The Prodigal Son

A Retreat for Orthodox Men

26-28 Sept 2025, in Livonia, MI.

Registration is now open!
Register before 1 Sept and get $25 off the cost of admission.

What is "The Prodigal Son"?

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is more properly "the Parable of the Two Brothers." In this retreat, we'll be looking at both of the brothers and their relationship with their father. We'll see both carelessness and diligence, "sins of the left hand" and "sins of right hand," "hot" sins and "cold" sins, two very different ways men show up but which result in the same distance from the Father's love.

Though a simple story on the surface, there are some real depths to the parable which we'll open up and explore. We'll bring other pairs of brothers into the discussion, too. The result will be an exploration of brotherhood with kin and other men, healing for our own souls, greater maturity as men, and a deeper relationship with the God we call "Father."

As in past retreats, on Friday evening, we'll look at the first half of the parable and then engage in some exercises to help us open up to each other and begin to wrestle with the what the Prodigal Son has to teach us.

On Saturday morning, we'll look at the second half of parable and introduce the Diligent Son and lay out his issues. We'll spend time in small groups talking about how both of them show up in our lives.

After Vesper on Saturday night, we'll bring everything back to the Father Who watches for our return and runs out to meet us where we are.

Finally, on Sunday morning, we'll enjoy the Feast of Faith, share in the "fatted calf" (the Eucharist), and rejoice as sons who were once dead, but are now alive in Christ.

(For those who are able to stay through Sunday evening, the 18th Annual Male Bonding Party will begin later on Sunday afternoon.)

This will not be a “sit still and listen” kind of retreat. This isn’t a conference where speakers say nice things and attendees sit politely on cold metal chairs and listen. Yes, practical information will be given, but there will also be times for intense group participation when we will work through some of the personal issues that have left us stuck–sometimes for years–and move towards the abundant life which Christ promised us. The aim isn’t just to impart knowledge, but to change lives.

So, whether you’re a young man trying to figure out who he is and get a handle on the vision for his life, or a middle-aged man wondering where his dreams and passion have gone, or an older man needing to let go of past hurts so he can move on to the next phase of his life, this retreat is for you.

You don't want to miss it.

Retreat Schedule

Friday, Sept 26th

5:30 pm Registration
6:30 pm Vespers
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Session I & Opening Exercises (Fr Michael) “The Younger Brother”

Saturday, Sept 27th

7:30 am – 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am – 9:15 am Session II (Fr Michael) “The Elder Brother”
9:15 am - 10 am. Small group work I
10:00 am – 10:30 am Break
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Small group work II & III
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Session III (TBD)
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Team Challenges
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Free Time / Confessions
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Great Vespers
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Dinner
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Session IV and Closing Exercises (Fr Michael) “The Father”

Sunday, Sept 28th

9:00 am – 9:40 am Adult Ed Class (TBD)
9:40 am – 10:00 am 3rd & 6th Hours
10:00 am – 11:30 am Liturgy
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Brunch
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Options (TBD, see Q&A below)
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm 19th Annual Male Bonding Party

Our Presenters

Fr Michael Butler

is pastor of Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church (OCA) in Livonia, MI. He has been a priest for 30 years. He has degrees in archetypal psychology and theology, and a PhD in church history & patristics. His interest in men’s work began over 40 years ago. He is particularly interested in rites of passage, masculine archetypes, sacred space/time, initiation, and in ways that traditional Orthodox psychology and spirituality can help men today become the best they can be. He maintains the Avg2Alpha website and a social media presence.

Fr Hans Jacobse

His work with men began in earnest when a nineteen year old man asked him for help. From that first man the work kept expanding and developed into the St. Paisios Brotherhood which he leads and that ministers to hundreds of young men. He is particularly interested in helping young men overcome the vices and other maladies that afflict them, especially in this age when the larger culture is often hostile to them. He seeks to heal and strengthen men so that they can discover their purpose and fulfill their created destiny. Fr. Hans was ordained into the Orthodox priesthood over thirty years ago and currently serves St. Peter the Apostle Orthodox Church in Fort Myers, Florida.

Paul Robson

is a coach and facilitator for men, father of three sons, husband, and small farm owner in rural Denmark. He founded the European Men’s Gathering in 2016 in order to address the crisis of masculinity in Europe. His work there led him to converting to the Orthodox faith in 2019. Today he works full time with Maniphesto, a network of men in holding each other accountable, growing in integrity, and reaching towards a vision for their future.

J. C.

I went to the retreat with some friends, but I came back with a brother. There’s just something that’s like an explosive fire, and I get really excited, and I just want to burn that energy being with my brother, bearing each other’s burdens, lifting each other’s crosses.

E. M.

I was really impressed when we did that exercise with the physical touch right at the beginning. That’s when I felt like you guys really knew what you were doing up there. All the participatory stuff was really good. The huddle and what we did the first night, the physical challenges were really nice, and the beautiful church and the male bonding party were really great. I really enjoyed myself.

I. J.

It was an absolutely incredible weekend. … Experiencing [an exclusively male environment] in person was amazing, just spending that much time as men helping each other, that focus to become the men God made us to be, focusing on brotherhood because God’s grace comes through our brother, because those are the natural pathways of God’s love and healing grace, and to see that play out over the weekend: the more we gave and poured out into each other the more God gave and poured out into us. My phone blew up for 3 days after the retreat, guys just calling each other, and wanting to keeping contact. … The guys who came with me from my parish were very apprehensive and had very low expectations for the event, and now we’ve got a list of at least 30 guys we want to bring next time. Thank you for everything you did; it was truly a transformative, life-changing experience.

Fr. Hans J.

What we discovered was that the communion between men is the way God created us to live. You can’t know this conceptually; you have to experience it. If you continue to live in that … you will live an energized life. … This is what we’ve experienced; it’s formed our hearts, from now on, you’ll be searching for deep communion with a brother, and that deep communion with a brother is what allows God to pour His healing grace into our hearts. That’s what happened.

G. M.

It was real wisdom in how [Fr M] put this thing together. He had many layers of different kinds of exercises, different way of communicating things, and different services we were doing, that were really outside of anyone’s expectations. If you think you know what’s going to happen when you come to something like this, you’re wrong. You don’t know what's going to happen. But I’ll tell you this: the amount of healing that took place in that retreat was just incredible. It was very powerful. … It was very experiential, and you actually got to bond with your brothers in a way that was really powerful and good. So, I was very encouraged by it, I want to see it happen more. Fr M has set a high standard for quality.

Prodigal Son Retreat Only

All retreat sessions (Friday night thru Sunday Liturgy)

All meals (Friday night thru Sunday brunch after Liturgy)

$200

(Use promo code "PSR25" to get $25 off the full price before 1 Sept 2025.)

Male Bonding Party only

Full access to MBP XVIII fun & activities

Dinner, snacks & non-alcoholic beverages included

$25

Both Retreat & Male Bonding Party Together

Prodigal Son Retreat

Male Bonding Party XVIII

$225

(Use promo code "PSR25" to get $25 off the full price before 1 Sept 2025.)

Get both today!

Why should I attend a men's retreat?

Is this a repeat of previous retreats?

What's the dress code?

Can I coordinate with others attendees for logistics?

Cell phones? What about cell phones?

Sunday afternoon optional activities

What is the Male Bonding Party?

What if I'm not Orthodox?

What if I want to attend and can't afford it?

Is there a Waiver of Liability form?

I have more questions. How can I ask them?

Logistics

DIRECTIONS TO THE VENUE. Both the Retreat and the MBP will be held at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church, 36075 Seven Mile Rd, in Livonia, MI. The church is located about 1 mile east of the I-275 Expressway, between Farmington & Newburgh Roads, across from the Livonia City Golf Course and Park.

NEARBY RESTAURANTS. There are a number of good restaurants nearby: on 7 Mile Rd, both east and west of the venue, as well as on Haggerty Rd (1.5 miles west) and on 6 Mile Rd (1 mile south). Note that local restaurants can be extremely busy, with long wait times, on weekends.

AFTER HOURS HANGOUT. A suitable local watering hole for those that want it. Tbd.

NEAREST AIRPORT. If you are flying in, the nearest and most convenient airport is the Detroit Metro Airport. It is a Delta Airlines hub, which may help you find convenient or less expensive flights.

Helpful Links

Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church. The hosting parish, where Fr Michael serves.

St Paisios Brotherhood. An online Orthodox men’s community that seeks to define, recover and restore authentic masculinity in the hearts of men; expose the lies that keep men weak and enslave them to vices and bind them to ideologies; and foster and nurture authentic fellowship between men so that a man can discover and grow into who he was created to be.

Maniphesto is on a mission to transform your life. We run accountability groups and boot camps to support men in gaining a stronger vision for their future.

Got questions?

Use this form to ask them. We look forward to hearing from you.