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Our History
How it all began and where we are now...here is our story
The year was 1987 and Robin Morgenthaler was living in Hawaii while her husband, Tim, finished his internship in the Navy. Tim decided he wanted to complete his residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This was obviously going to be a drastic move for the family. But Robin felt a calling. She remembered thinking, “Yes, the Mayo Clinic. There are a lot of internationals there…I can see having a Bible study, one aimed specifically at supporting the spouses of the physicians from all over the world. Then they’ll return back to their homes and countries. What a great ‘reverse mission field’!” Tim and Robin made the move from Hawaii to Rochester. Soon after her arrival, Robin began to seek out friendships with other medical spouses. She arranged social gatherings to get together at parks for picnics or in homes for dinners. The women quickly grew close and became fast friends, helping each other through the unique circumstances and challenges of the medical training years and supporting each other in motherhood.
While doing dishes after one of these gatherings, Robin asked a friend if she would like to start meeting for a Bible study. Together they asked four other women and all said ‘yes’. A few weeks later, six women and 10 children gathered together in Robin’s old farmhouse and began a 12-week Bible study. For two years these women met in Robin’s home. They hired a babysitter for their children and spent time having coffee, sharing fellowship, and studying God’s word.
A good thing doesn’t stay hidden for long. The women enjoyed the meeting together and started inviting their friends. Soon they outgrew Robin’s farmhouse and moved to three homes with three babysitters.
In 1990, the continued growth led the Bible Study to join Fellows’ Families (now Mayo Family Connections). This allowed word about the Bible study to reach all the resident and fellow families at Mayo. It was time to move out of homes, pool resources and trust that God had a bigger place for them to meet. A local church graciously offered their building. They began meeting there sharing fellowship, worship, childcareand small group Bible study.
For many women, this was the first time they had ever studied the Bible. One member, Sharon, said, “The Bible study was a turning point in my life. It was a connection between knowing about God from church teaching and knowing God from studying His word.” Years later, another member reflected to Robin that she learned the tools to answering life’s big questions in Bible study.
At this time all of the women involved in the Bible study were from the United States. But in her heart Robin was holding to the vision of an international Bible study: the ‘reverse mission field.’ Then, in God’s perfect timing, Robin met Eriko, a Japanese Christian whose husband was training at Mayo. Eriko loved evangelizing the Japanese. She purposely lived in an apartment building surrounded by Japanese immigrants. She taught them English using the Bible as her text. Robin told Eriko of her desire to organize an international Bible study and the two women invited these Japanese ladies to the Medical Spouses Bible Study. The ladies came, learning more English and more of God’s word. Soon the Bible study was filled with women from Japan, China, Finland, Germany, Africa, Australia and South America.
God gave Robin a vision for a Bible study. She gave Him all that she had; a home, administrative skills, and a willing heart, but she was unsure of her ability to lead a Bible study alone. Because Robin was faithful to God’s prompting, God has been faithful in continually providing women to support the Bible study. Throughout the years He has brought forward specific women to fill a variety of positions, such as small group leaders, worship leaders, childcare workers and treasurers.
Before they realized it, many of the original members of the Bible Study, including Robin, were done with the medical training years and were moving away from Rochester. This did not catch God by surprise! He is always at work, and had prepared new women to step up in leadership roles so the Bible study would not end with the departure of the founding women. For over 8 years the Bible study continued to grow and reach out to new women who came to Rochester for their husband’s residency or fellowship training.
In 2000, Robin’s husband accepted a staff position at Mayo and they moved back to Rochester. Robin was in town for only a short time when a woman invited her to come to an exciting Bible study for medical spouses. Without knowing it, this woman had just invited Robin back to the study she had started over 10 years before in the living room of her old farmhouse.
Formerly, this study was known as Medical Spouses Bible Study (MSBS), and it continues to thrive. It is now renamed Side By Side-Rochester. Over 150 women (and 130 children) are a part of this multi-faceted ministry that offers support and fellowship for wives of medical spouses of various Christian denominations. The ministry continues to evolve. Many women are married to residents, others to fellows, and a growing portion of the group is comprised of consultant’s wives (that’s ‘Mayo speak’ for staff wives). Some women are mature Christians, others are new in their faith, and still others have yet to understand what being a Christian truly means. Yet all have a place in SBS. The group meets weekly for coffee, fellowship and Bible study. In addition, there is a monthly publication that keeps current and past members up to date on Bible study news. There are various social activities offered each month and a meal ministry for new mothers or those experiencing illness. This is a dynamic group! Many tears are shed each May at our Farewell Brunch, as women prepare to leave Rochester, their medical training years, and our group.
As Robin will clearly confirm, all it takes to serve God is a willing heart and to follow Him step by step. Robin was faithful to God’s leading, and as a result hundreds of women have heard the Gospel of Christ in Rochester, Minnesota while their husbands worked at the Mayo Clinic. Did Robin know that the Bible study she started with 6 women would continue for over 20 years and grow to over 150 women? No. But she knew God was calling her to start and study and she did. Is God calling you to step out in faith with Him and start a similar group?
Are you interested in starting a group similar to SBS-Rochester? You can now learn from what we have done. SBS has 'gone national' under Christian Medical Dental Association. They are nationally known as Side By Side. They have become a ministry of CMDA in order to take what Rochester has to other cities around the country. To see more about them visit this link: www.cmda.org/go/sidebyside You can reach the members of the committee for questions at sidebyside@cmda.org
While doing dishes after one of these gatherings, Robin asked a friend if she would like to start meeting for a Bible study. Together they asked four other women and all said ‘yes’. A few weeks later, six women and 10 children gathered together in Robin’s old farmhouse and began a 12-week Bible study. For two years these women met in Robin’s home. They hired a babysitter for their children and spent time having coffee, sharing fellowship, and studying God’s word.
A good thing doesn’t stay hidden for long. The women enjoyed the meeting together and started inviting their friends. Soon they outgrew Robin’s farmhouse and moved to three homes with three babysitters.
In 1990, the continued growth led the Bible Study to join Fellows’ Families (now Mayo Family Connections). This allowed word about the Bible study to reach all the resident and fellow families at Mayo. It was time to move out of homes, pool resources and trust that God had a bigger place for them to meet. A local church graciously offered their building. They began meeting there sharing fellowship, worship, childcareand small group Bible study.
For many women, this was the first time they had ever studied the Bible. One member, Sharon, said, “The Bible study was a turning point in my life. It was a connection between knowing about God from church teaching and knowing God from studying His word.” Years later, another member reflected to Robin that she learned the tools to answering life’s big questions in Bible study.
At this time all of the women involved in the Bible study were from the United States. But in her heart Robin was holding to the vision of an international Bible study: the ‘reverse mission field.’ Then, in God’s perfect timing, Robin met Eriko, a Japanese Christian whose husband was training at Mayo. Eriko loved evangelizing the Japanese. She purposely lived in an apartment building surrounded by Japanese immigrants. She taught them English using the Bible as her text. Robin told Eriko of her desire to organize an international Bible study and the two women invited these Japanese ladies to the Medical Spouses Bible Study. The ladies came, learning more English and more of God’s word. Soon the Bible study was filled with women from Japan, China, Finland, Germany, Africa, Australia and South America.
God gave Robin a vision for a Bible study. She gave Him all that she had; a home, administrative skills, and a willing heart, but she was unsure of her ability to lead a Bible study alone. Because Robin was faithful to God’s prompting, God has been faithful in continually providing women to support the Bible study. Throughout the years He has brought forward specific women to fill a variety of positions, such as small group leaders, worship leaders, childcare workers and treasurers.
Before they realized it, many of the original members of the Bible Study, including Robin, were done with the medical training years and were moving away from Rochester. This did not catch God by surprise! He is always at work, and had prepared new women to step up in leadership roles so the Bible study would not end with the departure of the founding women. For over 8 years the Bible study continued to grow and reach out to new women who came to Rochester for their husband’s residency or fellowship training.
In 2000, Robin’s husband accepted a staff position at Mayo and they moved back to Rochester. Robin was in town for only a short time when a woman invited her to come to an exciting Bible study for medical spouses. Without knowing it, this woman had just invited Robin back to the study she had started over 10 years before in the living room of her old farmhouse.
Formerly, this study was known as Medical Spouses Bible Study (MSBS), and it continues to thrive. It is now renamed Side By Side-Rochester. Over 150 women (and 130 children) are a part of this multi-faceted ministry that offers support and fellowship for wives of medical spouses of various Christian denominations. The ministry continues to evolve. Many women are married to residents, others to fellows, and a growing portion of the group is comprised of consultant’s wives (that’s ‘Mayo speak’ for staff wives). Some women are mature Christians, others are new in their faith, and still others have yet to understand what being a Christian truly means. Yet all have a place in SBS. The group meets weekly for coffee, fellowship and Bible study. In addition, there is a monthly publication that keeps current and past members up to date on Bible study news. There are various social activities offered each month and a meal ministry for new mothers or those experiencing illness. This is a dynamic group! Many tears are shed each May at our Farewell Brunch, as women prepare to leave Rochester, their medical training years, and our group.
As Robin will clearly confirm, all it takes to serve God is a willing heart and to follow Him step by step. Robin was faithful to God’s leading, and as a result hundreds of women have heard the Gospel of Christ in Rochester, Minnesota while their husbands worked at the Mayo Clinic. Did Robin know that the Bible study she started with 6 women would continue for over 20 years and grow to over 150 women? No. But she knew God was calling her to start and study and she did. Is God calling you to step out in faith with Him and start a similar group?
Are you interested in starting a group similar to SBS-Rochester? You can now learn from what we have done. SBS has 'gone national' under Christian Medical Dental Association. They are nationally known as Side By Side. They have become a ministry of CMDA in order to take what Rochester has to other cities around the country. To see more about them visit this link: www.cmda.org/go/sidebyside You can reach the members of the committee for questions at sidebyside@cmda.org
