How Should a Christian Date?: It's Not as Complicated as You Think

Pitch the Christian dating rulebook out the window. There’s a better way!No matter what you might have heard, God didn’t mandate a divine way to date. What He did do, in the Bible, is lay out principles for wise and healthy relational living among believers. His boundaries for us are wise and good. But exactly how you apply God’s principles to your dating life is up to you to figure out. All you need is guidance, not micromanagement.How Should a Christian Date? doesn’t try to boss you around. It just offers wisdom about the relevant principles in God’s Word. Eric Demeter-a single guy who has given this subject a lot of thought-separates the truths of Scripture from the baggage of Christian dating subculture. He talks to you like a big brother or favorite uncle, not your mother. You’ll cover topics such as:Busting 12 Myths of Christian DatingHow to Meet People & Have a Good First DateClearing the Fog in Sex and Physical AffectionGetting the Best from a BreakupTake Dating One Stage at a TimeThere isn’t one “Christian” way to date. But there are ways that Christians should handle themselves while dating . . . and those are the truths to live by. Review Praise for How Should a Christian Date?“I’ve known Eric for a lot of years, and, as his pastor, I’ve walked with him through the ups and downs of his own dating experiences. His stories will make you laugh, cry, and at times, even wince. These pages are full of clear insight and practical wisdom. I hope that the lessons he’s learned and the scars he’s earned can become a source of wisdom and healing for you wherever you are on your journey.”-GLENN PACKIAMAssociate Senior Pastor, New Life ChurchAuthor, Blessed Broken Given“This is a very current, relevant, and practical look at Christian dating. Reading this book has been a great delight as Eric has written in a very open and vulnerable gritty and genuine way. There is no pretentiousness here, no judgment, or criticism, or a list of dos and don’ts! It is like having a good coach coming alongside to encourage and hopefully advise, but always with your success and very best at heart. Wisdom learned from life’s experiences, not just from reading a book. Eric gives wise guidelines of how to live and love by celebrating singleness, cultivating friendships, and building good foundations and character before finding a future good mate. Becoming emotionally healthy is key to marrying out of want, not out of need.”-MARK PARKERYWAM NZ DTS training leader, teacher, elder“Eric Demeter writes passionately and practically to Christ followers who are seeking to do the ‘dating thing’ well. He doesn’t try to prescribe a template for the way to date, but rather offers helpful prompts for those wishing to pursue healthy dating relationships. If you’ve been around the dating block or are new to the process, I recommend you give this book a read!”-SHAWN HOLTGRENVice President for Student Development, Bethel University“An immensely readable and practical guide for developing healthy habits in dating. Eric gives us biblically sound advice for growing ourselves, respecting others, and honoring God in a culture that says ‘anything goes.’”-LISA ANDERSONDirector of Boundless.org, author of The Dating Manifesto About the Author ERIC DEMETER (B.S., Purdue University; M.A., Bethel University) is a relationship and conflict resolution specialist with advanced studies in mediation, peacemaking and negotiation from the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and Peacemaker Ministries. He is currently a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) based in Athens, Greece where he disciples young people from the Middle East, and teaches conflict resolution and healthy relationships to YWAM staff and missionary students. His experiences growing up listening to heavy metal, working alongside ex-convicts, and being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition give him the ability to