We’ve worked hard to build in2Action around the fundamental truth that community matters.
Every resident at in2Action is part of a flourishing Christian community of men who are at various stages of becoming productive and contributing members of society.
As they learn to live out their faith, these men will come to better understand that placing community before self is central to becoming the men God created them to be. The accepted consensus of social model research speaks to this sense of belonging and giving back in terms of citizenship.
I love this term, and its two-fold application.
The first step of the transition process for our guys is becoming part of the in2Action community. We’ve intentionally created a campus culture that’s more like a family than anything else. The shared experiences of incarceration and substance use, combined with shared values and goals, lay the foundation from which to build.
Newer residents immediately see the success and progress of those who have been around for a while. Senior peers have an unmatched empathy and compassion for the newer residents who are just beginning to find their way.
On a parallel track to the in2Action community, we are also concerned about the community at large.
Crime, victimization, and public safety in Columbia/Boone County are areas of expertise for in2Action and we have an obligation to be part of the solution in each of these areas. As concerned as we are at in2Action about the success of everyone we serve, we are equally concerned about our community.
As those in our program transition into law-abiding and productive citizens, they no longer commit crimes or take victims. The giving-back and good-neighbor mindsets acquired through the in2Action program are now taken into our community. These men transform into part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
How well our men assimilate into both the in2Action community, and the community at large, is directly correlated with their long-term success. As much as we need “person-centered” interventions, the “community-centered” environmental focus is equally important.
Community really does matter!
Dan Hanneken, Executive Director
1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (ESV)
That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
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