Walker Hayes - Glad Youre Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences

Praise forGlad Youre Here

Walker Hayes is captivating. I knew it the first time he came on The Today Show. But that brilliance on the screen was only a tiny fraction of who he really is. The real stuff is on the pages of this book. Both Walker and Craig are lit from inside that light is splashed on each and every page. You will feel it and be inspired!

HODA KOTB

Coanchor, NBC News Today; cohost, Today with Hoda & Jenna

An incredible story of friendship, faith, the love of Jesus and the sovereign hand of God, Glad Youre Here is a book that will bring tears to your eyes and breath to your lungs and make you see and love your neighbors just a little differentand maybe a lot better.

ANNIE F. DOWNS

New York Times bestselling author of That Sounds Fun

The first time I heard the song Craig was a few years before I had the privilege of meeting Walker. The song stopped me in my tracks. Id never heard a song capture how the church is supposed to be, and it came from a man who didnt know Jesus at the time. Well, Walker does know Jesus now, thanks to the Lord using his friend Craig, and has an incredible story to tell.

BART MILLARD

Lead singer of MercyMe

Glad Youre Here comes as a gift to a world that seems quicker to divide than come together. Walker and Craig werent obvious candidates for close friendship: an avowed atheist and a committed believer, a musician struggling to find his place and a pastor who questioned his calling, both bringing past hurts and vulnerabilities into their present relationships. But theirs is a story of genuine affection, sacrificial love, sacred hospitality, and a celebration of the God-given gift of one another. Whether you follow Jesus or regard Him with skepticism, the impact He has on these men is undeniableand their story might just inspire you to learn more about the One who turned water Napa Valley red.

PETER GREER

President & CEO of HOPE International and coauthor of Mission Drift

Meet Walker (country singer-songwriter) and Craig. They tell a story of how the gospel transforms people through the gift of friendship. Their writing is clear, transparent, and engaging, inspiring hope for what can happen as God makes us better witnesses in a broken world. This is a captivating book that will be of help to anyone wise enough to pick it up!

DAVE HARVEY

President of Great Commission Collective; author of The Plurality Principle and I Still Do

One of the greatest gifts God has given to you and me is the gift of friendship. Walker and Craig invite all of us into the depths of what Christ-centered friendship is all about in this powerful book. I found myself crying on one page and hysterically laughing on the next! My only complaint is the book had to end!

BRIAN CLARKE

Pastor, Cross Point Church

In Glad Youre Here, Craig and Walker refuse to be trite. They tell their stories honestly, giving us full view of the joys and the heartaches accompanying the surprising friendship of a pastor and a country music star. Their account will leave you heartened and challenged to pursue the authentic faith and unvarnished friendship theyve discovered together. This book is a delight to read!

CHRIS HORST

Coauthor of Rooting for Rivals

I love this book so much. The honesty, the rawness, the storylineits written vulnerably and beautifully, and it all just points to the goodness of Jesus!

STEVE FEE

Songwriter / Producer, Nashville, TN

2022 by
WALKER HAYES & CRAIG ALLEN COOPER

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphasis in Scripture has been added.

Names and details of some stories have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Edited by Mackenzie Conway

Interior design: Puckett Smartt

Cover design: Erik M. Peterson

Author photo for Walker Hayes: Robert Chavers

Author photo for Craig Cooper: Laura Cooper, McKain Photography

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hayes, Walker, author. | Cooper, Craig Allen, author.

Title: Glad youre here : two unlikely friends breaking bread and fences / Walker Hayes & Craig Allen Cooper.

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: When Craig Cooper and Walker Hayes met, Walker was an alcoholic atheist reeling from the backlash of a failed music career. Through their unlikely friendship, Craigs life demonstrated the love of Christ in a way that shattered Walkers misconceptions of Christianity, ultimately leading him down the path to a dramatic conversion. The two are now close as brothers, choosing to be next-door neighbors and ripped out the fence between their homes as a testament to the power of the gospel to break down barriers and unite people together in Christ. Glad Youre Here helps us discover how building relationships, sacrificing for the good of others, and drawing near in times of need can lead to powerful transformation. Through story and biblical reflections, Glad Youre Here helps readers see how God works in the everyday lives of those who love him Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021060569 (print) | LCCN 2021060570 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802424716 (paperback) | ISBN 9780802477064 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: FriendshipReligious aspectsChristianity. | Interpersonal relationsReligious aspectsChristianity. | Hayes, Walker. | Cooper, Craig Allen. | BISAC: RELIGION / Christian Living / Personal Growth

Classification: LCC BV4647.F7 H39 2022 (print) | LCC BV4647.F7 (ebook) | DDC 241/.6762dc23/eng/20220203

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021060569

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021060570

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Dedicated to the One who walked on water and turned it Napa Valley red.

Friend,

Thank you for choosing to read this Moody Publishers title. It is our hope and prayer that this book will help you to know Jesus Christ more personally and love Him more deeply.

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