As conference titles go, it's a mouthful and a half: "Voting Justice, Voting Hope, Progressive Faith Taking Action in 2008." Organizers are adamant that the three-day national conference on faith and politics is going to be every bit as jam-packed as its title.

The conference, sponsored by an arm of Plymouth Congregational Church, starts Friday and continues through April 13. It will feature two dozen speakers at workshops and other events spread among three downtown Minneapolis locations: the church, the Hyatt Regency and the Depot hotels.

"I think that this is one of the most important things Plymouth [Congregational Church] has done in years," said the Rev. Jim Gertmenian, senior pastor and driving force behind formation of the Plymouth Center for Progressive Christian Faith, official sponsor of the conference. "We expect this to be one of the largest gatherings [focusing on progressive faith] in the country. But it's not just for clergy and religious leaders. This is aimed at the people in the pews, too."

The progressive faith movement has grown quickly on the coasts, but has been slower to reach the heartland. Conference organizers hope to change that. They're bringing in what Gertmenian called "a tremendous lineup" of speakers, including theologian Jim Wallis, author of "God's Politics: Why the Right Is Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It;" NPR veteran Ray Suarez, who wrote "The Holy Vote: The Politics of Faith in America," and Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of "The Left Hand of God."

The progressive faith platform was not conceived as a rebuttal to the so-called religious right "but, in a way, it is a response to it," Gertmenian acknowledged. "The religious right has held sway in the media for three decades, and it's time we answered that. But progressive Christianity is nothing new. In fact, it goes back a couple hundred years. We have a positive message of our own. This isn't just about staying away from what they say."

There will be no pronouncements of an official progressive-faith political platform, he promised. In fact, he's hoping for just the opposite: arguments, and lots of them.

"I think we'll agree on what the major issues are, such as poverty and war," he said. "But I expect that there will be widespread differences of opinion about how we should address those issues. I would love for there to be lots of different points of view. My fondest wish is that people will be stirred and energized by the conversation."

The full conference schedule is available at www.plymouthcenter.org. You can register for the entire convention for $95 ($50 for students) or buy tickets to individual events.

ID check

St. Paul's College of St. Catherine is sponsoring a series of lectures as part of a program to revive its Roman Catholic identity. Coming up Thursday is a speech by Fordham University theologian and author Sister Elizabeth Johnson.

The former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, Johnson has written several books, including "Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God" and "She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse."

Her speech begins at 7 p.m. in the school's O'Shaughnessy auditorium. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Call 651-690-6700.

Showing the colors

Holi, the Hindu spring festival also known as the Festival of Colors, is being celebrated today at Midtown Global Market in south Minneapolis. From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., there will be traditional dancing plus demonstrations and lessons from four of the local Hindu temples.

Midtown Global Market is on Lake Street in the old Sears tower. Holi took place this year on Easter weekend, but this celebration was moved to avoid a conflict. The weather promises to be much more springlike this weekend anyway.

Families wanted

There's a shortage of families to adopt special-needs children. Lutheran Social Service is holding an informational meeting on the issue from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at its Minneapolis office, 710 E. 24th St., Room 3C.

Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392