Episode 155 - Faith, Disillusion, and Christian Dating: Miriam Shilston, Part 1

In Part 1 of our conversation, we sit down with Miriam and trace the foundations of her faith journey - from growing up in Warkworth as a pastor’s kid to navigating a secular high school with a (self-confessed) immature faith.

Miriam shares openly about how her view of God has matured over time, her missionary work in Africa, and how it unfortunately led to a season of disillusionment.

The conversation then turns to singleness and dating within the Christian world - including the pressures, pitfalls, and damage caused by Christian dating apps, and the risk of dating to fill a “want” or checklist rather than pursuing a genuine partnership. With honesty and wisdom, Miriam reflects on where she’s at now, offers encouragement for those in a waiting season, and names a hard truth: the church often doesn’t know how to hold singleness well.

Click here to watch this episode on YouTube.

0:00 – Coming up
0:51 – Welcome and introducing Miriam
3:40 – Miriam’s upbringing in Warkworth
5:00 – Becoming a pastor’s kid
6:58 – Perception of God as a child
7:49 – The shock of a secular high school
9:55 – Miriam’s confidence in her faith
11:05 – From unbalanced faith to maturity
13:18 – Missionary work in Africa
14:40 – Mission leadership issues and disillusionment
21:22 – Miriam’s perception of the New Zealand Christian dating scene
22:40 – The destructive nature of Christian dating apps
23:40 – The dangers of meeting strangers on dating apps
26:35 – Dating to meet a “want” rather than a partner
28:59 – Where Miriam is at in her singleness journey
30:12 – Advice for those in the waiting season
33:05 – The church’s struggle to handle singleness