Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

For the past generation, one of the hottest topics among pastors and church leaders has been church growth. "Pastor, Pastor, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" Theories abound and models for 'doing church' come and go like teenage fashion fads. But in the middle of all this discussion and strategy a few very practical questions remain: "How does God intend his church to grow? What are the means by which the gospel of Jesus is spread? What is the job of the average Christian? How should pastors lead in this endeavor?" One attempt to answer these questions should be very familiar. For lack of a better name, I will call it the 'Church Growth' paradigm. Here are a few of this paradigm's basic assumptions:

A simple vision—bring the gospel of salvation in Jesus to the entire world by any means necessary.

Ethnic groups, generational groups, special needs groups, ...