I'm a big fan of singer-songwriter Patty Griffin, whose new album Downtown Church (as the title suggests) has a heavy gospel influence.  In reading about the genesis of the new record on her website, I came across the following, a good object lesson in how evangelism happens - through hospitality and inclusion (that much abused & besmirched word):

“I wanted to do it in a church,” Patty says, the wonder still in her voice nearly a year later. “I didn’t expect Buddy to find such a church. I was thinking, nice little church out in the country, one of those buildings they rent out for music videos. And Buddy got this place. Wow! What a church.”

The supporting musicians Buddy assembled were well acquainted both with the repertoire and with each other. The rhythm section – bassist Dennis Crouch, drummer Jay Bellerose – as well as fiddler Stuart Duncan played play with Buddy in the Alison Krauss/Robert Plant touring band. Doug Lancio added guitars, augmented by John Deaderick’s piano, John Catchings’ cello, Bryan Owings’ percussion flourishes, and Russ Pahl’s steel guitar...

And the voices surrounding her! Emmylou Harris, Raul Malo, Jim Lauderdale, Shawn Colvin, Mike Farris, Buddy and Julie Miller. And Regina and Ann McCrary, whose father was one of the founding members of the Fairfield Four, gospel royalty.

“Having Regina there was pretty heavy for me,” Patty says. “She knew that, and immediately took my hand and said, ‘it’s going to be all right, you’re going to be great.’ Said a little prayer for me. And I was really, really touched by that, to be taken into that world. The same thing happened on the Mavis [Staples - PSA+] session. I mean, I’m a lapsed Catholic and the producer and Mavis and I all held hands and said a prayer. I felt like they were letting me into their world. And it becomes your world.”

Here's the whole thing.