Forget E-Harmony

I meet more and more couples who met through an online dating service. We have two such couples in our small group and another who lives next door. A few years ago I was skeptical about the online thing, but as culture continues to go the way of passivity about marriage and hostility toward marriage I applaud those brave singles who intentionally turn to the web for like-minded folks.

I have friends who've shelled out many monthly payments for these online dating services and never found a match. Or worse found one who ended up being a total loser.

I have other friends who really love singles and want to see them marry well, so they are building a different kind of online dating community. Marry Well takes the principles of Biblical dating and incorporates them into the online scene. Marry Well will also remove some of the online pitfalls and risks. Meeting someone online can be like meeting someone in a bar or coffee shop: You have no way of knowing if the information they're giving you about themselves is true. There is no third party to vouch for his or her character. One of the features of Marry Well allows and encourages participants to have mentors and peers (like a pastor or small group member) provide appraisal of the participant's character.

My friend Candice explains a little more about Marry Well and the upcoming beta period here. And yes, this is a shameless plug for what I think is going to be a life-changing ministry for marriage-minded singles.