Most churches are faced with the situation of having more women than men, and some single believers are more than 30 years old or even in their late 30s. Not only the believers themselves are worried, but also the church's pastors.
Nowadays, many churches have launched individual counseling and prayer activities. There are also many churches that have been doing interchurch or interregional matchmaking programs to help these single believers.
I recently went to a matchmaking event that one of the bigger churches in the city had organized with more than 100 single young people.
The first time I walked into the place for this event, a co-worker brought out the homemade baked desserts and health-enhancing herbal tea prepared early that morning. The room was also filled with music, and participants would not feel embarrassed about not knowing each other.
Unlike other matchmaking events within the church, this event did not begin with a round of self-introduction and faith testimony. After the host briefly introduced the activity process, they started a series of ice-breaking games and team games. In this way, people would not judge others according to their education level or other conditions when they just met each other.
This matchmaking event has been held for two years, and each session of this event has a different theme. There are marriage lectures, dancing and fellowship, book sharing, dinner activities, outdoor sports and outings, and so on. Instead of insisting on finding the right one through a matchmaking event, organizers hope that believers can get to know each other better through this event. At the same time, co-workers would pray and observe behind their backs, and when appropriate, they would ask a brother or sister if he or she was willing to be introduced.
I found that in this activity, in the one-hour interactive session, believers not only started a simple introduction naturally but also exchanged some of their inner journeys and feelings of waiting for the right one. Waiting for the right one for marriage is quite a hard process. Sometimes the pastor's counseling alone is not enough, and we also need the support of fellow travelers.
There are also people who feel disappointed after participating in this event many times and never finding a satisfactory date. The co-workers who organized the event also said, "Although there are not many data results in service, we are still moved to continue serving. We do not know God's timing and guidance, but we can do what we should do."
In fact, we can help single believers, both by giving them the truth and the right concept of marriage and love and by praying silently. We can also hold similar matchmaking activities to give them a positive social and mental impact.
Finally, several co-workers cared about all the believers by checking their dates, and there were follow-up WeChat group services.
(The writer is a Christian in Shaanxi Province.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
大多数的教会面临着女多男少，一些单身信徒大都超过30，甚至奔40的岁数了。不仅这些信徒本人着急，教会的牧者也着急担心。
现下，有不少教会都开展了单身辅导、协谈和祷告活动等。还有许多教会一直在做跨教会、跨地区的相亲活动来帮助这些肢体。
笔者最近参与的一个相亲活动，由本市一个较大的教会组织的，这间教会的青年单身人数有一百多个。
第一次走进来，同工将一早准备的自制烘焙甜点和养生茶端出来。室内也洋溢着音乐，参与者不会因为不相识而觉得尴尬。
与其他的主内相亲活动不同，活动一开始并不是通过轮番自我介绍和信仰见证开场。在主持人简要介绍了活动流程后，就进入一系列“破冰游戏”“团队游戏”等内容。这样避免从一开始就以人的学历、条件等方面来认识对方。
他们的相亲活动已经举办两年了，每期都有不同主题。有婚恋讲座、有跳舞联谊、有书会分享、爱宴活动、户外运动和郊游等等。不执着于通过一次相亲活动就成就一个婚姻，举办者希望通过活动信徒能增进了解。同时，同工在背后祷告、观察，在恰当的时候会询问某弟兄或姐妹是否愿意接受引荐和介绍。
笔者发现，这个活动里面，信徒在一个小时的互动环节里，不仅开始很自然的简单介绍，也会交换一些等候婚姻的心路历程和内心感受。等候婚姻不易，有时候只是牧者辅导还不够，也需要同路人的彼此搀扶。
当然，其中也有人参加很多次没有看到心仪对象感到失望。组织活动的同工也表示，“虽然在服侍上没有太多数据化的成果，但是他们依然有感动继续服侍下去。因为人不知道神的时候和带领，但是人可以尽力去做自己该做的。”
其实我们帮助单身肢体，既可以给他们真理和婚恋观的牧养，也可以默默地祷告。还可以举办类似的婚恋相亲活动，给他们在社交、心态上积极的影响。
最后还发现几位同工挨个关怀和跟进，也有后续的微信群服侍。
（本文作者为陕西一基督徒。）
参加相亲活动纪实
Most churches are faced with the situation of having more women than men, and some single believers are more than 30 years old or even in their late 30s. Not only the believers themselves are worried, but also the church's pastors.
Nowadays, many churches have launched individual counseling and prayer activities. There are also many churches that have been doing interchurch or interregional matchmaking programs to help these single believers.
I recently went to a matchmaking event that one of the bigger churches in the city had organized with more than 100 single young people.
The first time I walked into the place for this event, a co-worker brought out the homemade baked desserts and health-enhancing herbal tea prepared early that morning. The room was also filled with music, and participants would not feel embarrassed about not knowing each other.
Unlike other matchmaking events within the church, this event did not begin with a round of self-introduction and faith testimony. After the host briefly introduced the activity process, they started a series of ice-breaking games and team games. In this way, people would not judge others according to their education level or other conditions when they just met each other.
This matchmaking event has been held for two years, and each session of this event has a different theme. There are marriage lectures, dancing and fellowship, book sharing, dinner activities, outdoor sports and outings, and so on. Instead of insisting on finding the right one through a matchmaking event, organizers hope that believers can get to know each other better through this event. At the same time, co-workers would pray and observe behind their backs, and when appropriate, they would ask a brother or sister if he or she was willing to be introduced.
I found that in this activity, in the one-hour interactive session, believers not only started a simple introduction naturally but also exchanged some of their inner journeys and feelings of waiting for the right one. Waiting for the right one for marriage is quite a hard process. Sometimes the pastor's counseling alone is not enough, and we also need the support of fellow travelers.
There are also people who feel disappointed after participating in this event many times and never finding a satisfactory date. The co-workers who organized the event also said, "Although there are not many data results in service, we are still moved to continue serving. We do not know God's timing and guidance, but we can do what we should do."
In fact, we can help single believers, both by giving them the truth and the right concept of marriage and love and by praying silently. We can also hold similar matchmaking activities to give them a positive social and mental impact.
Finally, several co-workers cared about all the believers by checking their dates, and there were follow-up WeChat group services.
(The writer is a Christian in Shaanxi Province.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Account of Attending a Blind Date Event
