"Everyone Deserves a Second Chance" with Dan Hanneken

When Dan Hanneken started reading a bible in a prison cell, he had no idea how God’s grace could offer a second chance for anyone willing to change.

This is the final episode in our “Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself” series, and we end with the incredible story of how Dan Hanneken found God in an unlikely place. Host Shay Roush interviews Dan as he shares how his own journey, marked by addiction, three prison stints and a life-changing encounter with God’s grace inspired him to create In2Action, a ministry that offers practical and relational support to men entering the community from prison.

Dan’s turning point was when he “broke up with God” because he believed that he couldn’t try hard enough, memorize enough bible verses or be good enough to make his life better and stay out of prison. That’s when he finally understood the deeper meaning of grace: your best efforts aren’t enough to create and sustain personal transformation. Dan recognized that a relationship with God wasn’t a means to an end, but that a relationship with God was the basis for finding his identity as a fully loved and accepted child of God.

Taking a leap of faith, Dan founded In2Action, a faith-based nonprofit that supports men recently released from prison with housing, life skills, and community integration. Starting with a single rented house, the ministry now offers over 60 beds and a Reentry Opportunity Center, achieving a remarkable recidivism rate in mid-Missouri below 10% compared to the county’s 43%.

Dan recognizes that success goes beyond staying out of prison—it’s about fostering belonging through creating community and opportunity for social transition. This remarkable story is a reminder that loving our neighbors by giving them a second chance allows them to rebuild their lives, find purpose and meaning, and come to understand the depth of God’s love and the power of belonging in his family.

Visit in2action.org to learn how to join this transformative work.