A fun experience away from home where you are able to grow closer to God.
Starting in 2023, we are offering a brand new conference for youth!
During Summit46, youth who are entering 4th through 6th grade come together to be inspired to grow in their faith by learning and living the words and deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hundreds of youth participants will gather together in the Hill Country for an unforgettable Mo-Ranch experience that’s filled with new friends, spiritual enrichment, worship, study and recreation. Activities and recreation will include everything from taking a challenge on the Mo ropes course, dancing, games, energizers, vespers and popsicle parties, to aquathons, sports, evening movies, swimming in the beautiful Guadalupe, singing God’s praises and more!
Daily schedule
Here’s what you can expect to be part of each day at Summit46: Keynote and worship sessions The keynote speaker will gather youth for inspiring messages each morning that will be focused on the conference’s theme and scripture verse. In the evening, the conference’s worship leader will delve into the conference theme again for scripture, prayer and song. Energizers are a beloved Mo-Ranch tradition that involves pairing fun music with high energy and simple movements that everyone can be sure to enjoy! Small groups are guided by adult leaders who build a safe and welcoming community for youth to have honest discussions with one another about keynote topics and their journey of faith. These groups are selected at random to allow an opportunity to meet and form friendships with youth across the Synod of the Sun and beyond. Home groups are the groups you traveled with from your home church! Each night, home groups will return to their lodging and recap the day together. It’s an excellent way get to know each other and strengthen the bond between you and your church’s youth. Vespers is the traditional word for evening worship marked by music and prayer. Mo-Ranch vespers incorporate reflective prayer, soft music and quiet time for internal conversations with God underneath a starry Hill Country night sky.
Conference Goals
- To provide an opportunity for participants to experience God’s loving kindness and carry this to the world
- To realize that God has a mission for us every day
- To help all participants fully understand the love of Christ and how to live a life of love as a Christian
- To build community
Scholarships
We offer scholarship opportunities! Please contact the program office at 800-460-4401 ext. 246 for more information.
Registration
To register and view paperwork, click here.
SUMMIT46 Leadership for 2026:
Director
Kellie Martini
Kellie is a member of the University Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. Kellie, her husband, Dave, and their two kids (Ethan-18 and Emmie-14) enjoy spending time in the beautiful Texas hill country. Kellie is an Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Specialist with Dripping Springs ISD and loves working with students and teachers. When she’s not at school she enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. Mo-Ranch has been a place of refuge and renewal for Kellie since she was a child and attended church retreats and youth conferences. She is jumping for joy at this opportunity to attend Summit46!
Co-Director
Molly Rambur
Molly has the joy of leading the children and family ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Norman, OK. Molly enjoys creating and playing games and finding ways to connect them to Jesus. She is excited to reconnect with the place where she experiences God’s love in fun and meaningful ways and with all the people who make it amazing. The things Molly loves most are spending time with her husband and their 16-year-old son, traveling the world, Atlanta Braves baseball, Broadway musicals, and her Siberian Husky named Sputnik.
Keynote Speaker
Chris Hazlaris
Chris was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. After attending Fordham University in New York and Yale for Divinity School, he returned home to serve at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, where he has worked as their Director of Youth and Young Adults for 7 years now. Nothing means more to Chris than encouraging and affirming young people for just how each one of them is beloved by God. In his spare time, Chris plays competitive soccer, enjoys licks from his toy poodle, and is blessed to spend time with his wife Gina, whom, come the conference, he will have just married in April!
Worship Leader
Katy Nix
Rev. Katy Nix (but you can call her Katy) is the Youth Minister at First Presbyterian Church in Georgetown, TX. Katy is absolutely thrilled to be spending some time this summer at Mo Ranch and getting to worship with you at Summit46. Mo is her favorite place in the world! Seriously. Her parents met at Mo Ranch way back when so Mo Ranch is responsible for her existence. Thanks, Mo! Anyway, Katy is married to an amazing mechanical engineer, Nolan, and they have one baby girl, Eleanor, who will be 1.5 years old when Summit46 happens.
Katy enjoys watching all University of Texas sports (especially basketball and football), watching the TV show Psych on repeat, and reading fantasy books. She also loves playing board games, card games, cooperative games, all kinds of games! Her favorite thing to do is go to the park with her family and their two dogs, Ashe and Zephyr.
Small Group Coordinator
Susan Billings
Susan is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Alpine, Texas, where she and her husband raised their 3 sons over the past 18 years. She serves as a school-based pediatric physical therapist in the Big Bend region. Susan’s passion is finding ways to help kids with special needs move throughout and have fun participating in their school environment. She and her family are grateful for the opportunities they have had to take part in Mo Ranch youth conferences over many years. Now Susan is looking forward to her role as the small group coordinator for Summit 46!
Music Leader
Noel Wilds
Noel Wilds leads music at First Presbyterian Church in San Marcos, TX, where she serves as Co-Director of Music alongside her husband, Jack Wilds. Noel is also embarking on her 13th year teaching music at Kyle Elementary. As a lifelong church kid, Noel delights in serving God through worship and music education. At home, she’s mom to two energetic boys, Thomas (14) and Sam (10). The entire family is kept on their toes by Rhea, their goofy Golden Retriever. Off-duty, Noel trains for triathlons, enjoys the great outdoors, and stays active in Scouts as a den leader.
Recreation Co-Leader
Brad Watson
Brad Watson is really excited to be co-leading rec this summer at Summit 46! This will be his first time attending Summit46, however he has spent a lot of time at Mo-Ranch and it is one of his favorite places in the world. When he’s not at Mo-Ranch he’s usually in Austin with his partner Alison, their two awesome kiddos Cora and Leo, and their big Labradoodle Mack aka Big Wiggle. Brad works as a licensed clinical social worker providing counseling for adults in Austin, as well as planning and guiding expeditions throughout Texas and the southwest. He holds a dual Master’s degree in theology from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and UT Austin School of Social Work. Fun fact: Brad has two family members on the leadership team for Summit this year: Kellie Martini, his amazing big sister, and Ethan Martini, his favorite nephew! Fun fact #2: Brad and Susan Billings grew up going to church together and their moms are besties!
Recreation Co-Leader
Ethan Martini
Ethan Martini has been going to Mo-Ranch since he was a kid. He loves the memories of sharing meals during Mid-winters, the excitement of going down the slide during the all-church retreat, and the front office cats that are always happy to see me. Ethan has enjoyed every moment of being a YAL (Young Adult Leader) for the last two years and he’s even more excited to be a Rec leader this year. Apart from Mo, Ethan is a student at Texas A&M studying Chemistry, and he actively stays involved in the community. I cant wait for this year at Mo!
2025 Theme: Choose Your Character
Scripture: Romans 12: 1-8
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Cost and Housing
$285 per registrant/adult sponsor for group lodging
$420 per registrant/adult sponsor for hotel lodging.
Housing
Many of the buildings on our historic property were built as early as the 1950s. We acknowledge that our buildings cannot accommodate all abilities and people yet and commit to making reasonable accommodations until all facilities are renovated.
Standard housing for youth conferences at Mo-Ranch is group housing. These spaces include, but are not limited to, Milk Barn, Milk Barn Bunkhouses, River Dorm, Guest Lodge, and Log Lodge.
Conference Housing Description – Shared space with other churches, youth groups, and conference attendees.
Sleeping quarters will vary from semi-private to dormitory style housing that can consist of 4- 20 beds in a shared communal living environment. These rooms can consist of single or double beds, and single bunk bed styles. For specific bed/room layouts, please visit Stay at Mo-Ranch • Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly (moranch.org).
Bathroom Facilities Description
Bathrooms in group housing are shared community spaces. Private showers and bathroom stalls are available. There are no designated private changing areas. Mo-Ranch encourages all guests/campers/staff to change clothes in private areas and discourages nudity or disrobing directly in front of others.
Mo-Ranch encourages all participants for youth conferences to reside in the community living environment. However, if this style of lodging does not meet your individual needs, please make us aware. We will make every effort to accommodate your housing needs. Changes in housing are subject to availability and additional fees.
Considerations
Housing Reservations: When booking your group for a conference at Mo, please be mindful of our limitations and our available housing. Conference participants will be housed on a first come, first serve basis, though we will do our best to honor your housing preference. To be good stewards of the housing facilities that we have available, your group may be housed with other youth groups in dorm/group housing. It is always a good idea to share this information with your group, including youth participants, parents, chaperones, and church leadership prior to booking so that we may partner with you and your group to try meet the needs of your participants.
Sponsors
You will need a sponsor to youth ratio of 1:5. Adult sponsors must also pay and register for the conference. The number of adult sponsors must correspond to the gender numbers in the group they are bringing. Five boys and three girls would mean at least one male and one female sponsor. If your group chooses to stay in hotel-style accommodations, youth will be housed 3-4 youth per room and churches may be combined to accommodate this arrangement.
Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact us at 1.800.460.4401 ext. 246 or registrar@moranch.org.
Arrival & Departure
Arrive and check-in between 4 and 6 p.m. on the day the conference begins. One sponsor per group should check-in their group. Groups will be able to move into their housing facilities no earlier than 4 p.m. Conferences begin with dinner at 6 p.m. and end mid-morning on the day of departure.
Adult Sponsors
You will need a ratio of 1:5; 1 adult sponsor per 5 youth. Adult sponsors must also register and pay for the conference. The number of adult sponsors must correspond to the gender numbers in the group they are bringing. 5 boys and 3 girls would mean at least 1 male and 1 female sponsor.
Appropriate Dress
While we recognize clothing is one way young people express themselves, we expect them to do so in ways that honor themselves as well as the kind of community we are building during our youth conferences. We ask participants (both youth and adult sponsors) to dress comfortably for the weather, but also modestly. Please refrain from wearing clothing:
- that is too revealing like: short shorts, strapless tops or dresses, shirts that allow for a bare midriff, pants worn below the waist line. Dress should be appropriate for a youth conference.
- that advertises alcohol or tobacco products
- that contains language demeaning or ridiculing someone’s gender, sexuality or ethnic origin
For recreation events, all participants are expected to wear shirts. Participants out of line with dress standards will be asked to change clothes.
Swim Check
Youth will be asked to take a swim check at the pool during the check-in period. For easy access, youth should remember to pack swimsuits on top. Swimmer and non-swimmer wristbands will be issued to all participants. All youth participants must take the swim check even if they are 18 years of age. Participants not wishing to take the swim check must go to the pool to be given a non-swimmer wristband. Wristbands provide guest identification to our staff and act as meal tickets in the dining hall, and must be worn by guests at all times. Please note Mo-Ranch’s appropriate dress standards when packing swim suits.
Stuff to Bring
Water bottles! Bible, casual clothes, closed-toe shoes for ropes course, swim suit (swim trunks for males, no bikinis for females. “Tankinis” are acceptable so long as no midriff is showing), swim towel, river shoes, sunscreen, insect repellent, flashlight, toiletries, notebook, spending money and a camera.
Personal Electronics
Electronic devices include, but are not limited to: cell phones, tablets, mp3 players and handheld games. The use of personal electronic devices affect not only the person using the device but others around them. Using an electronic device for activities unrelated to the conference can be disruptive and disrespectful. Mo-Ranch encourages groups to leave personal electronics at home. We ask that any electronic devices brought to the conference be kept on silent or turned off during all scheduled events (keynote, small group, worship, vespers, etc.) Distracting personal electronics may be collected by conference staff and turned in to a sponsor. Mo-Ranch or its representatives will not assume responsibility for devices that are lost, stolen, damaged and/or confiscated.
Transportation
Mo-Ranch is 90 miles one-way, or a 2-hour drive from the nearest airport (SAT), allow 3 hours travel/check-in time for departures. We recommend generally scheduling arriving flights before 3 p.m. and departing flights after 3 p.m. to be sure you do not miss any of your event. If you are in need of shuttle service to Mo-Ranch, call Kars for Hire in Kerrville at (830) 890-8200 at least 15 days in advance to arrange transportation from San Antonio International Airport. Directions to Mo.
Ropes Course
This conference will include a selection of our ropes course elements. To read a description of each element, click here.
Trading Post
Make sure to stop by the Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly bookstore during your conference to pick out a souvenir!
Questions
We’re happy to help! Contact us at 1.800.460.4401 ext. 246 or registrar@moranch.org.






