I came across this quote today from Alan Hirsch, and thought it dove-tailed nicely into my thoughts on assimilation as connectivity.
Most change in complex systems is emergent; that is to say it comes about as a result of the free (and often informal) interactions between the various ‘agents’ in the system. In an organization the agents are people—themselves complex systems. Complexity theory suggests that when there is enough connectivity between them and the complexity reaches a critical point, emergence is likely to occur spontaneously.
In a rapidly growing and complex organization, the function of connectivity creates the framework for the emergence of new systems. We’ve seen this happen in the context of The Austin Stone, with a variety of new and fresh ideas, opportunities, and missional communities doing some really great ministry.
As an assimilation ministry in a missional context, one of the best things we can advocate for is establishing connectivity in the complex system that fosters emergence, which in turn facilitates connection for individuals pursuing mission.
Leave a Reply