The Porch Swing

A Hearthside Gathering

On stillness, attention, and the presence of God.

A complete, ready-to-use printable Bible study gathering for women, combining an original story, Scripture, meaningful discussion, personal reflection, and simple host materials—all thoughtfully prepared so you can gather around the table and begin.

Some places become important not because they take us anywhere, but because they give us room to notice what we have been carrying.

The Porch Swing begins beneath an old elm tree, where a homemade swing became part of the ordinary rhythm of family life—a place for conversation and silence, laughter and worry, prayer and the simple act of sitting still for a while.

The swing never traveled beyond the same small patch of ground.

And yet, sometimes the person who stood up was different from the one who sat down.

Centered on Psalm 46:10 and Philippians 4:6–7, The Porch Swing considers a kind of stillness that does not depend upon our circumstances becoming quiet. Instead, it invites us to stop long enough to remember who God is within the responsibilities, unanswered questions, worries, and ordinary demands that remain.

Together, participants will consider what constant movement may keep them from noticing, the difference between seeking God’s presence and becoming attentive to the presence already there, and what it means to bring a concern deliberately before God rather than carrying it endlessly within ourselves.

This Gathering does not ask us to escape the life waiting for us or manufacture a particular feeling of peace. It invites us to make room to notice what has been true all along: God is present before we notice Him, faithful before our circumstances change, and near while the mountain is still there and the chores are still waiting.

A Gathering Made Ready for You

The Hearthside Gatherings were created to make meaningful time around Scripture feel both substantial and approachable.

You do not need to write a lesson, develop discussion questions, or figure out how to turn a roomful of women into a Bible study.

It has already been gathered for you.

Inside The Porch Swing, you’ll find a complete printable experience designed to move naturally from welcome and Scripture into story, conversation, and personal reflection.

Your download includes:

• The complete Participant Packet
• Original The Porch Swing essay
• Primary and secondary Scripture readings
• Eight Around the Table discussion questions
• Return to This Truth closing reflection
• Two-page Personal Reflection, The Distance Between Worry and Peace
• Complete Host Guide
• Invitation
• Table Card
• Scripture Card
• Printable candy bar wrapper
• Start Here Printing Guide
• Permission to Gather guide
• Printer-friendly materials where appropriate

Gather Around a Table—or Begin Right Where You Are

A Hearthside Gathering can be used with a church group, women’s ministry, small group, Sunday school class, book-club-style gathering, a few friends around a kitchen table, or simply on your own.

The Host Guide provides gentle direction without requiring you to become a teacher. The discussion questions are designed to encourage thoughtful conversation rather than search for a single “right” answer.

And if gathering a group isn’t practical right now, the Participant Packet can also be worked through individually as a personal study and reflection.

Simple to Prepare

Everything is delivered digitally so you can print what you need at home or through your preferred print service.

The included Start Here guide walks you through the pieces and printing recommendations, while the Permission to Gather guide explains how the materials may be printed and shared for your gathering.

Bring the packets.

Set the table.

Maybe make something good to eat.

And allow an old porch swing to begin a conversation about the distance between worry and peace—and what can change when we become still enough to remember who God is, even when nothing around us has changed yet.