Features:

• 12 Lessons (or more) - There are 12 lessons in total in this curriculum set featuring holy troublemakers and unconventional saints, past and present from several religious traditions. However, if you chose to do the “dig deeper” activities, these could each be two or more sessions, so they could be anywhere from 12 to 24 or even 36 lessons, depending on your scheduling needs. These lessons are written for either in-person or online, in church settings, or at home. These lessons are designed for middle-grade children (ages 8–14) with activity options for younger and older participants.

As Bayard Rustin, who was in many ways the North Star for this book, said: “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” He went on to help others become angelic troublemakers for justice and peace, which is what we hope this curriculum will also help support.

The 12 lessons are:

1. Let’s Make Some Holy Trouble: An Invitation to Holy Troublemaking?

2. Cindy Wang Brandt: Remembering Our Original Blessing

3. (Mister) Fred Rogers: Just the Way You Are

4. Wangari Maathai: Making Peacy by Tending the Earth

5. Mary Oliver: Paying Attention as an Act of Worship

6. Harriet Tubman: Leading Like Moses

7. Rev. Jacqui Lewis: Finding Joy

8. Rachel Held Evans: Wrestling with God

9. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz: Thinking of your Great-great-great-great-great-great Grandchildren

10. Francis of Assisi: Connected to All Creation

11. Leslie Foster: How Do We Change Culture?

12. Rabbi Irwin Keller: Seeing Hope in Difficult Times

Plus, a bonus Concluding Lesson Plan: What Kind of Storyteller Are You?

We are made of stories and stardust. We tell the stories of holy troublemakers and unconventional saints, people of faith who have worked for love, justice, and compassion, to inspire us, make us bold, and connect us to each other and the Love that makes us one. 

• Profile Summary - Each lesson is meant to take 30–40 minutes with options for digging deeper and extending the time if desired. Ideally, you’ll have time to read the full profile from Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints (or possibly have shared it ahead of time with your children/students), but if time is limited, there’s also a short bio and synopsis included in each lesson.

• Easy-to-use - All 12 lessons follow the same general flow:

• Prepare

• Gather

• Listen

• Reflect

• Do (with options for younger and older ages)

• Dig Deeper (optional)

• Closing

• Coloring Pages - There are also 12 coloring sheets included in this curriculum (plus, a bonus one with the concluding lesson) to help bring messages home in a highly tangible way as well as keep fingers busy while listening and processing. They are at the end of each lesson they are meant to be a companion to the lesson, but they also can also stand alone.

• Full Glossary - The curriculum includes the full glossary from the book to use as a reference and learning tool.

• Digital Format - Everything is contained in one PDF file that can be shared or printed based on your needs.

• License - A usage license is included in your purchase.

How to download the curriculum:

After the curriculum is purchased, the PDF file is available for download in the Order Confirmation page. You will also automatically receive the standard order confirmation email, followed by an email containing a link to download the curriculum file.

The link in the email to download the file expires 24 hours after it’s first clicked. However, once you have downloaded the curriculum, the file itself never expires and is yours to keep forever.

Product details

• Curriculum: 70 pages

• Version: Personal / Family Use (PDF)

• Size: 8.7 MB

• Publisher: Watchfire Media; 1st edition (2024)

• Language: English

NOTE: Your credit card statement will show WATCHFIRE MEDIA listed on the bill. Watchfire Media is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity and the publisher of Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints.