I linked yesterday to a post by Andrew Jones on the Out of Ur blog about church planting. He has produced part 2 in this series, and again, his analysis is insightful. He examines an Asian network of Christians who have used an evangelistic model which does not heavily rely on church planting, at least not in a traditional sense. In areas which face government opposition to Christianity, this model be the best option for those hoping to introduce Jesus. I am not a missionary and am not qualified to speak much about mission strategy and practice, but this approach is at least worth examining.
One note: it seems to me that this is still the church at work, simply in a different form. They may not have Sunday gatherings, but they are doing the work of the church.
