City News finds out how the Singles Advocates have been helping single individuals in City Harvest Church since their first training session two months ago.
Contributed By Mary Chan
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| PHOTO: Shutterstock |
The Singles Advocates is a group of people with a mission to help single and available individuals meet and connect with their potential life partner. An initiative of the City Harvest Church’s Singles Committee, the first team of SAs sat through a training session two months ago. Since then, eligible singles have been submitting their profile forms through their cell group leaders in church or directly to the SAs for some serious match-making.
Upon receiving profile forms, the Singles Committee, having set up carefully thought-out processes and stringent guidelines, will meet every month to conduct prospecting and pre-screening through the SA to identify possible matches among the prospective individuals. Matches will be made based on criteria preferences, personality traits and interests indicated in the profile form. Said a spokesperson from the Singles Committee, “Matching exercises are managed with extreme care and confidentiality of the prospects’ information.”
If necessary, the SA may contact or meet up with the prospects in order to understand their needs and requirements. This will also be a time for the SA to help set the expectations for a potential match.
Eventually, SAs will help to prepare the matched individuals for their first meeting, of which the SA will help to facilitate.
Since the start of the profile matching service, the Singles Committee has successfully identified at least 50 positive matches over two matching exercises. The SAs from various districts have got down to work contacting these prospects and setting up first meetings.
Instead of just looking for an “attractive” partner, the key to successful dating is to make an individual an attractive person to hang out with. Therefore part of the preparation work prior to the date may also include recommendations for grooming and/or basic styling courses to help achieve an appropriate outlook for the important first meeting.
“First meetings can be very unnerving. The Single Advocate is there for the prospect every step of the way, not just to provide practical assistance, but also moral support,” says Mary Chan, a Singles Advocate.
A “Dating Guide” with practical pointers and dating safety guidelines will also be shared with matching prospects prior to the date.
The SAs play the role of coordinating with both matching prospects on a suitable time and venue and personally facilitate the meeting and thereafter gather feedback from both parties to see if there is potential for a second meeting.
For more information on CHC’s Singles Committee, please email info@tictactoe.org.sg.
