How to Get a Date Worth Keeping By Henry Cloud It stinks, doesn’t it. But what can you do to fix it? More than you’ve ever imagined. You can put an end to the datelessness. Starting today—right now—you can begin a journey that will bring fun and interesting people...
13 ways men and women do dating differently, and first date tips for both
Dating 13 ways men and women do dating differently, and first date tips for both There’s a lot of truth in the saying ‘Men are from Mars and women are from Venus’ when it comes to dating. When it comes to dating, the well-worn phrase "men are from Mars, women are from...
How to make a Long-Distance Christian Relationship work
How to make a long-distance relationship work Why can’t love be simple? Why can’t you meet someone who lives round the corner, is instantly attracted to you, likes the same things and will be enthralled by you – and you them – forever? Well, probably because that...
J is for Judging
J is for Judging - The A to Z of Christian Dating Whenever we meet someone for the first time, we make a judgement about them. It’s impossible not to do this. It’s part of what makes us human. Research on how long it takes for this judgement to be made varies from 2 –...
Katharine Gray appears in Leaders Council podcast alongside Lord Blunkett
Katharine Gray from Friends 1st appears in Leaders Council podcast alongside Lord Blunkett. The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is currently in the process of talking to leadership figures from across the nation in an attempt to understand this...
A quieter day is not coming
A quieter day is not coming I have been really enjoying doing church online during lockdown. Our church has done some ‘socially distanced’ interviews with various members of the congregation finding out how they are coping with lockdown. Last week the vicar...
Love in His image
Love In His Image: 7 Rules for Christian Dating As a Christian man or woman with a devout focus on God’s place in our daily lives - navigating the waters of modern dating can be tricky indeed. The place of faith and God within the context of a new relationship can...
Learning from the Book of Ruth
Learning from The Book of Ruth – a Bible Study with thanks to Michelle Taylor for this material given at the Dating Academy in 2018. In order to get the most from this study article, please read the book of Ruth in the Bible. It’s 4 short chapters. What has...
The Path of Life
The Path Of Life There's a lovely verse in Psalm 16:11, which says simply, 'You will show me the path of life;’. Jesus' own life gives us a pattern to follow in many ways. He was born into a family, tended by parents, had brothers and sisters, learnt a trade and...
The A-Z of Christian Dating – I is for….
The A to Z of Christian Dating Less of I – More of U. More than any other time in history, we live in a world that is dominated by ‘I’ being at the centre of my own universe. We are more conscious of our rights and expect them to be met. Perhaps as a result, we are a...
The Rainbow
The Rainbow A simple but profound way of saying thanks to all those who are so self-giving at this time has been is to applaud our NHS helpers and carers. Likewise, for children to make pictures of rainbows to give to others - particularly those in hospital,...
Making the most of Lockdown
Making the most of Lockdown It is just a month since we all entered lockdown and it’s hard to comprehend how quickly our lives have changed. One minute everything was normal and the next – totally unexpectedly – everything had changed. We might have longed for some...
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Book by Charlie Mackesy Waterstones Book of the Year 2019, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was an instant favourite with our booksellers. A book to bring people together, Charlie Mackesy’s inspirational paintings and...
Dating Anxiety
5 Ways to Overcome Christian Dating Anxiety We found this wonderful article by Shannon Kolakowski which covers many anxiety topics but also social and Christian dating anxiety which we thought you may find really helpful. Anxiety disorders are the most common...
Are you Single?
Dating Advice - How to find out if a Christian stranger is single or not We are always encouraging members to get out to as many social events as they can with the view to meeting new people. There are so many opportunities to do this – whether in Christian...
The A – Z of Christian Dating – H
The A – Z of Christian Dating - H is for Hope in Christian Dating If you are just starting out in your dating journey then chances are you are filled with hope. This article is aimed more towards people who have been dating for a while, who perhaps are wondering if...
Updates & Hard Work
Dating Christian rollercoaster Have you been on a dating Christian rollercoaster lately? I’m writing this at the end of February after probably the busiest six weeks that I have had for a long time and a roller coaster of a journey which included my husband losing...
The Dating Manifesto
The Dating Manifesto - By Lisa Anderson Finally, a no-holds-barred word on Christians searching for love, dating, preparing for marriage and maximizing singleness from someone who's actually living it. For Christians searching for love The Dating Manifesto is a...

Katharine Gray
friendsfirst's founder and Director
I’m Katharine, founder of friendsfirst, the UK’s longest running, and largest off-line, Christian friendship and introduction agency. My amazing team and I provide direct coaching, personal support and introductions to single Christians in the UK and Ireland.
Hundreds of people have married through friendsfirst and many babies have been born, including triplets!
I have a huge passion and energy for life, believing that life is a wonderful gift from God that should be lived to its fullest. When I’m not matchmaking, I like to live on the edge by riding sport horses and leaping large hedges.
I’m happily married to someone who’s completely different to my wish list and I count my blessings every day that he asked me to tie the knot!
I believe God will bring the right person into your life at the right time. If they aren’t there, God hasn’t finished yet…