I’m drawn to the whole “café” approach of ChristianCafe, the Christian dating site. There is a romantic stigma attached to cafes – and with good reason. What sounds better than a cappuccino, a friendly stranger, and a warm, café atmosphere? In theory, it sounds great. But, of course, this isn’t a café. It’s a website. The question, then, is how effectively ChristianCafe invites people into this virtual “café” to meet, greet, and mingle.
Visually, the site begins with a good start. The mainframe page is aesthetically pleasing – a neutral, cocoa-toned welcome page to the “café,” which sets a mood of tranquility, like you’re having a casual conversation over coffee. From a business perspective, it seems this Christian dating site was designed to attract women.
Then there’s the chatty aspect of café culture. The website takes a more whimsical, playful slant to dating. For example, you can select “cat” or “ferocious” feline” as your pet. I mean, this isn’t uproariously funny or any sort of revolutionary humor. It’s actually kind-of cheesy. But it’s a sweet attempt at zest in the stale online dating world. I almost feel like ChristianCafe is urging you to take the whole dating thing a little less seriously, and to have a little more fun.
ChristianCafe’s member profiles, too, are geared towards verbosity. There are no “yes” or “no” questions, and most require complex answers. Questions include, “Describe the type of relationship you are looking for. What qualities would you like in this relationship or person? Are you seeking a particular age range?” Yes, that was one question. Another asks, “Describe your Christian faith. Where are you at and what are your goals? What Scripture verses are important to you?” Yet, again, another question that requires deep pondering and explanation - good thoughts to elicit on a Christian dating site where you’re looking for true compatibility that goes beyond skin-deep.
Generally, the questions provided are relevant and thoughtful. They are also precise. For example, the initial registration questions don’t just ask if you do or do not want kids. They also ask how many, specifically, you would like.
However, some questions could use an upgrade. Namely, I would prefer if more questions better illuminated the user’s personality. Instead, the site just asks, “Describe a little of your personality and character traits.” In my eyes, this question is stupid. Most people are horrible at describing their personalities and balk at the chance.
But here’s the big problem with ChristianCafe – there are no quizzes or message boards. These two resources are some of the most common ways to meet other singles on dating websites. They are also a welcome distraction from the “meat market” feel of perusing through countless profiles. Quizzes, specifically, match you with other “compatible” users. While they’re not a surefire bet, quizzes provide another way to enjoy, or at least explore, the site. Meanwhile, message boards are a venue to discuss issues – and, by extension, mingle with others.
I’m baffled that the site doesn’t provide these resources. While it is not very expensive ($35 per month, or $110 per year - you can check this page to see if they are running their free trial offer), it provides very little services for the money you are paying. The only explanation I can muster is that it was one of the first Christian dating sites around. For that reason, it may be slow to adjust. In fact, ChristianCafe was envisioned when the founder, at thirty years old, found himself single, yet interested in meeting somebody. He was unsatisfied with the secular online dating sites. Thus, ChristianCafe was born. Now, with over 1 million users, ChristianCafe is popular and highly used.
For some reason, I still like ChristianCafe. Despite its lack of chatrooms and quizzes, I think it feels earthy and genuine. It was easy to use and accessible to browse. However, it is behind the times (in a bad way), so I can’t give the site my full endorsement. But I will say that I like it, and if I were looking for a Christian date, I can imagine using it. Give it a shot – maybe you can score a coffee date.
