We recently connected with Michelle Apples and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I started The Christian Singles Hub back in the fall of 2020 out of what I saw was a need for Christian Singles to connect and to be in community. I heard a statistic that the number one demographic leaving the church was singles in their 30’s and older. After sitting at many tables, hearing the heart cry’s of many singles over the age of 30, it wasn’t that they were leaving because their were no prospects for marriage, but simply because they were overlooked, consistently felt like they didn’t belong, and almost as if they were perceived as something was wrong with them for not being married.
As someone who was in my thirties and still single this was something I also faced. I was often overlooked because of my relationship status, and I felt as if people walked on eggshells around me because I was a single female.

I knew something needed to change. I love the church and I know the church can’t be everything for everyone which is why God gives purpose and calling’s to His people to bridge the gap, be the change and make a difference. I stepped out in faith to hopefully bridge the gap by creating creative solutions for social problems. The spaces I created would allow Christian Singles to meet, connect, be in community, fuel their faith and have hope risen that they are not alone in this season.

From 2020 to now we have seen thousands of people from around the globe join in one way or another whether that be a retreat, our annual summer camp, our weekly talk show, our podcast, in person or online gatherings and our virtual speed dating events. We have seen the lost come home, broken hearts lifted and people who were mourning their singleness now rejoicing that they are not alone.

It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life being able to see people arrive as strangers and leave as family and to grow closer to Jesus through it all. I believe our biggest breakthrough is yet to come and we cannot wait to see what God does in and through it all.

Michelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Michelle Apples and I am the Founder of The Christian Singles Hub. Our vision is to provide an opportunity for Christian Singles to meet, connect, be equipped and grow closer to Jesus through events, workshops, retreats, matchmaking, courses, workshops, mentorship and so much more.

What sets us apart from others is that we don’t just offer one service, but we listen to what our audience needs, and what God says for us to do, and then we set out to do those things. When God said to do more in person gatherings we began to plant seeds in many regions for those things to happen. When our network said they wanted a better way to meet the opposite sex, we planned virtual speed dating events. We also want to see more marriages thrive not just relationships happen which is why we offer educational content like workshops, podcasts, and talk shows to be able to have safe spaces for conversations to happen for us to all grow and learn together.

We love building with the chief cornerstone who has led, and guided us every step of the way.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We grew so fast, but most of our audience were Americans. I am from Canada and started the business in my Toronto apartment in the midst of the lockdown in 2021.

The Lord said to go to America, and so during a time that was essential travel only I packed a suitcase and went to the USA for 5 months. I had asked God how in the world would I be able to afford being gone for 5 months and He provided everything I needed in an abundance.

After 5 months I went back to Canada but felt so unsettled with it. It almost felt like I was in a place I no longer fit into. After 6 more months I heard the Lord tell me to close up shop in Canada and head to the USA. I had no idea how it was going to pan out, but I sold everything I owned and packed up 2 suitcases and my dog and headed to the USA having no idea how it would all work out.

Two months in, someone I had never met hired me an immigration lawyer and paid my rent for 7 months, and also gave me a vehicle to drive for 6 months. (the same vehicle color, make and model was also spoke over me 6 months prior), throughout that immigration process it was the most testing experience. I wasn’t able to work but had to prove I had a business, I wasn’t able to get a drivers license in the USA, bank account, social security card or anything in between. It was a season that I had to be content not doing anything that felt like I was moving forward. It was so challenging trying to build a business with so many limitations.

It was a time I had to be resilient and it would have been so much easier to give up on it all and move back to Canada. Through this time I met my husband and we eloped. I am still to this day going through immigration, but I look back at how the Lord provided, how He sustained, and kept me going even when it was hard.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Through out a lot of the beginning of the business we didn’t charge for anything. We truly felt we were to win the hearts of the people. They knew we weren’t trying to get anything from them or sell them on something. Ten months in we felt we had the green light to start charging. We still have people from those beginning days who tell everyone about us. We simply got to know them for who they were, we heard their struggles, and their victories, we encouraged, edified them and built them up.

Now when we walk into a space we have created we always try to speak life into people, call their giftings out of them and leave them better than we found them. Our prayer is always “God help us to see people through your eyes instead of our own”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thechristiansingleshub.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thechristiansingleshub
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/thechristiansingleshub
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/77688176/admin/feed/posts/
• Twitter: https://x.com/csingleshub
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thechristiansingleshub