BOTH. In the first place, God does not make souls with a cookie-cutter: Every person is unique. Thus a man has a particular differentiation of "mental and spiritual equipment and needs," so to speak, as compared to another man. Moreover, it seems to me that the Holy Spirit can work through rituals just as well as directly on individual souls if He wants to — the Spirit bloweth where it wilt.
The ungodly need to be saved, it has nothing to do with one's "mental or spiritual needs". He's dead in sins, he has no needs other than salvation, which is from Christ. Works cannot save him, and that means no other person, no object, no ritual, nothing, or you diminish the free gift of Grace, which, per the bible, only comes thru faith.
Now, believing is the "work" (John 6:29) but note, it is the "work of God", so man can't take any credit for it.
It seems to me, dear 1000silverlings, that you cut man down to the size of your doctrine, rather than let him be as "big" as God wants him to be. Your definition of "sinner" seems to be: anybody who doesn't agree with your doctrine. And these "ungodly" can only be saved by accepting your doctrine — which is a heretical notion in the context of a doctrine that proclaims salvation in Christ only.
There is no salvation outside of Christ. Certainly there is not any kind of doctrinal salvation.