When it comes to wholesome celebrity photo ops, nothing beats a family trip to church. But if Miley Cyrus was praying for an extra dash of PR, she got it by adding a side of beefcake to the squeaky-clean mix.

On Sunday, she was photographed at a Pasadena, Calif., church with her parents and a wannabe country singer-cum-model with a bulging portfolio of underwear pics to his credit.

People says the muscular young fella is Justin Gaston, who seems to be under the impression that donning one's Sunday best means slipping on the tightest tank top you own.

Underwear as outerwear isn't the only ick factor involved here, however: Cyrus is 15, while Gaston is 20.

But a rep for Miley pooh-poohs to the mag that Justin is just "a friend from Nashville" who met her earlier this year when he was a contestant on "Nashville Star," hosted by the "Hannah Montana" powerhouse's pop, Billy Ray.

Gaston, who can also be seen doing the eye candy thing in Taylor Swift's "Love Story" video, is simply visiting Los Angeles for the week, adds his flack, although a Cyrus source wink-wink, nudge-nudges, "They've been spending a lot of time together while he's in town."

Miley and Nick keep their distance at Disney's Concert for Hope, a benefit for the City of Hope cancer center.

That quantity time has included a post-church outing to Disney's Concert for Hope benefit, where Miley hit the stage with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato.

No word on whether she introduced her new pal to ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas, over whom she "bawled for a month straight" following their late 2007 breakup.

Cyrus and Gaston also squeezed in a little retail therapy on Monday, where an E! News spy spotted them strolling through Los Angeles' Century City mall, "holding hands the whole time."

And unlike their previous paparazzi-documented hang-time, "There was nobody with them at all," relays the eyewitness. "They walked into Bloomingdale's, not looking at anything specific, and chatted with a clerk in the makeup department."

Cyrus, who earlier this month was spotted out with her 18-year-old "Hannah" co-star Cody Linley ("She's my buddy," he insisted), recently declared how much she's enjoyed flying solo post-Nick.

"Since [the split], I've realized that I've met so many great guys, but I like being the girl nobody can have," she told Seventeen. "No one can touch me, no one's mine. I'm myself. I think it's sexy to do your own thing."