Building relationships

Christian singles meet like-minded souls in groups where love can blossom

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published September 28, 2008

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It took Lynn Lines of Tenino about a year to build the courage to attend Church of Living Water's group for Christian singles. She was newly divorced after 19 years of marriage, and nowhere near ready to date.

•Church of Living Water: Adults Centered Together Serving meets the first and third Fridays of the month from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Building 1 on the church grounds, 1615 Chambers St. S.E., Olympia. For more information, call 360-754-5830.

•Evergreen Christian Community: Simply Single meets twice a month for activities such as bowling, hiking, day trips, and dinner and a movie. Contact Lana Smith at smitfour@aol.com, or call the church at 360-352-3410.

•Olympia Christian Singles: This group plans activities such as hiking, volleyball, day trips and dinner and a movie. Sign up for e-mail notices of upcoming events at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/olympiachristiansingles.

•Life Center in Tacoma: This group has people from about 10 Pierce County churches. It meets at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at Life Center, 1717 S. Union Ave., Tacoma. Activities include book studies, video studies, ice-breaker activities and snacks. Life Center also offers training for starting up a singles ministry at your church. For more information, call 253-756-5300 or go to www.lifesingles.com.

"People invited me, and I wouldn't come. I said, 'I'm not looking for anybody.' I had kids and life and school," Lines, 52, said.

When she finally went, she realized it wasn't what she'd expected.

"I thought it would be people looking for people to date. It wasn't. It was people getting together. It was a safe place. It was really neat, totally different than I thought," said Lines, who has been a member for about 11 years.

"Safe" is the way she and others describe the group, Adults Centered Together Serving.

About 30 members — who range in age from 40 to 70 and come from many congregations — meet the first and third Fridays of the month. The first Friday, they meet for fellowship — a book or video study or to hear a speaker. The third Friday, they play games or watch a movie.

Several marriages have come out of the group, but Pastors Joel and Denise Mulholland, who coordinate the group, say it isn't a match-making service. It's friends who have similar Christian values coming together to have a good time on a Friday night.

"We really are trying to change the stigma that single people have when they go to a singles group. Here, it's not that way," Denise Mulholland said. "The focus here is family, building solid relationships and friendships that last."

ACTS is one of several ways Christian singles can meet in Olympia. A few other churches offer similar groups.

Christian singles also can join Olympia Christian Singles, which coordinates outings and activities. The group isn't a dating service either, but a way to bring like-minded people together from different churches, said Bob Wohlers, one of the coordinators.

"I've gotten some good friendships — male and female. It's been fun," he said.

Dating and faith

Some ACTS members come after a divorce or the death of a spouse, some have never married, some are ready to re-enter the dating world, some are content being single and are looking more for lasting friendships.

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