Ch-ch-ch-choices!

Finally!  I could hardly believe my eyes when my wife showed me the insert in a new magazine we received.  There were two things about the card that really impressed me. 

The first is that they have two different versions of their magazine, and they wanted to make sure we were receiving the one that we most needed.  The option reads, "I'd like the version...specifically designed for families without kids."  Personally, the wording of this sentence meant a lot.  First the use of the word "families" recognizes that a single person is a family and a married couple without kids is a family.  A child does not make a family...rather is born into a family.  The other thing that stood out is the recognition of the growing number of couples who do not have kids.  I challenge churches to study their internal and external demographics to see if they need to start a ministry designed specifically for marrieds without kids [MWOKS]. (note:  I am not anti-kid, but there is a huge ministry opportunity that churches are overlooking here.)

The second thing about this card was its use of technology.  Because this was a magazine to which we already subscribe, they printed a barcose on this card.  The instructions asked us to choose which version we wanted then check the mailing label for the magazine.  If that mailing label is correct, we simply need to place the card in the mail...without filling out our personal information on the post card.  When they receive the card, they simply scan the bar code, and our choice is noted in their system.  Of course, they offer the ability to do all of this online as well.

Applications??
What is the church doing to identify the needs of those to whom they minister?  What choices does the church offer?  Does the church make is easy for people to reply?  Is the church as concerned about information privacy as people today are? 

Note:
The message of the magazine does not change, but it does target it specifically to the reader's needs.  The church needs to not change its message, but by knowing the culture the church can target that message more effectively.