Forum Discussion Group

The Forum Discussion Group meets at 9 a.m. most Sundays from
September through May in the Lower Level-Forum Room/Library.

February 2026

Feb. 1 – The speaker will be Betsy Peters, a native Columbian and member of the City Council, representing the Sixth Ward. She returned here after 25 years away, was first elected to the city council in 2015, and has been re-elected since then. She would love to hear your thoughts about housing, the pedestrian median safety ordinance and a public safety tax or any other concerns that the city could address.

Feb. 8 – Steve Mudrick, UUCC member and professor emeritus of atmospheric sciences at MU, will lead a discussion of Great Decisions 2025, Chapter 5, “International Climate Cooperation in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil.”

Feb. 15 – Stacie Pottinger, UUCC member and chief development officer for the Voluntary Action Center, will be speaking about the services provided by VAC as well as the new VAC Opportunity Campus, which will house an emergency shelter, day programs and case management as well as a health and mental health clinic.

Feb. 22 – Letitia “Tish” Johnson will provide a brief overview of Extension and the Community Development program, with an emphasis on the services, programs, and resources available locally. Tish has served as field faculty with MU Extension for 30 years, most recently working in Boone County.

The Forum Discussion Group is an adult issues-and-answers discussion program that meets from September through May from 9 to 10 a.m. each Sunday. Forum meets in the Forum Room/Library at the southeast corner of the lower level of our church.

The lower level is wheelchair-accessible by elevator.

Forum began in 1980 shortly after our church transitioned from a lay-led fellowship to a community with a full-time minister in October 1980. Forum did not meet starting in March 2020 because of the Covid pandemic but resumed meeting on Sept. 11, 2022.

bill_clark — **Bill Clark was the long-time programmer for Forum**

Among Forum leaders in its nearly four decades of existence have been David Leuthold, George and Lois Parker, Arthur McArthur, Bob Breitenbach, Dan Spies, Charlie Atkins, and Carla and Wayne Anderson, Bill and Delores Clark, and Gregg Suhler.

Forum looks into community, state, national and international issues, including issues in society, the arts, history, the sciences, and the environment, and occasionally issues within the church. Guests have included musical performers, educational and political leaders, political candidates, representatives of other religions, and leaders in the arts, music, theater, and city and county government.

A typical program format consists of remarks by a guest speaker followed by a question-and-answer period.

Forum is not intended to be a spiritual experience, though spiritual matters such as the soul of dogs occasionally appear on the schedule. The entire community is invited to attend Forum. Church membership or an enrollment is not a requirement – all that is needed is an interest in contemporary issues. A dollar in the coffee can on occasion is appreciated, however. Just show up – you’ll be an immediate Forum participant.

Child care is available during the Forum sessions from September through May; however, it is seldom needed because most Forum attendees are older adults. Forum leaders hope to remedy this situation by attracting younger adults, whom the group cordially invites to stretch their horizons and expand their UU experiences. In addition to the listing at the top of this page, scheduled Forum topics are included on the Coming Up Sunday page.