Help: Search

1. How to find matches
2. How do I edit my search criteria?
3. How do I ensure I get the best results for my search?
4. How do I search for a specific member?
5. Why Can't I Do a Search by Photos?
6. What happens if I write to a member whose time has expired?

1. Start with Quickmatch. Quickmatch finds members of the opposite sex in your age range and region.
2. Another great way to find members is by checking the new members who have joined. Here you'll find many members who have just joined ChristianCafe.com, all of whom are waiting to receive mail. Be the first to introduce yourself and fill your mailbox with replies.
3. The Online Page lists the most active members: those currently logged in while you are. Check it out and see for yourself.
4. You can also click on any username or photo anywhere on the site (your mailbox, your favorites list, prayers page, forums, etc.)

You can edit an existing search by clicking the Edit Search Criteria via your search page. You can also set up a brand new search by clicking the New Search button on the search page. The Edit Saved Searches button on your search page allows you to rename an existing search, delete it or copy it (very handy if you want to create similar searches).

To ensure you see the most number of relevant matches in your searches it is important to note:

1. When setting up a search you can choose either of the following in the Search Options at the bottom of your search criteria: have our system show you Exact Matches Only or Exact Matches and Inexact Matches. An Exact Match is one which matches -all- the criteria you selected. An Inexact Match is one which matches most, but not all, of what you selected.
2. Your search becomes narrower when you:
   a. select from more categories (age, location, height, marital status, etc.)
   b. choose few options within a category. Leave a category blank to choose all its options.

A search for "Men, aged 31-35, with Blonde hair, who are Musicians, are 6'4" + (1.93m +) tall, and who live in North Dakota" is not likely to produce any matches because it's far too narrow. You should only choose from categories which are deal breakers. For example, is a person's hair color a deal breaker? Probably not, so just leave that category blank. Is age a deal breaker? Yes, because you probably don't want someone too much younger or older. So in this case choose all the options within the age category which you will accept.

Go through your saved searches and select options only from the categories which are "deal breakers" and then choose all the options within those categories which you'll accept, and you will find many more matches. Leave the other categories untouched (our system will not filter out any options from them).

Run your search and then click on a username to view that profile. Read the member's profile and then use the "Send Mail" button on their profile to introduce yourself. To increase your chances of a response, mention something in their profile which caught your attention. Consider asking a question they can answer for you, too.

Choose the By Username option under the search menu. Then type in as much of the username as you know. If you are looking for corey### but cannot remember the rest, just type in corey. The system will retrieve all usernames with 'corey'. You can then choose from the list provided.

The reason we have not set the search up to search only by photos is to ensure you don't miss out on potential matches. Some members need more time to post their photos. We want to ensure that these members' profiles are browsed as well. We have made it easy though for you to sort the search results with profiles with photos shown first. Simply click the photo button which appears above the matches. This will sort the results by those who have photos posted, so they appear first in the list.

When you send a member a message our system emails them a notification that mail is waiting for them (this is done for both active and expired accounts). Some expired members are waiting to see if anyone will write before they make a decision on whether or not to come back. If you don't write, you will never know what could have been.

Can I tell if a member's time has expired?

We don't reveal this information directly however the Last On date on a profile is a good indicator, though of course the member may be away from their computer or busy. If you don't write them though, you can't connect with them, so what have you got to lose? Don't spend time thinking about what ifs - you joined ChristianCafe.com because you want to meet other Christian singles, so step out and send a message to those who interest you.

Gift Membership

If you think a member might be the one for you, you may wish to consider purchasing a membership for that person as a gift so the two of you have the chance to connect. This can be done anonymously, too. Find out more about gift memberships.