I once had a cantor who recently had a baby. She wanted to minister quickly after her child was born, but balancing two children with varying work schedules was a constant challenge for her. I told her that we would welcome her back as a minister in any way that her schedule would allow.  

One morning, her husband had an unexpected work commitment, so she brought her toddler and infant with her to church. They were both incredibly well-behaved until the preparation of the gifts, but this didn’t stop my cantor. With her toddler next to her leg and her infant on her hip, she sang “How Great Thou Art”. She looked at her infant as she sang, “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the works Thy hands have made….” There was not a dry eye in the house. She ministered to all of us in multiple ways that day, and she reminded me of the power of lay leadership.

You know, we are so quick to cling to the role of the clergy, I think we often forget the presence of God that lives within us and flows through us as we minister.

And that is the conversation we’re having today. I sat down with Brother Louis Canter to discuss the importance of Lay Ecclesial ministry, a term that is either fresh or incredibly well-worn in your local diocesan vocabulary. Brother Louis believes that the key to the church’s future lies within the lay ministers who serve the church with their time, talent and treasures, big and small:

Today on the podcast we feature the leadership team of the Jefferson City, Missouri, chapter. They are NPM's 2025 Chapter of the year! We discuss the ways the chapter has increased their membership, cultivated consistent programming, and some of the most important relationships that have strengthened the chapter.

There are so many ways to involve a parish community in its music ministry, and not all of them, of course, include singing. Haven’t we all heard the parishioner who says, “I can’t join the music ministry - I can’t sing!” Luckily for us, music ministry today can include instrumental assistance, including a handbell choir.

In many instances, handbell choirs were the only choirs allowed in a parish setting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a choir setting that can be accomplished without projecting the human voice. It can also be done with plenty of social distancing, if space allows. And more than anything, it provides the community of a choir without singing- a perfect option for those who want to use their musical gifts without singing.

Handbell choirs are a great option in a music ministry program, but some music ministers may not know where to start: how can I afford handbells? Who do I purchase them from? How do I teach (and direct) a handbell choir? These questions and many more are addressed in my conversation today.

Donna Kinsey has served for over 50 years as the pastoral musician for St. Francis De Sales Parish. She has taught music for public and Catholic schools in both Morgantown, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. She is also a handbell clinician and has spearheaded the National Catholic Handbell Festivals with the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

This episode is truly a primer on starting a handbell choir. Not only that, Donna has provided a handout in the “show notes” of this episode for additional tips. If you’ve ever considered starting a handbell choir, this is the episode for you.