What Disconnected?
Over time, these environments became less connected. Not through a single decision, and not intentionally, but through gradual shifts:
- ministries specialized
- programs consolidated
- leadership roles narrowed
- liability awareness increased
- commercial metrics expanded
This fragmentation was not only institutional—it was also cultural:
- moms started working
- children attended daycare
- young adults migrated to cities
- single parent households increased
- grandparents moved to nursing homes
- multi-generational households and communities dwindled
Formation did not disappear, but the pathways between Formation Environments weakened.
And when pathways weaken, alignment falters, continuity is quietly lost, and capacity declines.
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If formation has become more distributed and less connected, then what, exactly, is carrying formation now?