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Youth Celebration

June 21-25, 2026

 

Interested in becoming a Small Group Leader

“Great week. Loren and the leadership team did a great job. Really enjoyed my small group this week.”

-Michael Martinez

A conference for high school age students to explore their faith, make friends, and do some fun recreational activities!

Youth Celebration is a conference for high school students that have completed 9th-12th grade that is a week filled with exploration of faith, worship, new friends and recreation. This conference begins on Sunday evening with the “big hello” and closes with the “big goodbye” on Friday morning. Conference activities include energizers, keynote presentations, worship and music, small groups, afternoon recreation and evening vespers.

Small groups

Small groups are a key feature of this conference providing youth with a chance to build community with people from other churches. In small groups, youth are guided by adult leaders who facilitate building community, Bible study and discussions on matters of faith and life. Are you interested in becoming a small group leader? Click here to learn more!

Conference goals

To create a Christ-like environment for all participants to share their faith outside the walls of their individual churches, fostering spiritual growth, leadership development, and faith resources to help face the challenges and blessings in the world.

  • To worship God in all that we do at Youth Celebration; not losing sight that we are all at Mo-Ranch because of the grace of Jesus Christ.
  • To help all participants fully understand the love of Christ and how to live a life of love as a Christian.
  • To help all participants learn about their faith journey in connection with our theme through small groups, worship, keynote and home group time.

Scholarships

We offer scholarship opportunities! Please contact the program office at 800-460-4401 ext. 246 fo rmore information.

Registration

To register and view paperwork, click here.

2026 Leadership

 

Directors: Nick and Amanda Ragan

Nick – Nick lives in Graham, TX with his wife, Amanda, their 2 dogs (dachshund/German Shepard and a mastiff/pitbull), 1 son (Gaidan, 18). They also have another son who just got married and moved to Wisconsin (Jaren, 24).

Nick has been the maintenance technician at their church for about 6 months, but has been a part of the deacons and elders since he was about 18. He has been a tattoo artist for 13 years, and he says he has a crippling addiction to hobbies. Just a few are motorcycle riding, 3D printing, blacksmithing, woodworking, playing in a rock band, and cooking.

Amanda – Amanda loves opportunities for ministry and was the children’s ministry leader at her church before she and Nick got married and she joined him at FPC Graham. At FPC, Amanda has the opportunity to volunteer in children’s church as well. Professionally, she’s surviving her first year teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade math at Newcastle ISD. Amanda is super excited to be a part of the team at Mo-Ranch this year!!!

 

Co-Director: Sujeidee Owen

Sujeidee Owen is a member at Northminster Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, where she is also an active Youth Leader. Sujeidee found her faith at Mo-Ranch and has been attending conferences and other events here for the last 8 years. Mo is such a special place to both her and her partner that they got engaged at the Chapel on the Hill. She is excited to be coming back this summer for Youth Celebration!

On a day-to-day basis, Sujeidee works for NISD in San Antonio as the “at-risk” paraprofessional in an elementary school . In her free time, she enjoys going on adventures with her partner, reading, swimming in some kind of body of water, binge watching tv with one of her cats, Whiskers and Venus, or her Boxer K-Mo.

 

 

Keynote Speaker: Maggie Alsup

Maggie Alsup lives on ice coffee, believes that Disney movies are for all ages, is obsessed with hippos, and hails from the great state of Oklahoma. She loves to try new baking recipes when she isn’t traveling and exploring new places. She is convinced that if she could give up her love of bacon she could become a vegetarian. Maggie has served as a youth director in Arkansas and Alaska, which sparked her love to work with young adults in the church. After earning her Masters of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary (2014), she served as the campus ministry intern with college students at Clemson University (2014-2016). In 2017, she moved to Arkansas to serve as the College Chaplain and Director of Service at Lyon College. Her passion in life is empowering and equipping young adults for life and work in God’s changing world.

 

 

Worship Leader: Colton Hedrick

Colton W. Hedrick was born in Waco, Texas, and raised in Groesbeck, Texas, a small cattle town in Central Texas’s post-oak Savannah. Fresh out of seminary and headed for ordination in the PC(USA) this very summer, Colton is excited to spend time in the Word and with everyone in the Guadalupe River Valley for an amazing week at Mo-Ranch.

 

 

Music Leader: Grace Roberson

Grace is a native Texan who was born and raised on the beach in Corpus Christi. After studying acting and directing in college, she moved to Austin and is currently the Associate Director of Youth Ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church. She has been coming to Mo Ranch since she was born and considers it to be one of the most spiritual places she knows. She has been serving as a music leader for various youth conferences for the last 9 years and can think of no place or role that feels more like home. In her free time, Grace loves hiking, being outdoors, reading, and discovering good music, movies, and food.

 

 

 

Recreation Leader: Caroline Cesarz

Caroline is currently a freshman at Austin College and is a member of the Activators team at AC. She’s been to Mo-Ranch five times and the last two times, she was a youth leader!

Caroline spent most of her life in McKinney, Texas. She’s learning to draw and improve her writing skills. Caroline loves to bake and cook and is working on a series of five comics to post someday.

 

 

 

 

Small Group Coordinator: Emily Everts

Emily Everts grew up attending the different conferences at Mo Ranch and has continued to participate in her adult life in various forms of leaders for the camp and as a participant.

Emily is the Children and Youth Ministers Coordinator at Ridglea Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth and is also a PRN Chaplain at Cook Children’s Hospital. She loves animals, especially her cats, and loves to hang out at home in her free time reading or watching a show. Emily likes to craft and has the belief that she can do anything by DIY and a little figure it out attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2026 Theme Coming Soon! 

2026 Schedule Coming Soon! 

*Subject to Change*

$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

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.

 

 

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