands of marriages and relationships, but is it still worth spending your time on? We dove in to find out everything you need to know about the ChristianMingle experience. Here’s our review of ChristianMingle.com.
ChristianMingle is geared towards individuals who are very involved in their faith and are looking to find a partner who is just as devoted to God and Jesus as they are. While there are many dating sites out there for Christians, this one is usually considered to be the most accessible, and has the largest pool of potential partners to choose from. It’s less specific than some other sites, with a large diversity of Christian beliefs on the site.
You may need to do some wading through profiles to find people who share your exact beliefs, but it also means you have a lot more choice and a higher likelihood of finding someone you actually click with. Most of the people on ChristianMingle have a goal of finding someone to settle down with and marry, which is a nice change of pace from many of the other popular dating sites out there. It isn’t the best for those looking just to have fun or develop short-term relationships, but for many people, that’s what makes it refreshing.
ChristianMingle is also one of the easiest sites to use of all the Christian dating sites, with an interface that’s very intuitive, even for those who have never used a dating site in the past. There is an app available, or you can use the site online through your computer. Although it doesn’t have too many modern or innovative features, it’s well-maintained and runs efficiently. This works well for ChristianMingles user base, who are on the older side and tend to care less about the bells and whistles than they do about just finding someone nice to date.
Because ChristianMingle is more heavily advertised than other Christian dating sites, you can expect a lot more from your experience with them than from smaller religious dating companies. Here are the essential ChristianMingle stats you need to know.
– There are 16 million total members, with 12 million from the United States.
– 40,000 active members log on each week. 2.5 million active members log on each month.
– The gender ratios are slightly skewed at 56 percent female, 44 percent male, but both genders still have plenty of options to choose from.
– Scaling plan costs for how long you are planning on using the service. A standard plan starts at $29.99 for one month and then goes down for a longer term subscription. The premium plan starts at $49.99 per month for one month and then goes down from there.
– It’s said that 29 percent of Christian married couples who met online used ChristianMingle.
The numbers don’t lie – this is a big dating site, with lots of activity and plenty of people to choose from. Signing up for ChristianMingle is somewhat of an investment of time and money, but has the potential for real payoff in the long run.
ChristianMingle doesn’t have too many unique features, but the features it does have work very well and get the job done. One of the things that does set ChristianMingle apart from many other dating sites, both religious and secular, is that it has a very strict screening process for new members. This is to ensure that members are actually Christians interested in dating and keep the site safe and fun for other users.
The initial registration process is short, and typically takes less than five minutes. You fill out some basic personal information and connect with your email or Facebook.
There isn’t an in-depth personality test or questionnaire like there is on some of the dating sites marketed towards younger teens. Instead, the questions are mostly focused on physical descriptors, your basic attitudes towards religion, family, and marriage, and your current lifestyle choices. Once you’ve submitted your profile, it’s reviewed by ChristianMingle and then it goes live.
Once you are approved by the site, you can then add more information about yourself and write a short bio that shows off what you want potential partners to see. For example, you can add more in-depth information like preferences for food, music, and fashion.
You can also add up to six pictures to show potential matches what you look like. You’ll need to include at least one photo to get started on the site. Overall, the sign-up process is extremely straightforward without too many complex questions or hurdles that you have to jump through.
Once your profile is set up, you can start browsing. There’s not much to this part of the experience – you just scroll through profiles and can click on the ones that interest you to learn more. You can filter your searches depending on your preference to find someone who fits certain specifications that you are interested in. You can also filter by who’s currently online to sort out inactive users.
The biggest caveat of this service is that you can only message other users if you are a paid member. This essentially forces you to get a membership if you want to contact other users and build a relationship. However, since ChristianMingle users are so heavily screened and monitored for legitimacy, it’s a good bet that if you message someone, they’ll at the very least message you back (something that’s never a guarantee on other dating apps).
For many users, this makes the paid membership worth it. The only time you can message someone if you are a free member is if a premium member is interested in you. The premium members get features that standard members do not, and messaging and chatting with free members is one of them.
If you have the app, the messages go through a chat function on your phone as well as showing up on your computer. Once you start chatting, it’s really up to you to decide where to go from there – there isn’t much that the site does for you in the way of setting up dates.
There are also a few key features that help you determine if someone else is a match for you, and indicate aspects of your personality to potential partners. The first is the Color Code function. This is essentially a test you take, somewhat similar to Myers-Briggs and other psychological personality tests, and it assigns you a color based on your results. This allows you to look at other members’ profiles and learn a lot about their personality purely based on what color they are in the Color Code.
Another helpful feature that is particularly beloved by Christians is the Relationship Readiness test. This is the most exhaustive test on the site, and it focuses on aspects of serious relationships that you might enter into. It asks you about dating, marriage, and parenting behaviors, and gives you an honest look into your relationship attitudes. This is also very helpful for determining exactly what other users are looking for and what they are ready for.
Overall, the profiles on ChristianMingle aren’t as lengthy as they are on some other Christian and secular dating sites, but the questions are narrowed down to the things that really matter to people looking for long-term partners.
There’s also the Secret Admirer function, which shows you when you and another user are mutually interested in each other. This is helpful for getting conversations going, particularly for shy users who may be a bit intimidated by the idea of making the first move.
There are also public chat rooms and forums where you can talk to other users outside the context of dating and just make friends. For many people, this is a very accessible first step into online dating, and allows you to get to know potential matches without the pressure of a romantic relationship right away. Chat rooms and forums are also a great place to discuss interesting topics related to Christianity, marriage, family, and more, knowing that you’ll meet likeminded people who are usually up for a chat.
Since this site is mainly targeted towards those in their late twenties, thirties, and forties, it focuses on function over form and is very easy to use. The design is very simple and utilitarian, and there aren’t too many confusing buttons to click on. The sign-up process and the process of creating a profile are both very intuitive and easy to follow along with. There’s also a cell phone app that allows you to use the site on the go, but there aren’t any confusing additional features on the mobile app that you don’t have on the desktop site.
Another benefit of ChristianMingle is that it is one of the safer large dating sites out there. Although there are millions of users, you don’t have to worry too much about fake profiles, because the site actively searches for them and deletes them right away.
The software is set up to detect fraudulent activity, and profiles are monitored by a real-life team to keep the atmosphere safe for everyone. Everyone goes only by first names on the site, so your last name is kept private. You also have the option to block other users if they are making you feel uncomfortable or if you just aren’t interested in chatting with them anymore.
While you can control who sees private photos, there’s no option to make your entire profile private without deleting it. Overall however, this is one of the best dating sites out there when it comes to security.
With such a great focus on security, it’s no surprise that there’s plenty of customer support available to users as well. If you need help, you can go to the ‘Dating Support’ tab on their website. There’s also a help tab at the top of the screen where you can access FAQs and contact the support team if you are having a problem.
Positives ● There’s a large membership base as well, so you get more choice than with other Christian dating sites. The large majority of the site is also of the Christian faith, and those on the site who aren’t Christian are at least willing to date a Christian and are familiar with the faith. ● The site is also very easy to use, without too many complex features that could get confusing. ● The fact that you have to pay to send messages is also a big downside for many people. If you don’t have the money to spend on a membership, this may not be the best site for you.
● The biggest positive aspect of this site is that it is a safe space for Christians to date online with a Christian mindset. The extensive screening ensures that most users are very legitimate and interested in dating, so your chances of success are pretty good if you put some work into dating.
Negatives
● Whilst the site is so easy to navigate, the other side of the coin is that there isn’t anything particularly innovative about this site. It’s not feature rich if that is what you are looking for.
ChristianMingle’s main competition LoveandSeek who come under ubiquitous Match umbrella. eHarmony is also a decent site as it is relationship focused and was founded by Christian. It’s recently been taken over by european group, Parship so it will be interesting to see if it’s rebranded in any way. Another standout choice is ChristianCafe.com but it has a significantly lower membership but it has its merits..
ChristianMingle is a reliable site for singles looking to find a long-term partner who shares their religious faith. Although it’s not particularly innovative, it works well and is very easy to use and get started with. If you are looking to really meet someone and develop a meaningful relationship with them, ChristianMingle provides you with plenty of avenues to do that. Its large and active membership base ensures that you’ll always have new members to chat with. It’s our standout pick from a few decent sites in the Christian dating sector,
