A leading online Christian dating site has come up with a novel service that will give the opportunity for singles to get to know one another while volunteering in their communities.

ChristianMingle hopes that its new 'Good Deed Dating' initiative will bring together like-minded Christians looking for love and inspire long-lasting relationships "based on a shared passion for giving back to those in need".

Participants of the programme - which runs with the tagline "Do good, date good" - will volunteer through projects like food banks and community gardens that give urban communities access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

The programme will initially run in three cities: Los Angeles on 11 January, and Houston and Dallas during the Valentine's Day weekend in February, where singles will be challenged to "put [their] faith into action".

Greg Liberman, CEO of Spark Networks which owns ChristianMingle, says that he hopes the volunteer programme will inspire more Christians to consider charitable work, while also providing the chance for single Christians to meet in interesting circumstances that allow them to demonstrate the Gospel in a practical way and share the love of Jesus with others.

"The events support our mission to build and strengthen the Christian community," he said.

"[They] provide a unique opportunity for Christian singles to meet in person and build meaningful relationships."

For more information and to sign up for the events, go to: www.gooddeeddating.com