Darlene H. Kalfahs Congregational Resource Director

Darlene Kalfahs has been the Resource Center Director since it opened in 1995.  She is available to help you locate resources, search for tools to meet your needs, consult with your various committees to further your ministry, and join with you in conversation. Feel free to contact her by E-Mail  or Phone: (920) 734-3797.

Karen Peckham Discipleship Support Staff

Karen Peckham is a part-time staff person who assists the Congregational Resource Director and helps congregations and members find resources to meet their needs. She also inputs new resources into the Data base and helps keeps the center organized and efficient.

The Resource Center has been very fortunate to have several loyal volunteers throughout the years. We have appreciated each and every one of them. At this time we have 4 wonderful volunteers Ellen Mai, Ellen Gast, Sherry Wilberscheid and Suzanne Nuernberger who use their many gifts to help the center run efficiently.

Ellen Mai began as a volunteer in 1995 when the Resource Center began. The Resource Center is blessed to have her continuing to use her gifts, time and care to make this ministry meaningful today. She volunteers two mornings a week, helping to keep the center organized, making sure orders are shipped on time, helping with many special projects and keeping our resources organized with proper labels and coding.

Ellen Gast began volunteering in 2003 and is busy using her Educational Gifts to keep our Rotation Sunday School Lessons organized, computerized and available for you. She continuously is searching for creative ideas to help our Sunday Schools stay energized and files them in our “Idea Files” for you to use. Ellen works one morning a week. Both Ellen Mai and Ellen Gast attend Zion Lutheran Church in Appleton, WI.

Sherry Wilberscheid is a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in New Holstein. As a retired elementary school teacher, Sherry brings a multitude of gifts to the center. For years Sherry wrote lessons for the Rotation Sunday School program at Gloria Dei, she also worked in a library from seventh grade through graduate school and loved writing curriculum as a teacher...so volunteering in the resource center seemed a perfect match for her. She works hard keeping our Rotation Sunday School lessons current and valuable lessons for you to use. She has filled in the gaps with some mission stories by designing some of her own lessons for our files. She and Ellen Gast have become our Sunday School “Experts”! Sherry works one morning a week.

Suzanne Nuernberger is the 4th member of our Volunteer Team. As another retired school teacher she brings a wide variety of skills. She has been reorganizing our Open Files and will continue to keep them organized and updated. Along with Ellen Mai she helps to put resources back in their proper places when they are returned, as well as, keeping them neatly organized on the shelves. She is willing to do almost any project we give her and is a great help to us! Suzanne works one morning a week. We are blessed to have a Volunteer Team who works so well together and who provide a great service to the center and all of you! If you stop in when they are here, please let them know how much their work is appreciated.

1. Materials from the Resource Center may be checked out to any congregational member of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin or to subscribing synods and/or denominations who are in Full Communion with the ELCA through the staff of the Resource Center. For others and for more clarification see the Membership and Fees Policy below.
2. Materials lost or damaged en route to a patron will be replaced by the Resource Center.
3. Patrons are responsible for all materials lost or damaged while in their possession and en route to the Resource Center and will be responsible for the cost of replacement.
4. Materials are to be returned in person, by mail, or UPS at user's expense.
5. The Resource Center is operated in compliance with Federal Copyright Laws. Likewise, persons using materials from the Resource Center are expected to comply with these laws.
6. The loan period will be determined by the material type and at the discretion of the Resource Center Director.

Membership Fees

1. East Central Synod of Wisconsin

a. Congregations of the ELCA in this synod shall receive the services of the Resource Center free of charge.

b. When materials are mailed to congregations the expense shall be paid from the budget of the Resource Center.

c. When congregations return materials they will pay the postage if they are returning by mail. They may, however, return materials in person without charge.

2. Denominations in Full communion with the ELCA and Other ELCA Synods/Congregations that have a Covenant with the Resource Center

a. Other synods of the ELCA, or such governing bodies of other denominations, may subscribe to the services of the Resource Center for an annual fee of $.50 per average worshiping attendance or baptized membership.

b. An individual congregation belonging to a synod or denomination that does not hold an associate membership may subscribe to the services of the Resource Center for an annual fee of $.50 per average worshiping attendance or baptized membership.

c. Full Communion Partners are entitled to receive all the services and publications of the Resource Center.

3. User Fees for Full Communion Partners with the ELCA

a. Congregations or individuals who are in Full Communion with the ELCA and do not otherwise subscribe to the services of the Resource Center may come in to the Resource Center to borrow a resource for $5 or call and request a resource be sent for $10 + postage. Open/vertical files for $5 + postage per request. For a Rotation Lesson it will be $15.00 + Postage for each lesson copied. If a congregation is willing to share a lesson we will have an even exchange ie. If you donate 3 rotation lessons to our shared files, you may choose 3 lessons from our files at no charge.

b. Such users may return the resource by mail at their own expense or return it in person without further charge.

4. Walk‑in Memberships for Congregations or Individuals who are NOT in Full Communion with the ELCA

a. Individual congregations who wish to use the Resource Center only on a walk‑in basis may do so for an annual subscription fee of $250

b. Walk‑in memberships do not include the privilege of having materials mailed out to them from the Resource Center.

c. Overdue Fines: Resources must be returned on time or an overdue fine will be charged on your account at $1.00 /day until it’s return. No resource will be checked out again until the item(s) is returned and the fine is paid.

d. Services such as use of the copy machine; use of reproduced resources; research by the staff; and use of seasonal or in demand video/DVD's will not available.

C. Loan of Materials (Lending priority is given to Synod congregations)

1. Loan Period: Books and other resources for 3 weeks; Videos/DVD’s for 2 weeks. Exceptions by special arrangement only.