You know, “A competent community is not one that consumes services…” really nails the shift from passive consumer to active creator. It’s about building capacity from within, not just outsourcing our problems.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
The core message is that real community strength comes from empowering its members to solve their own problems, not from passively consuming services provided by outside institutions.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. For years, we’ve been sold this idea that a “good” community is one with great parks departments, fantastic social services, you name it. But what McKnight and Block are arguing—and I’ve seen this play out in neighborhoods I’ve worked with—is that this turns us into consumers of community, not creators of it. The magic, the real resilience, happens when we stop asking “what service can I get?” and start asking “what capacity do we have?” It’s the difference between hiring a lawn company and organizing a neighborhood garden. One is a transaction. The other builds skills, relationships, and a sense of collective pride that you just can’t buy.
Quote Summary
Reading Level75
Aesthetic Score71
Origin & Factcheck
This quote comes straight from John McKnight and Peter Block’s 2010 book, “The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods.” It was published in the United States. You sometimes see the sentiment echoed in other community development circles, but this is the original, precise phrasing from them.
Attribution Summary
Author Bio
John McKnight, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University had spent decades of his life helping people rediscover the power of relationships. Being, co-founder of the ABCD Institute, his core idea revolves around communities that grows by identifying and connecting their assets. You’ll find the John McKnight book list here which are anchored by Building Communities from the Inside Out, The Careless Society, The Abundant Community, and The Connected Community.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | A competent community is not one that consumes services but one that creates the capacities of its members |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2010; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781605095844; Last edition: 2012; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Competence and Care, Approximate page from 2012 edition: 61 |
Context
In the book, this idea is a direct challenge to what they call the “consumer society,” where our default setting is to look for a professional or a system to solve our problems for us. They position the “abundant community” as the antidote, a place where the focus is on the gifts, skills, and knowledge that already exist within the neighborhood itself.
Usage Examples
Here’s how you might actually use this idea:
- For City Planners & Local Government: Instead of just funding a new after-school program, use the quote to advocate for an “asset map” of the community. Find the retired teachers, the artists, the carpenters, and create a system that connects them with kids. You’re building capacity, not just providing a service.
- For Neighborhood Association Leaders: Frame your next block party not just as a social event, but as a “skill and gift share.” Have a board where people can offer what they’re good at (baking, minor repairs, gardening advice) and what they need help with. You’re shifting the mindset from “what can I get” to “what can we create together.”
- For Non-Profit Organizations: Use it to audit your programs. Are you doing things for the community, or are you building the capacity of the community to do things for itself? It’s a powerful lens for strategic planning.
To whom it appeals?
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Motivation Score80
Popularity Score64
Shareability Score70
FAQ
Question: Does this mean we should get rid of all professional services?
Answer: Not at all. It’s not an either/or. It’s about balance and sequence. The goal is to rely on our own capacities first and see professional systems as a last resort, not the first and only option. Think of services as a supplement, not the main course.
Question: This sounds idealistic. How do you start in a disconnected neighborhood?
Answer: You start small. You don’t need a grand plan. It begins with one person connecting with another. Host a simple potluck. Ask one neighbor about their skills. It’s about creating small, visible wins that build momentum and show people what’s possible.
Question: What’s the biggest obstacle to building this kind of community?
Answer: Honestly? The mindset of consumerism. We’re so conditioned to be passive recipients that the muscle of initiative has atrophied. The first step is always the hardest—shifting our own internal narrative from “someone should fix that” to “I wonder who around here might want to fix that with me.”
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