Thank You...

Jun 12, 2025 | by Dr. Kristen Wright

Ashland Place family,

Life doesn’t always give us the chance for a proper goodbye. Change comes quickly sometimes—a diagnosis, a move, a moment that shifts everything—and we’re left wishing for just one more conversation, one more chance to say what’s in our hearts. That’s why I’m especially grateful for this moment. Today, I have the gift of time, of intention, and the chance to mark this moment with the love and gratitude it deserves. I want to say goodbye to this season we’ve shared—the chapter we’ve written together over the last six years. And what a chapter it has been!

When I think back over our time together, I see so much life. Sunday mornings filled with music, prayer, and presence. Baptisms where we welcomed new life into the body of Christ. Graduations, weddings, babies, new beginnings—and the joy that overflowed in all of it. We’ve weathered changes, including a pandemic that kept us apart but reminded us that church isn’t a building—it’s this community, this spirit, this love that holds us together.

And yes, we’ve known sorrow too. We’ve stood together in grief, shared tears and hugs, prayed through pain, and remembered that God is near to the brokenhearted. You’ve let me walk with you in those tender, sacred places—and that is something I will never take for granted.

What I really want to say is this: you’ve taught me how to be a pastor. You’ve shown me that it’s not about having all the answers but about showing up, being present, and trusting God in the middle of it all. You’ve given me room to learn, space to grow, and so much grace along the way. I am not the same person I was when I arrived six years ago—and that’s because of you. Because of your kindness, your trust, and your willingness to let me be fully human and still called.

It’s hard to imagine Sunday mornings without your faces, or not knowing the daily rhythm of this church I’ve come to love so deeply. But more than anything, I feel thankful. What a rare and beautiful gift it is to say goodbye with such love. Not everyone gets that. And so, from the bottom of my heart—thank you.

Thank you for letting me be part of your stories. Thank you for letting me be your pastor. Thank you for loving me, Micah, and Callie—and for becoming our family. This isn’t the end of our story, just the end of this chapter. And it’s been one of the best ones of my life!!!

I hope to see you on Sunday so I can say these words in person—and, of course, share a hug.

With all my love and deepest gratitude,
Kristen