“I loved Mo, it’s a highlight of my summer every year.”
For 2024, we are offering one session of Jr. High Jubilee, from July 7-11.
A week-long conference where students ages 6th-8th grade can come out and worship, make friends, and spend time doing fun recreational activities!
During Jr. High Jubilee, youth who have completed 6th through 8th 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 JHJ: 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.
2024 Leadership:
Director: Libby Janes
Libby is super excited to direct JHJ this summer! Libby is married to Jesse and is a cat mom of Artemis, Apollo, and Orion. Libby attends Austin Seminary and is a licensed social worker. She loves playing board games, practicing yoga, and camping. Did you know Libby has been to Mo Ranch 17 times? Mo Ranch is where Libby first experienced a call to ministry (during vespers!). Libby’s favorite Mo Ranch event is the variety show!
Co-Director: David Angulo
David Angulo is expected to graduate from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary this coming May and has been serving at University Presbyterian Church Austin for the last two years as a youth minister. He is to start a pastoral residency at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin this summer. Originally from Villahermosa, Tabasco, a tropical city in Southeast Mexico, David enjoys fishing, soccer, or any sports that offer a fun time! David loves watching Marvel movies, and the MCU Iron Man is his favorite superhero! David and his fiancée Jasmine, are to be married at the end of May and he is looking forward to his graduation, his wedding, and of course having an awesome time at Mo this summer during JHJ. Mo means a lot to him , as he has been attending camp and other events there since high school!
Keynote: Kate McGee
Rev. Kate McGee is the Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Arlington, TX – which is also her hometown! Kate is married to an Englishman and fellow soccer fanatic named Lee, and together they attempt to parent three wild boys. In her free time, she cheers on Manchester United and women’s soccer in general; reads all kinds of books; tries to remember her piano lessons; and practices her very basic Spanish. She has just started her doctorate work at Austin Seminary, hoping to study the intersection of faith and autism. Kate went to Junior High Jubilee when she was 13, and it forever changed her faith and her life. She can’t wait to be back at Mo and visit the tree her grandparents planted!
Worship Leader – Colton Hedrick
Colton Hedrick is a current MDiv student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a member of Hope Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. He is a born and raised Texan and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, Caitlin, and their dog, Scruffy. He likes to cook, play guitar, and contemplate the mysteries of Jedi masters in a galaxy far far away. Mo-Ranch is special to him because he proposed to his wife on Serenity Hill! Colton looks forward to the opportunity this summer to live, move, and be in the good news of Jesus Christ!
Small Group Coordinator – Katy Bedford
Katy is a native of Central Texas. She has been a member of First Presbyterian Church Georgetown since 1993 and is now their Youth Director. Katy first visited Mo Ranch in 1991 for a family reunion. Katy has attended several conferences at Mo Ranch but has been there most for All Church Retreats and Midwinter Youth Conference. Katy earned her M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and is now an ordained Teaching Elder in the PC(USA). Katy lives with her husband, Nolan Nix, in Cedar Park, along with their two dogs, Ashe & Zephyr. She enjoys snuggling with her dogs, eating delicious food and attending University of Texas sporting events.
Music & Rec Leader – Taylor Sexton
Along with serving on the staff of Ferncliff for summer camps and other events over the past four years, Taylor has served as Program Director at Camp Preston Hunt, chaplain (as well as writing last summer’s bible curriculum) for John Knox Ranch and co-founded an afterschool program for at-risk youth called Coaching Our Outstanding Leaders. A graduate of Baylor University, Taylor is currently finishing his Master of Divinity at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. This summer, Taylor will start work on a Doctorate in Communications at Regent University. Along with camp ministry, Taylor has served as the Director of Youth and Family Ministries at Zion United Church in Clifton, Texas and Director of Youth and Music Ministries at Grace Presbyterian Church in Round Rock, Texas. Taylor first came to Mo-Ranch about a year ago to serve as the Music Director for Mission Presbytery’s Midwinters Youth Conference and has returned since for other events, including to lead music for Mission Presbytery’s Presbyterian Women Conference. Taylor is so excited to be your recreation and music leader for this year’s Junior High Jubilee because Mo has become a special place to him.
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.
