The word gospel means "good news," and gospel music is the good news of the message of Jesus of Nazareth in song. African American gospel is a style that is growing in popularity. The number of twenty-four-hour gospel radio stations in the United States is increasing, and sales of gospel music recordings are on the rise. Gospel music award shows are televised nationally, and elements of the gospel style are being used more in commercials on television, radio, and the Internet. People are becoming more aware of gospel music, including students in America's classrooms. Some students have considerable experience with gospel music, whereas others have little or no knowledge of it. Faced with the need to teach to populations with diverse backgrounds, many choral music educators are taking notice of gospel music and are considering teaching it in their classrooms. In addition, gospel is a popular music style, and including it in the choral music education curriculum reinforces several of the National Standards (1--singing a varied repertoire of music; 3--improvisation; and 9--understanding music and its relationship to history and culture). How does one teach gospel music, particularly if he or she is not familiar with the gospel style and did not grow up having experiences with it? In this article, the author offers a very brief history of gospel music, looks at religious music in schools, shares her experiences, and discusses how one can prepare to teach gospel music. (Contains 2 photos, 5 figures and 19 notes.)