Change a generation with something as simple as an invitation. For many of us, inviting people into our lives and homes feels more like inviting judgment on our entertaining skills and stress on our already maxed-out schedules. But what if you knew that opening your front door had the power to radically change the world? To make an impact and leave a legacy with everyday invitations? Jen Schmidt has set out to reframe how we think about hospitality and to equip us to walk a road of welcome in our daily lives. Jen knows that every time we choose open-door living—whether in our homes or by taking hospitality on the road just like Jesus—those we invite in get to experience the lived-out Gospel, our kids grow up in a life-lab of generosity, and we trade insecurity for connection.
Just Open the Door is a personal yes-you-can guide to offering the life-changing gift of invitation. Whether you’re a seasoned host looking for renewed inspiration or a nervous newbie not sure where to begin, these personal stories, practical ideas, and poignant insights will give you the confidence you need to see your home as the most likely location for changing the world around you, one open door at a time.
Jen Schmidt: As a mom of five blessings and full time family manager, Jen Schmidt has learned to balance and embrace both the beauty and bedlam of every day life. As a speaker, worship leader and writer, Jen shares with humor and authenticity on a myriad of topics, many which fall under her passion for understanding "It's the little things, that are the big things." This suburban girl, turned country mom, lives a Green Acres life on a family homestead with her siblings and their families, along with a few too many dogs and chickens. She considers herself a full time family manager, who now works from home as a blogger, author, and speaker. She writes about her never-ending pursuit of balancing it all at her personal lifestyle blog. You can find her on any given day dreaming about a clean house, chauffeuring, couponing, meal planning, home schooling, thrift store hunting, or quite possibly on a stage sharing both her beauty and bedlam as a daughter of the King.
I don't know about you guys but when it comes to hospitality and entertaining, I always feel like that's somebody else's niche, not mine. I think about all reasons not to do it and not all of the reasons to do it. Jen Schmidt's new book, Just Open the Door has a completely take on what it means to open your door to other people. It's more about them than it is about you. With tons of practical advice and tips, this a must read for anyone who wants to not only entertain but to connect with other people.
What I liked:
There were so many things I liked about this book. When I found out I had the opportunity to read and review Just Open the Door, I will admit I was skeptical. Not because I thought it wouldn't be a good book, I knew it would. I love Jen's blog and her style and I was positive it would be both a good read but very practical and spiritually based. But, I'm not that person that invites people over. I'm a book reader, an introvert at times and I like quiet and solitude most of the time. Calm and zen. That's what I need to focus and to keep my anxiety at a tolerable level. But let me tell you, this book blew me away.
Jen was able to make me, one of the least likely people to invite others over, want to do so. I always worry about having enough food, the right furnishings. I want things to be perfect and lets face it, they usually aren't. But Just Open the Door is more focused on what you are doing for others by letting them into your home and life than what it's doing for you. We often times are so worried about what other people would think of what we have and don't have to realize what an encouraging and thoughtful thing it is to let someone in.
I was so encouraged by the way Jen Schmidt made it seem so easy in every aspect. She talks about everything from introverts to neighboring. She gives practical tips and ideas and relates everything back to spiritual principles. I had never even thought of hospitality in this way before. We live in such a socially conscious world. It's all about social media and presenting your best face to the world. We have gotten away from being connected to each other and spending good quality time together.
I loved the humor and practicality of this book as well. You'll have to read it to figure out what the "Bra and the Broom" method is lol... I related to this book so much. I see all of these great things on Pinterest, like table settings and ideas for entertaining and I'm like... there's no way I can do that. But this book shows you that people are more interested in the fact that you want to spend time with them. They don't care what your table looks like. I loved it!
What I didn't like:
There wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like. I know that some of you might think, so this is a Christian book and probably not my thing. Listen, it is based on spiritual teachings and for me that was wonderful, but it is not a book that is preachy or overbearing. Schmidt is able to make this subject relate to simply anyone and that's the beauty of it.
Bottom Line:
Even if you think, you can't just open your door, this book proves you can. It's okay to let people in. It's okay to make them feel like you want them in your home and your life. I can't recommend this one enough. Such a great lesson in what it means to be hospitable. Also, if you haven't checked out Jen's website, I encourage you to do so. It's amazing!
From the Latin word "hospes" comes hospitality, hospital, hospice. What else? This book takes hospitality to a new level, turning it into an act of worship.
When I started reading this in 2021 with the Sisters in Christ Book Club reading group here on Goodreads, my attitude toward hospitality wasn't the best. I'm grandma-aged, and the book was written primarily for women younger than me, especially for young mothers with families. The author wrote lovingly about busy lives, busy schedules, lots of kids, and a big house to welcome everyone into. She seemed to think everyone could emulate her good example.
I didn't realize until the end of the book, in the chapter about adoptions, that she was raised by an unusually generous Christian family, so hospitality was a natural thing for her. She took her parents' good example and bloomed in the arena of hospitality and wrote this awesome book about it. She wrote about hospitality in more than a dozen different ways.
Now, I had been hospitable many times in my younger years. When I was a young adult it was common to invite people in for dinner. Well, I wasn't the best cook in the world, but I sure tried, and had a lot of people willing to let me try cooking for them. These days it seems people don't do that much anymore. I know I don't, at least.
I also, not long ago, had the fun opportunity of hosting women's fellowship meetings and a small group meeting too. That kind of hospitality was great fun for me during my sixties.
However in 2020 my home burned to the ground. There was a big ferocious forest fire that destroyed about half the small town I lived in, and about 200 homes were lost. At the time I started reading this book ten months later with the reading group I was living in a very small travel trailer, alone thank goodness, and was in NO Mood for asking anyone into my tiny abode for hospitality purposes!
I admit my attitude wasn't hospitality-positive. It wasn't the best time for me to read this book. Also I was not a young married woman with kids, a dining room and a big backyard, so all the chapters involving those things were kind of lost on me. I tried very hard to read this anyhow, but eventually it hit the soft-DNF pile to await a better day.
Well, that time came in 2025! I decided I need to "read what I own" and that I should start with books I've started but not finished. And this book beckoned.
Now, in the last four years my life has changed. I lived in the little travel trailer for about three years, then I was blessed with a new house in December 2023. During the last year I slowly furnished it and this last winter I was able to host a brunch for a women's fellowship group. Then some of us continued to meet in my home every Thursday all winter long. It felt good to be able to be hospitable again! So my second attempt at reading this book came at the perfect time and I'm glad I picked it up again.
The author of this book was exceptionally well-prepared to write about hospitality in all aspects. She wrote from a Christian perspective and I am full of admiration for the joy-filled, giving person that she is.
I'm grateful to the Sisters in Christ Book Club for introducing me to this book. I'm giving it five stars because the author worked so hard at writing about hospitality from every angle she could think of. The focus was /hospitality/ all the way. This book was a mighty effort worthy of five-star recognition.
We were new in church and new to the area, and our little three-bedroom fixer-upper was situated in a part of the universe in which it didn’t matter that we had been born and bred in Maine. We had not been born and bred in this part of Maine, and we had the accent (or lack of same) to prove it.
We knew we had some work to do if we were ever going to live our way into the homes and hearts of people in Mid-coast Maine. We also knew the answer was, of course, to go first — to begin inviting people for Sunday dinner or Saturday night dessert and a movie. But here’s the catch: four babies in eight years makes for a complicated math that drains the budget and strains all available time and energy for home improvement projects. As the years passed, the fixer-upper still looked pretty un-fixed as we replaced the furnace and shingled the roof, bought sneakers and paid for home school curriculum. Somehow, though, we knew that this was not the time to put life on hold.
In a deliberate act of hospitality, we set a goal of inviting one new couple each month for Friday night supper. We opened our door, inviting guests into our own unique chaos of high chairs and sheet rock, half-painted woodwork and ugly kitchen cabinets. This was our way of opening up our life and inviting others to open theirs to us.
The Hospitable Life Reading Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation, I felt Jen Schmidt and the whole (in)courage team nodding and smiling in agreement that true hospitality is nothing more (and nothing less!) than “an ordinary couple [making] a deliberate decision, intent on getting to know the people around them from more than a polite distance.” (2) In Romans 12:3, the Apostle Paul puts a strong verb in front of the word hospitality when he urges Roman believers who were facing persecution to “pursue hospitality.”
Hospitality, then, is not wild creativity on display, nor is it a demonstration of expert cooking skill. It’s a way of life that wonders: “Whom can I love on today?” “Who needs encouragement?”
Each chapter of Just Open the Door unpacks a different facet of the hospitable life with words of encouragement and stories lifted from Jen Schmidt’s own parenting, inviting, tail-gating, pot-lucking life. For every “have to” moment in your day, Jen invites you to switch the sentiment to “get to,” as in “Today, I get to change the sheets in the guest room.” A life marked by gratitude opens up the floodgates to all kinds of hospitality.
Hospitality: Will Travel A blanket on the beach; The bleachers at a ball game; A picnic table at a state park; Your church’s fellowship hall– Simple refreshments and a warm welcome transform any space into hospitality ground-zero.
At the end of each chapter, Schmidt shares tips that “Elevate the Ordinary,” because intentionally loving others transforms paper plates and styrofoam coffee cups into fine china. Be a gatherer of people, and you will not lack opportunities to love your neighbor.
Come As You Are Even if you are not “fine,” you need not be alone if there are people in your life with whom you are free to exchange the gift of your own imperfection (119) for the gift of their listening ear. The whole family can get in on the opportunity to neighbor broadly and indiscriminately in simple ways such as picking up the trash that lands along the streets or making conversation about dogs and kids.
Our children have received great benefits from being included in multi-generational gatherings, and we have also loved hosting their friends. Everything from spontaneous gatherings around the fire pit for s’mores and firefly sightings to huge gatherings with lace tablecloths and the best dishes have been part of our family’s culture. Jen has spoken truth in her subtitle, “One Invitation Can Change a Generation.” These days the tables get turned sometimes as our married sons and their wives invite us to their homes to be blessed and fed and connected with family and friends.
“Grace On, Guilt Off” Things will not always go well. Events will not necessarily unfold according to plan. There will be seasons in which hospitality is just not possible, and you may need to be the object of someone else’s care and love. God has a way of showing up in unexpected ways, showering grace into a situation that looks hopeless.
“Opening the door when we aren’t ready defines hospitality in the deepest sense of the word.” (195)
Throwing wide the door of welcome, we embody God’s welcome and put the Gospel’s warm, life-giving hospitality on display for a world of people whose life may be changed by one simple invitation from an open and responsive heart. When we open the door, we mirror God’s acceptance, and I’m coming away from Jen Schmidt’s soft-spoken challenge with a renewed desire to lean into the risk, to open the door when I’m not quite prepared as an act of faith: “Lord, what are you about to do here?” Relaxing my need for control frees Him to work as table becomes altar, hostess becomes servant, and my open door becomes an invitation to New Life with Him.
Many thanks to B&H Books for providing this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with complete honesty.
You guys, I loooooved this book! Probably my favorite book of the year so far. I laughed, I cried (good tears), my heart was warmed, I was inspired. If you have any aspirations for hospitality, READ THIS BOOK!
This year has been, for all practical purposes, the beginning of my efforts to offer hospitality in my own rights. My own brand of hospitality. I love having people over, feeding them, hoping they feel at home in my home. But I've also found that hosting people (especially around a full time work schedule and long commute) frequently creates a cycle of cooking, cleaning, shopping, and socializing that can be exhausting even when you treasure every moment spent with friends. I was feeling especially tired a few weeks ago and prayed that God would refresh me and help me have a joyful, generous attitude towards hospitality. Right after praying that, I heard an interview with Jen Schmidt on The Home and Hearth podcast and immediately wanted to read her book. I couldn't get the book out of my head. So I used my monthly Audible credit on it and started listening.
Suffice it to say, God answered my prayer in the "pages" of this book. (Pages in quotes since I listed to the audible audio.) I was reminded, as I am weekly if not daily, of how blessed I am to be part of the family of God where even brothers and sisters that might never meet, like Jen Schmidt and myself, can be used of God to encourage each other. I was reminded of how hospitality can be simultaneously simple and powerful. As a girl whose primarily love language is words of affirmation, this book gave me those words to affirm that my still-learning efforts to open doors that aren't even really mine yet are worth it.
Tonight my brother and I had neighbors (literal neighbors) over for the first time ever and it was wonderful and it never would have happened without this book. I can't wait to see where God brings the message of Just Open the Door in my life.
The author makes plenty of good points about hospitality and shares a plethora of anecdotes, but this book wasn't the best fit for me.
There are a couple of chapters dedicated to showing "hospitality" to the nuclear family, and the joy of adoption. There are already so many resources to help women care for their families; I would have liked an acknowledgment that when it is discussed in the Bible, hospitality is meant for strangers. Also, a recognition that everyone is in a different life stage. The book seemed aimed primarily at women aged 25-50, who are married with children.
At one point, the author equates introversion with shyness. (They're not the same! The book was published recently enough that I think this inaccuracy should have been caught and corrected.)
Most unfortunately, I only had access to the audiobook version of this, and I really didn't care for the narrator. Her inflections just didn't fit the text.
This isn't a bad book by any means, but there are a couple others I'd recommend first:
Jen highlights the importance of practicing hospitality and how it can shape the guests as well the hosts (children included!). The book was practical and offered simple ways to extend love to the people around us through sharing simple, intentional meals. While some of her ideas made my introvert heart beat a little faster, she spoke to many of my fears about hosting. So, who wants to come over for dinner tonight?
Like The Gospel Comes With a House Key (which I also read this year), this book is about biblical hospitality. I had the privilege of co-leading a women’s class at our church with a friend of mine this year, and this is the book we used. The book itself didn’t blow me away or anything, and if I was going to point someone towards a book on hospitality I would probably choose Rosaria Butterfield’s, but I did appreciate the author’s perspective — especially the parallels she creates between God’s love for us and the love we extend when we invite others into our homes — and I loved some of the conversations we were able to have as a result of reading it.
I am always inspired to read different views and ideas on hospitality. This was an enjoyable read and I was mostly encouraged by the generational legacy in her family. Very convicting.
This is truly one of the best books I have ever read! Not only does Jen address the deeper Biblical meaning of hospitality and what it looks like to love, serve, and pursue people for the sake of the Gospel, she also gives us practical ways to do just that when we may feel “stuck” or scared to start. As a missionary overseas who recently became a mom and initially felt my being at home more was “less than,” Jen has now opened my heart to how I can use this season, as well as my family, my home, and my life as a unique offering to others. I could not recommend this more!
Great inspiration and practical tips on making your life and home a place where all are welcome, both spontaneously and planned. Encourages us to be a “gatherer of people” so that conversations and connection lead to discipleship and evangelism. Also brings out the benefits for the family socially and spiritually as they learn to feel comfortable with all ages, be unselfish with their time and stuff, learn practical home skills and learn the thrill of being used in the lives of others! Super good!
This is such a beautiful telling of one woman’s journey toward healing hearts and creating a home where all are welcome and will be nourished with yummy things to eat and a listening ear. Her experiences inspire me to host more. Keep it simple. Get some things ready and then stop prepping—focus on people. Loved this!
The book was an eye opener! We don’t have to have a perfect home to invite ppl in for fellowship and relationship. The book gave good examples for invitations options, such as a movie night, manicure/ pedicure clothing and accessory swap, and craft night just to name a few ideas.
I loved loved loved this book. The chapters had wonderful stories, tips for hospitality and encouragement for everyone who has a desire to be more hospitable. The idea that hospitality is more than just entertainment.
This is such a quick, practical book on how to be a community builder. The encouraging news is that none of us are naturals at this but that it is worth it to develop the skill. The author focuses on the fact that consistently being a host is life changing and life giving. The book is simultaneously empowering and convicting. I absolutely loved it.
Very practical suggestions, scripture backing most of the points and then ways to go about being hospitable in life! Looking forward to incorporating a lot of these ideas
This book was AMAZING. I cannot recommend it enough. I devoured this book, literally reading it in a couple of days (and staying up way too late to do so). Jen's very relatable tone as she writes - with humour, honesty, and conversation - makes this easy to read. Her practical tips and letters at the end of each chapter gave enough 'how-to' to make the book easy to put into practice, without feeling like you were reading a self-help book. Ultimately, while the book is about hospitality, it challenged me to open not just my home, but my heart and my life to those around me. I'm eager to get my hands on the Bible study that accompanies, and am participating in the online book club!
So many words of encouragement and gentle nudges to help us get over our fears of inviting others into our spaces and sharing the gift of hospitality. It doesn’t have to be a scary and overwhelming thing! Jen shares practical insights, each chapter is full of heartfelt advice and ways to “elevate the ordinary” in our hosting adventures. I love that it is chocked full of honest looks into their family (mistakes and laughter), making it relatable and do-able. So many great ideas and ear-marked pages and inspiration to invite others in.
4.5 stars. A generally excellent book on the power and purpose of hospitality. Schmidt was vulnerable and open about her own struggles in this area and how she opened the door to guests anyway. I was slightly exhausted thinking about her busy life and all she sacrificed to make this happen as often as possible. However, I was touched by her example and her desire to be like Jesus in this context. I loved the scripture she quoted "Jesus came eating and drinking". Her description of this scripture helped me to see Jesus in another way, and lead to a fuller understanding of his love for us by using hospitality as a vehicle to help us to get to know him. It is, in fact, centred on relationship and this is what we are offering when we invite people into our hearts and home. There are so many doable suggestions, with less a focus on outward appearance but more on the intention. Her challenge: Dare to be more spontaneous and accepting of the imperfect in hospitality. The only thing that is a very slight let down is its "Americanism" and the assumption that all readers are from the USA. As with many books like this, I have to do my own translation to make it work in an Australian context.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Gifted from a friend, it had been on my shelf for a few months before cracking the cover. I read this on the heels of "The Gospel Comes With a Housekey," and was nervous that this would seem light /fluffy after Butterfield's book. But the two are actually great companion reads for one who is committed to biblical hospitality. I felt like this book had a lot of practical ideas, and I'm excited to dig into Schmidt's blog for more.
Also, it should be noted that in an age where bloggers are being published around every corner, this book is actually a thought out cohesive piece. None of that, "Let me republish my blog and call it a book" stuff here. Highly recommend for anyone who already enjoys gathering people or for those who need encouragement to do so.
An open, honest, and thorough look at Biblical hospitality. I love the personal stories Jen includes to really bring her message home. She touches on what authentic hospitality really IS, the hang-ups that keep us from practicing it, and includes many simple ways to get started. This is a fun, encouraging read that has me questioning what I can do to be a better friend and neighbor. A good read whether you are young, old, single, married, parent, etc. It is a universal message!
I really enjoyed this book. I love the clear distinction of hospitality vs. entertaining (for whom are we doing each?), and I love the idea of hospitality being a ministry, mission, and mindset. Our homes, cars, conversations, relationships, etc. can all be used to show hospitality - being the incarnate love and care of Christ to others. I also appreciated all of the practical insights and examples the author gave from family and friends on how they've done and been affected by the ministry of hospitality.
I appreciated Schmidt's heart for hospitality. She makes a compelling case for Christians going above and beyond what feels comfortable to serve people in our homes. Her own stories were inspiring, and I appreciated the practical tips.
The last quarter of this book was great, but the first 1/2 to 3/4 was pretty basic. I listened to this as an audio book, and really dislike the narrator. She took what could have been a kind and suggestive book to sounding like a cocky and prescriptive plan.
I was intrigued by this companion book to a bible study by the same name. I liked that the author shares from the heart and doesn’t make things complicated. I felt as if we were sitting down for coffee swapping family stories about how God moved in our lives. I didn’t feel intimidated or bad as Jen talks about her learning journey in hospitality from scripture and points to Bible reference that show how Jesus and others loved their neighbor. She talks about how she watched her parents; “an ordinary couple living the natural outflow of their faith, putting a smiling face on their heart of welcome”. She says “But the aroma, it created drew others in and changed the dynamic. It changed people’s lives”
I was blown away when this author explained the difference between hospitality and entertaining. I hadn’t a clue. She talks more about this topic but basically she says, “…Biblical hospitality offers our best to God first, understanding that our best to others will then fall into place. It transforms our selfish motives and elevates our guests…All the attention focuses outward: “You’re here! I’ve been waiting for you. No one is more important than you today & I’m thrilled you could come.”...“Extending hospitality is about freely giving of ourselves while granting others the freedom to be themselves. Shifting our focus from us to them removes all unnecessary expectations.” I loved that.
The author points out that the Old testament God tells us to welcome and love strangers. “In the New Testament early believers took the command seriously and used their homes as a place for extending grace to others.”
There is so much inside this 250-page book. Some of the topics talked about are: Everyday Moments, Who are my Neighbors, Come as You are, The Elephant in the room, Spontaneous vs on purpose, Hospitality as worship and so much more. I highly recommend this book and study to everyone.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher & Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
I opened up this book because it drew me in. I have been looking for books on how to practice biblical hospitality for a long time, but most ended up being a how to guide for entertainment. I knew based on my upbringing and personality that entertaining was not for me. I am not the Pinterest perfect lady who can make a gloomy room sparkle. I am not gifted in this area. I can barely match my clothes, so when it comes to interior design or making things elegant, I am not your gal.
I have, though, experienced hospitality. The kind where you are welcomed into the less than perfect home. Eat off of chipped plates with mismatched forks and face no opposition when you offer to help wash the dishes in the sink. Given a couch, and invited to stay for as long as you need. This is the type of hosting that made me want to become a great host myself. Knowing this, God sent this book my way. From the second I began to dig in, Jen made it clear that Entertaining and Hospitality are not the same. I let out a huge sigh of relief.
We don't need to have it all together. More times than not, we won't. In fact, if we are waiting for the perfect time- impeccable home, elegant arrays of dishes, high energy levels, it will likely never come. But something beautiful happens when we invite people into our space, as is. With dishes still in the sink, with a let's cook breakfast for dinner plan, after a long and tiring day for the host and guest. This is where the floor is opened up for true, real, and raw vulnerability.
In this book, Jen shares practical advice as well as personal stories that really got my creative juices flowing. I was inspired to be the neighbor I desire to be, the friend, the coworker, the servant. She made it seem possible to open my door regardless of the mess in my home or in my heart on any given day. I am convinced now that this is the heart of hospitality, the heart of Jesus.
I received a copy of this book from B&H Publishing Group for the purpose of this review.