Frequently Asked Questions

These Frequently Asked Questions should be read in conjunction with Christian Connections Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. If you have other questions about this Website, get in touch.

1. The Christian Connection Service

Q 1a: What is different about an Internet matchmaking service and the traditional dating and introduction agencies?: A This service works entirely through the Internet. Everybody who is a member is able to contact other members directly. Introduction and dating agencies tend to work through personal interviews and will generally ask you the same types of questions as our registration form. At that point the administrators of the agency will help decide who the best people are for you to be matched up with and generally there will be a set limit over a certain period. Other types of services send lists in the post.; An Internet matchmaking service gives you the opportunity to look at all the options, and gives you more of a decision making role and more choice. You are given the opportunity to take the initiative.
Q 1b: Why is there a need for Christian matchmaking service?: A The benefits of love, marriage and family life are very often stressed by Churches and for good reason. Christians are rightly encouraged to form relationships with others.; The reality is that there are lots of people who find it a major struggle to meet other eligible Christians. Those in small churches often find it hard to meet enough single people. Those in large churches feel under the spotlight, or find it hard to really get to know people well.; The opportunities of getting to meet Christians from other denominations, or even just different churches can be few and far between.; The matchmaking service gives Christians a far ranging opportunity to meet Christians from all parts of the UK and from denominations. It leaves less to chance and brings everybody more choice. Through carefully designed questionnaires, people can form a much more realistic impression of whether they might be likely to be compatible and have a basis for really getting to know each other, even before they actually meet.
Q 1c: In what way is Christian Connection different from other matchmaking websites?: A This Website has been designed by and for people in the UK Christian community. Questions have been tried and tested by other Christians. We also believe that we are the most technically advanced Christian matchmaking site in the UK.; We are based in the UK, which means that the questions we ask are appropriate to Christians in the UK and Ireland. The vast majority of people on our database are going to be living relatively close to you, unlike many American and International sites.
Q 1d: Can people outside the UK and Ireland join Christian Connection?: A This site is open to Christians who live in the UK or Ireland who are 18 and over. We make an exception for UK citizens who are living and working temporarily outside the UK or Ireland, and visit home on a regular basis. If you are in this situation, please make sure you can register with a valid UK or Irish address and postcode. It would be advisable to contact us via the help system to let us know.; If you live in Australia, you can join our Australian site at christianconnection.com.au; If you live in Germany, you can join our German site at christenconnection.de
Q 1e: How do we define "Christian"?: A That is not as easy as it sounds. As we all know Christians come with widely different beliefs, ways of worship and expression. Even those from the same denomination can vary a great deal; in how they approach their faith.; Christian Connection is a service aimed to include all Trinitarian Christians within the UK and Ireland. We welcome the richness of the Christian tradition.; What is a Trinitarian Christian?
Christians who accept the Trinity: ie accepting God as three eternal persons, in God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Spirit.; Who is included in this definition?
Christians from the following traditions all come within this definition:; There are many other Independent Churches including Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches which are within Trinitarian definition. If your tradition is not mentioned, you may want to contact us to check.; Who is not included
People belonging to Churches which do not accept the Trinity for example:; Also those churches, fellowships, organisations and groups who claim an exclusive relationship with God, who reject the possibility that salvation can come to those outside their particular persuasion.; Your choice
The Christian Connection matchmaking service will ask you to describe your own Christian tradition and ask you about your personal faith. If you are uncomfortable about meeting with people coming from particular traditions then you can use our service to set out those parameters and you will not be matched with people from those traditions. We do hope however, that many people will take the opportunity of meeting with, sharing and learning from Christians outside their own tradition. That is one of the benefits of Christian Connection.; Respect for others
Christians do not always agree with each other about everything. In fact Christians often disagree with each other. We believe that there are many great traditions within Christianity which have contributed in many different ways. Anybody who joins Christian Connection and chooses to attack or undermine the traditions of others may find themselves asked to leave if this causes undue offence or annoyance to other members. See Terms and Conditions.; Commitment and Honesty
We appreciate that no definition is perfect. Many say one thing and believe another. Some of us are seeking, some are struggling, and others feel confident in what it is that they believe. None of us are in the same place. The important point is that we should be honest about where we are and not claim to be what we are not. The questionnaire does give the opportunity to say where you think you are. We hope, that the fact you want to sign up means that your faith is important to you.

2. Logging On

Q 2a: Why haven't I received my password through email? How can I log in?: A You may have entered your email address incorrectly during registration.
For security reasons, we send these to the email address you put on your registration form. If there is any mistake in this email address, (and this happens surprisingly often) new members will not receive their passwords. In this situation, you need to fill in the help form on the contact page. Give us your name and surname, correct email address and your screen name if you know what it is, and we will send you your password.; Once logged in, remember to edit your email address by going to "Your membership" in the Members Area and editing your private details - or go to the 'My Private Details' page. You can also change your password to something easier.; A Your email provider may have discarded the message as junk mail or 'spam'.
Some email providers, particularly Hotmail, have recently started to classify Christian Connection mail as 'junk mail'. This is because we send out a large number of similar messages every day and fall foul of automated anti-spam systems.; You may want to check your 'Junk Mail' folder (if applicable) to see if the message from us has been sent into this location. If it isn't there, it's possible that it has been deleted automatically. In order to receive emails from us in this case, you may need to add 'christianconnection.co.uk' to your 'safe list' (a list of addresses that are not classed as junk mail, if available). In Hotmail this is accessible through the main options screen.; Once you have set Christian Connection mail as 'safe' you should be able to request an automated password reminder from the CC login screen.
Q 2b: I have tried to log in with my screen name and password. Why can’'t I get access to the site?: A Many login problems are solved very quickly by simply checking that your username and password are correct. However, sometimes cookies (small text files saved onto your computer by the website in order to log you in) can create difficulties.; Before getting in touch with us to report an error, please check the following:
Q 2c: I have problems accessing the site with AOL: A Sometimes the built-in AOL browser has problems with Christian Connection. These problems can be avoided by the following:; After you have connected to the Internet using AOL, open up a separate browser (such as Internet Explorer) and use that to access Christian Connection. You should then be able to log on.; Make sure that you have the correct screen name and password and that there are no extra spaces and that it is all in the same case as you were given. See question 2b (above) for more help on problems logging in.
Q 2d: I need to remove the CC cookies from my browser: A Some login problems are caused by the cookies set by the Christian Connection site becoming corrupted in your browser. In this case you will need to manually remove them or disable cookies completely in order to continue using the CC website.; Methods of removing cookies vary widely depending on the browser you are using and your computer's operating system. Instructions are provided below for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 running on Windows (which most of our members use). If you have another browser or system then you will need to select 'help' from the menu or use google.com and search for 'removing cookies'.; In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options. On the General tab, click Settings, and then click View files. Select the cookie you want to delete (will contain 'christianconnection'), and then, on the File menu, click Delete. (To delete all of the cookies on your computer, click Delete Cookies on the General tab.)

3. Your Profile

Q 3a: Do I have to answer all the questions in the questionnaire?: A In a word, no! Some of you who may have used other matchmaking sites have had to grapple with lots of personal questions which take hours to fill in but don't necessarily produce the finest results. We have started with some initial multiple choice questions which are mandatory, but after that you decide what you want to say about yourself. The essay questions do generally seem to make the most impact, and you should take time to fill these in when you get a chance.; The more questions you answer, the more precise the matching can be. If you answer fewer questions, the net can be cast a lot wider. You don't have to answer them all in one go. You may find you want to take more time to answer some of the questions. The best thing is to fill in the mandatory questions first so your membership is established and then come back to the other questions when you have had more time to think. It's a good idea to review your profile from time to time.
Q 3b: Why have a photograph?: A All the statistics say that you are around 15 times more likely to get a response if you post a photograph with your details. Despite everything that Christians rightly say about not looking on the outside but on the inside, that is, perhaps sadly, the reality. A good photograph provides a big boost.; Having said that, it's your choice, and the great thing about this website is that you will be able to learn about people in many other ways, through their profiles and through their emails. That is often a lot more than can be in done in a social gathering!
Q 3c: Can I change my personal profile?: A You may amend your details at any time by logging into the site with your user name and password and following the instructions on this website. You are the ultimate arbiter of what details appear.; It's often a good idea to review your profile regularly and make sure you have said what you want to say.
Q 3d: Why can't I find my profile when I look for it through Search and Match?: A Members cannot search for themselves using Quicksearch or Compatibility Match. You will not come up as a match for yourself.; If you carry out a Namesearch on your screen name, you will be able to verify that your profile does exist and is visible to others.
Q 3e: I spent hours creating/editing my profile and the changes are not showing.: A Timing Out: When you are logged into a website for a while, the connection can be lost if there is a long period with no communication between you and the site. Your connection 'times out'. If you have spent a long time creating your profile (over 30 minutes) without saving it, then you might lose your efforts.; We suggest that when doing your essay questions, or if you are composing a lengthy email to someone, you write them in a word processing program and copy and paste them into the form when you are ready.; A Refreshing: It could be that your changes were indeed saved, but you're not seeing the changes. Try refreshing the page or logging in to the site from scratch. Another way is to go to the My Profile Section and click View Profile as Others See It.
Q 3f: How can I add a photo?: A Please click here to find out how to place your photo on your profile.

4. Mail Queries

Q 4a: Why do I have a message saying I have mail, but there is no new mail in my mailbox?: A When there is mail for you at Christian Connection, you will automatically receive a 'mail waiting for you' message in your external email telling you. Members sometimes read their mail in their Christian Connection mailbox before seeing the 'mail waiting' message in their external email.
Q 4b: Is there any kind of limit on the number of emails I can send per day?: A Trial members can send 5 emails a day, Full members 20 a day. This is because:
Q 4c: Why do I get 'You've got mail' notifications after my membership has expired?: A When an mail is sent to you on Christian Connection you automatically are sent an notification email.
Expired members can continue to receive mail, but they cannot read it or reply to it. If you become a Full member by subscribing then you can continue to have full access to the site and any mail that is waiting for you will be made available.
Q 4d: How do I 'report an email'?: A Unfortunately for every 100 members signing up, there may be one or two who either deliberately misuse the site or just carelessly cause a lot of hassle. Although we monitor site activity very closely, it is sometimes our members who see and report inappropriate emails/posts before we do. The Report this Email function allows you to forward an inappropriate email to CC for review.; Emails should be reported only if they contain offensive language or material, requests for details that you consider inappropriate, personal details of another member, spam or scams and promotion of business or details indicating that someone has held previous free memberships and/or is generally trying to misuse the site.; Emails should NOT be reported because you simply disagree with the sender, you find their tone disagreeable or impolite, they don't reply to email or people are not behaving according to high definitions of Christian standards.
Q 4e: How can I delete mail?: A You can delete mail received from your Inbox and mail which you have sent from your Sent Box. This does not remove the mail from another person's box. Please note that Mail over 360 days old will be deleted. If you wish to keep your letters, please copy them to another file or print them out.
Q 4f: Why has the person I want to write to disappeared?: A They may be somebody whose trial membership has now expired, and their membership is "invisible" or they may have left the site completely.; If you have sent mail to a "trial expired" member, it will go to their inbox and they will receive it if they decide to rejoin as full members. Whenever they log on, they will be told that mail is in their inbox, even if they haven't yet rejoined.
Q 4g: What do I do if I get an email from someone with whom I would prefer not to develop a correspondence?: A If you receive mail from a member but would prefer not to reply, there is a decline button. This sends a message to the sender thanking them for their message but declining further contact.
Q 4h: Can I block email from a particular member?: A Yes. If you decide you do not wish to receive further internal email from another user, you can put them on your "block" list. The directions can be accessed either from the mail itself or from the general inbox page. You can unblock a sender if you wish, and they will receive polite notification that mail has been blocked if they attempt to send mail to you.; If you are blocking a sender because you have received an inappropriate email, please do inform CC. You can do this by using the Report this Email function. The Report this Email button is found at the bottom of every email sent via the site. Simply click on the button and follow the instructions.
Q 4i: How can I receive text messages to tell me I have mail waiting?: A Please click here for more information.
Q 4j: Why can't I send mail?: A If you are a current member you can send mail. When a mail is successfully sent a screen will appear telling you that the mail has gone. If you do not receive this screen, your mail has not been sent. You can also check your sent items. If the mail message does not appear in your sent items then it has not been sent.; If you are having trouble sending mail, please check that you have included a Message Title on your email. It will not be sent if you do not include one. Also check that you have not sent your email quota for the day.
Q 4k: How can I avoid losing the message I've just written if my session 'times out' and I have to login again?: A If the system hasn't had any communication from you for a while (you might have left the site or could just be writing a long email) then it will automatically log you out. This is a security feature and stops anybody else logging into your profile once you've left the computer. Unfortunately, it also means that if you spend a long time writing your email, the system can log you out before you get a chance to send it. It then asks you to login and your message is lost.; There are some solutions, though:; Some help with copying and pasting:; The quickest way to make sure you don't lose your message is therefore to press CTRL+A (Cmd+A on Mac), CTRL+C (Cmd+C on Mac) and then send your message. If it gets lost, just start a new message and press CTRL+V (Cmd+V on Mac) to paste your message in.

5. Membership

Q (5a) Does membership cost anything?: A Newcomers to the site can join on a free trial basis giving them access to all areas and functions of the site.; After that period, subscription charges apply. For more details click here.
Q (5b) Can I suspend my membership?: A Some people get put off from taking out a longer membership in case they need to take time out, even though it's much cheaper to join for a longer period.; ONLY FULL MEMBERS WHO HAVE PAID FOR PRE-PAID MEMBERSHIPS OF SIX MONTHS OR MORE CAN SUPSEND THEIR MEMBERSHIPS.; If you have subscribed BY PREPAYMENT FOR SIX MONTHS OR MORE, you can suspend your membership for a minimum of one month up to a maximum of six months. Your profile will be archived and you will be able to unsuspend it on demand. Please note that members must remain reinstated for one month before they are eligible to suspend membership for a second time.; The suspension feature is only available for people who have at least three weeks left on their membership and is used in circumstances when people go abroad or are getting to know somebody they have met.; Please remember that having more than one membership is not allowed on Christian Connection. This also extends to any suspension period. In other words you are not permitted to take out a trial membership or another full membership while you are suspended. Christian Connection will terminate both suspended and additional membership if this occurs.; CONTINUOUS SUBSCRIPTIONS; Members who pay by Continuous Subscription are unable to suspend their membership of Christian Connection.; This is because Continuous Subscription members can cancel their membership at any time and stop payment.; However, we can cancel your Continuous Subscription membership for you and save your profile details. This will allow you to return to the site at a later date without having to recreate your profile.; TRIAL MEMBERSHIP ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO SUSPEND THEIR MEMBERSHIPS.; Contact Us; a) TO SUSPEND with your screen name, password and the date you would like the suspension to commence. (If you are in correspondence with any members on the site please be sure to tell them before you disappear); b) TO CANCEL Continuous Subscription and save your membership to the archive.
Q (5c) Why do we ask members to subscribe in order to contact others on the site?: A Although there are free matchmaking websites available, Christian Connection is very different and, we believe, much better! We ask for a subscription payment to become a member for the following reasons:; If you are a student, pensioner or on a limited income, we will consider special rates on an individual basis.
Q (5d) In what circumstances could membership be refused or cancelled?: The Terms and Conditions allow Christian Connection complete discretion to refuse or terminate membership. We do need to protect both others on the site and ourselves. If rules are breached, we may either terminate membership immediately or give a warning to the member, giving a time limit to rectify the situation or have their profiles deleted.; Below are some of the circumstances that might give rise to immediate termination or a warning giving the member a set period to put the situation right or remove themselves. If there is no response within the given time the offending profiles will be deleted.
Q (5e) What about refunds?: A We cannot refund membership fees to members who decide to cancel their membership before the end of their subscription period. Members can, however, suspend their membership for a given period if they are more than three weeks from the end of their subscription.
(5f) What happens to my membership after it expires?: A When a membership expires, the profile may still be visible on the site. Expired members can log in at any time and change the visibility of their profile. They can still receive email from other members. In order to read or reply to mail they will have to subscribe as a full member.
Q (5g) When does my membership expire?: A Members can find out at any time when their membership is due to expire by going to the Members Area and clicking on the link entitled Expiry Date in the "Your Membership" section.
Q (5h) Are you feeling discouraged?: A Please click here for more information.
Q (5i) Can I join again if I've already been a trial member?: A The free trial membership is there to give joiners a taste of what the site can do. It is a one time offer. Holding more than one membership is confusing to both the system and to other members on the site. CC will cancel any duplicate memberships. If you have already been a trial member of CC and wish to come back to the site, please get in touch for details about how to rejoin.
Q (5j) Can I take out another membership while my membership is suspended?: A Members can only have one membership to the site. When you suspend your membership, this must be done for a minimum of one month. Holding more than one membership is confusing to both the system and to other members on the site. CC will cancel any duplicate memberships.
Q (5k) How can I change my password?: A When you joined CC, you will have created or received a password. You can change your password at any time. Please click here to change your password.
Q (5l) How do I identify whether someone is a full member?: A Profiles of full members always state 'full member' at the top. People who are not full members will not state 'full member' on their profile.

6. Privacy & Security

Q 6a: What can I do to protect my own privacy and security on Christian Connection?: A When using Christian Connection on a public computer or a shared computer, follow these "good practice" points to avoid people seeing details about you. At Christian Connection, we are continually doing our best to protect your security from where we are but you can do a great deal more.; The police cannot do much if you leave your doors unlocked, and your private papers lying around in public places. If you are worried about people accessing your membership details and correspondence, here are some tips to avoid people seeing what you last did on your computer including any "cached information". This is the same for any site including when you access an internet email account (e.g. Yahoo, Hotmail) or even an internet bank account. If you have your own computer at home, you probably don't need to worry, but if you are using a computer in a public place, or at work anybody can press a back button (or history button) and find the last pages and sites you have visited.; Here is what you can do to prevent that happening:; The auto-complete function may be found (for Internet Explorer users) if people follow this route. Go to "Tools", "Internet Options" and system will display a menu/dialogue box. Select the "Content" tab from the top and this will bring up a set of options. Under "Personal Information" select "AutoComplete Settings". You will see a set of three check-boxes. Make sure that User names and passwords on forms is unchecked, i.e. no tick in the box. Otherwise, the system "remembers" your login name and passwords. If you are really unsure, click on "clear forms" and "clear passwords".; Even if you use a shared computer, e.g. at home and have this Use AutoComplete option "clicked", the next person such as a friend or family member does not have much left to do to gain access to your account.
Q 6b: How is my privacy protected?: A Please read the Christian Connection Privacy Policy, which will explain the steps we take to protect your privacy.
Q 6c: How am I protected from people who may try to misuse this Website?: A Whenever we meet anybody without knowing much about them, in a church, even through friends or a church related organisation, festival or conference, we always need to be a little careful about the questions we ask and the information we reveal about ourselves.; Christian Connection and you must do this together too. We have carefully constructed rules which all users must agree to before they can use the Website. Please see the Website Terms and Conditions. If they break the rules, use unacceptable language or behave offensively they can be excluded permanently from using the Website and their details will be deleted.; If they attempt to behave in a criminal way, they could also be identified and prosecuted. Christian Connection has enough information about their users via details of registered members and credit card information to locate them should this ever be necessary.; Remember you can help us with this. If you ever have cause for complaint about another member, please complete a help form. Remember to note down carefully any evidence which will help us deal appropriately with the information.; Members will send emails to each other via the Website. You do not have to give your personal email address to anybody unless you choose to. That is your choice and your responsibility.
Q 6d: Can I block unwanted mail?: A Yes. If you decide you do not wish to receive further internal email from another user, you can put them on your "block" list. The directions can be accessed either from the mail itself or from the general inbox page. You can unblock a sender if you wish, and they will receive polite notification that mail has been blocked.; If you are blocking a sender because you have received an inappropriate email, please do inform CC. You can do this by using the Report this Email function. The Report this Email button is found at the bottom of every email send via the site. Simply click on the button and follow the instructions.
Q 6e: How secure is it to pass over my credit card details over the Internet?: A In the last couple of years, there have major leaps forward in terms of protecting credit card transactions over the Internet. When asked to enter personal details such as yourcredit number, these will be transmitted through our secure server. This provides many security features, including:; If you still are not satisfied, you can choose to send your payment by cheque, or you can use email and telephone. Please see the subscribe page for more details.
Q 6f: Does Christian Connection set cookies on my machine?: A When a site wants to remember something about you (such as where you visited, which ads you've seen or whether you're logged in) it writes a tiny text file (the cookie) to your computer. Every time you visit a page on that site, your computer checks to see if any cookies have been set by the site you're looking at and, if it finds any, sends the information back.; Some people don't like cookies because they feel that it's a way of storing information about them and invades their privacy. You can make your own mind up, but it's always possible to completely disable them in your browser if you want - just be warned that some sites won't work properly without cookies enabled.; Christian Connection will normally set a couple of cookies on your machine when you visit. One records the fact that you're logged on and simply stores a long number that our server uses to check who you are (which is why you don't have to login on every page). The other one records which ads you've seen on the site (these include things like event banners or site promotions etc) so that we don't show you the same thing several times on the same page or keep hammering you with the same banner (if we've got more than one on the go). Neither of these should affect your security, privacy or speed of browsing the site - and if you completely disable cookies on your machine, you should find the site still works.; Rest assured that the Christian Connection site doesn't leave more than a couple of (very small) cookies on your system, and there's no harm in deleting them at any point if you're unsure about their content.

7. Instant Chat

Q What happened to Instant Chat?: A Instant Chat has changed! We've updated our Instant Chat system and it should now be quicker and easier to use. More information will be provided in this FAQ as soon as possible, but in the meantime, you can find out more from this page.

8. About Us

Q 8a: Who are Christian Connection?: A Christian Connection Limited is a company and a subsidiary of Widernet Communications Ltd, a UK company. We are registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Z4898414).; Please see the contact us page for our most recent contact details.
Q 8b: How can I spread the word about Christian Connection?: A It's really helpful when people spread the word! There are various ways in which you can do this:

Question Not Answered?

If your question has not been answered by any of this information. then get in touch with us, detailing your query. Please include your screen name.

If you have any comments on this FAQ which you would like to offer we would be pleased to hear them. Use our contact form to email us directly