Dear First United Methodist Church McKinney Family,

This September, I am grateful to begin serving as the leader of our new Creation Care Ministry. I wanted to take a moment to share not only what this ministry will be, but also why I feel personally called to lead it.

My relationship with the natural world began long before I had words such as creation care, ecology, or stewardship to describe it.

I was raised in the woods along the shores of Northern Michigan, where forests, lakes, changing seasons, and time spent outdoors were simply part of everyday life. That affinity for nature has remained with me throughout my life and eventually became part of my professional and academic journey as well.

For more than twenty years, my work has intersected with sustainability, environmental responsibility, international collaboration, and the complex ways people and organizations respond to environmental challenges. My graduate studies at Southern Methodist University focused on conflict and peacebuilding, including the dynamics of environmental conflict and degradation. Today, much of my professional work continues to involve organizations around the world working toward better environmental understanding, standards, and practices.

But somewhere along the way, another realization became increasingly clear to me.

We cannot do this alone. After many years working in this field, I found myself returning more and more to faith. I began asking a different question: What if caring for creation is not simply an environmental responsibility, but a spiritual practice?

Scripture begins in a garden. Throughout the Bible, mountains, rivers, wilderness, animals, seeds, harvests, storms, and seasons continually become places through which people encounter God. Psalm 24 reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

Creation was never ours to possess. It was entrusted to our care.

That understanding is at the heart of my vision for our Creation Care Ministry.

I do not envision this simply as a ministry of projects or programs. I hope it becomes a place of curiosity, learning, wonder, prayer, fellowship, and faithful action—a ministry that helps us rediscover creation as one of the places where our relationship with God can deepen.

Over time, we will explore creation care through Scripture and our Wesleyan tradition, educational programs, guest speakers, nature experiences, service opportunities, seasonal reflections, and partnerships within our community. Some opportunities may involve practical stewardship. Others may simply invite us to slow down, notice what is around us, learn something new, and see God’s creation with fresh eyes.

You do not need to consider yourself an environmentalist to participate. Perhaps you garden. Perhaps you love birds, trees, animals, or walking outdoors. Perhaps you are interested in science or theology. Perhaps you are concerned about the world our children and grandchildren will inherit. Or perhaps you simply feel closest to God beneath an open sky and want an invitation to notice, wonder, learn, and listen.

I look forward to beginning this journey with you and discovering together what it means to faithfully care for the remarkable creation God has placed in our hands.

Stay in wonder,

Heidi Karlsson
Creation Care Ministry Leader

Have you ever thought about leading a class (Sunday School, Disciple, small group), but you felt unqualified and/or it seemed a little intimidating? Are you a former (or current) leader who would like to brush up on some leadership hints and tips to strengthen your group’s experience? Well, the Christian Education & Formation team here at First McKinney is planning a first-of-kind workshop with you in mind! In this gathering we will introduce the following topics to help jumpstart your leadership journey:

• Why small groups?
• The role of a leader
• Theological grounding and spiritual formation
• “Active listening”
• Facilitator tips on group dynamics

For more details, contact James at jwoods@sharingtheheart.org or text (972) 838-8712.

Join us Sunday, June 14 after the 11:10 worship service to celebrate the ministry of John Bush! John has worked at First United Methodist Church McKinney for 16 years, serving as our Director of Music Ministries. Come to the Hub to have a snack, hear some music, and tell John about what his work has meant to you.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, McKINNEY, TEXAS, WINS THE 2026 KATE WARNICK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOCAL CHURCH HISTORY – LARGE CHURCH CATEGORY

June 1, 2026

(Dallas) The Texas United Methodist Historical Society is pleased to announce that the 2026 Kate Warnick Award for Excellence in Local Church History – Large Church Category – has been awarded to First United Methodist Church McKinney, Texas: Sharing the Heart of Christ from the Heart of McKinney for 175 Years: 1851 – 1926 by Catherine Kays and Dana Clifton. First UMC McKinney is in the Horizon Texas Conference of the UMC.

First Methodist Church McKinney is one of the earliest Methodist churches in North Texas. At more than 4500 members, it is easily the largest of the Methodist churches founded the 19th century in North Texas. The church is now the subject of a well-researched history with a collection of stories, personal insights, and information unique to the congregation most not likely found anywhere else.

The church has met since 1901 in a distinctive red brick church building in downtown McKinney. A lot of church and family life has been lived in that building. The lead author of the new history, Catherine Kays, a sixth-generation member of the church, tells of her habit of touching the pews in the sanctuary remembering that they were “something my ancestors may have touched.”

The strength of the church is a strong laity. Three members of the church served as mayor of the City of McKinney, Texas. One gentleman, known as “Mr. Sunday School,” served as Sunday school superintendent for over 50 years. A father and son team served as scoutmasters of the church’s Boy Scout Troop from the 1920s to the 1950s. There is a wonderful story of a man who gave the church its distinctive bell and a clipping from the local paper that said the man was “a rich bachelor and ought to marry.”

Typical of vibrant Methodist churches, the core source of strength is among the female members. Female notables include a benefactor of the new sanctuary in 1901, the sponsor of missionary work both in McKinney and Africa, and a stalwart who “volunteered whether you asked her to volunteer or not.” Kays slyly notes, “While my male ancestors were members of the church in most cases, the women were active and the nurturers of family faith.”

The church has been led by strong clergy, including such Methodist legends as the father of the murderous preacher’s kid, John Wesley Hardin; George Slaughter Gatewood, who led services at the Preacher’s Rock inside of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; and Rev. C. C. Young, who founded the CC Young retirement home for Methodist ministers in Dallas. More current notables include James Dorff, senior pastor from 1994 to 2001, who served as a Bishop in the UMC from 2008 to 2015, and Kathy McLean-Davis, the longest serving female elder.

“The new history of First UMC McKinney is a refreshing testimony to the joy of church life,” said Kent Roberts, the chair of the TUMHS’s Kate Warnick Award committee. “In a hundred ways, the authors document what made and makes First Church unique in the lives of the congregation.”

As winner of the Kate Warnick Award, First United Methodist Church McKinney, Texas: Sharing the Heart of Christ from the Heart of McKinney for 175 Years: 1851 – 1926 will be kept in the

Archives of the Horizon Texas Conference, at Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University and in the denomination’s Methodist Library, currently at Drew University.

The Texas United Methodist Historical Society established the Kate Warnick Awards in 1978 to encourage the publication of exemplary local church histories within the five Annual Conferences of the United Methodist Church that constitute the Texas United Methodist Historical Society: Horizon Texas, Rio Texas, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma Indian Mission.

Are you looking for a group? Or do you know a young adult looking for a place to connect with church? Meet us for a kickoff pizza party for young adults!

March 17 at 6:30 pm at The Hub

Want to learn more? Click here to email Duncan Pratt.