“How are needs assessed in our places of ministry?� Phenomenal question! There is a great deal of emphasis in today’s church on meeting people’s “felt needs.� But what if a person’s felt needs are miles removed from their true needs. Most people don’t have a clue as to what they really need. I heard of one pastor who boldly expressed this idea in his church’s new members’ class, of all places. He said something to the effect of: “We don’t really give a rip what your felt needs are…(pause for audible gasp from the audience)…but we do care about your real needs, your needs as God defines them, which boils down to loving and being loved.� Personally, I think he is on the right track as the whole “felt needs� approach essentially feeds the consumeristic mindset most approach the church with: what can they church do for me? how can it make my life better, happier and less stressful? We Americans are culturally predisposed to view the church as a vendor of religious goods and services.