Welcome to World Encounter

World Encounter serves the poor in the developing world through faith-based, holistic community development. We nurture personal and community transformation, economic and social development, as we strive to alleviate spiritual and physical poverty.

We work along-side the poor, providing microloans to help women work their way out of poverty. By providing micro-credit, women are enabled to develop small businesses to support their families, place their children in school and improve family health.

World Encounter offers a hand up, not a hand out – helping people help themselves.

Congregations Can Impact Poverty

President, Curt Rosen, conducted a workshop at the Annual Gathering of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).

The workshop focused on how individuals and congregations can make an impact on poverty in the developing world. Through partnership with World Encounter anyone can participate, advocate, and support our work to alleviate poverty.

This workshop and others on cross-cultural ministry can be conducted in congregations throughout the midwest. Contact World Encounter for more information on how to take the next step for high-impact missions.

Learn More

We want our supporters to be informed!  Learn more about World Encounter and the people who work and serve on our board of directors. Read about “Backroads Banking,” our microloan program and why we believe microfinance is one of the most the dynamic ways to provide development to alleviate poverty.

The more you learn about Christ-centered microfinance, the more empowered you will be to make a difference for those trapped in physical and spiritual poverty around the world.
View our World Encounter Slideshow

Resources for Learning about Microfinance

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself
By Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
Provides churches with the foundational concepts and general principles they need to more holistically minister to the poor, without hurting the poor or themselves.

A Billion Bootstraps: Microcredit, Barefoot Banking, and the Business Solution for Ending Poverty
By Phil Smith and Eric Thurman
Explores how small loans empower those living in poverty to start small businesses, in turn allowing them to support their families and improve local economies. Also explains how ordinary people can get involved.

Christian Microenterprise Development: An Introduction
By David Bussau and Russell Mask
An introductory book on microfinance and how it can be used to further Christ’s kingdom.

Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle against World Poverty
By Muhammad Yunus
Autobiography of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus

Spring ‘ROSE’ Fundraising Event

April 13th was a special morning set aside (just for women) to celebrate the lives changed through World Encounter’s microloan program for women in Africa. The morning was attended by 130 women and volunteers. With a terrific brunch buffet, butlers serving in white shirts and black bow ties, and presentations by women entrepreneurs from the Twin Cities, everyone had a great time.

Everyone learned about the challenges faced by women in Tanzania to start a small business. And they learned you can make an impact in a woman’s life in Africa with a donation or monthly pledge to help women start a small business to support their families.

If you couldn’t attend the brunch but would like to create opportunities for women in Tanzania you can still participate. Go to our ‘DONATE‘ page now and invest in the life a woman in a rural village in Tanzania.