Committed to providing a safe place to raise questions and discuss issues vital to our time, Grace Covenant Church began hosting forums in the fall of 2007 for the purpose of discussing matters of common community concern. Previous forums include those listed below. You may click on the dates to link to more complete descriptions.
November 11, 2007: Forum I viewed Nashville Public Television's 2007 documentary Living On: Tennesseans Remembering the Holocaust. Oak Ridge resident and Holocaust survivor Mira Kimmelman, who is featured in the film, was present to lead the discussion.
February 24, 2008: Forum II was led by two Grace Covenant members. Retired Major General Warren Edwards shared his work with the Community and Regional Resilience Initiative, designed to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Diane Edwards spoke of her work with the Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, and its efforts to educate, train and support resilient family members of enlisted personnel.
April 27, 2008:Dr. Richard Dew, former Oak Ridge physician and current volunteer medical director of Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic in Sevierville, spoke on the topic The Practice of Medicine: Where Is It Going?, addressing the replacement of the personal touch in medicine by more "efficient," technological models and the situation in our country of the uninsured.
June 8, 2008: Forum IV featured the viewing and discussion of the documentary film Paradise Lost: The Religious Life of Charles Darwin. Northeast State biology professor David Wollert, originator of the film, was present to lead the discussion following the viewing.
February 15, 2009: Convinced that all of us, not just our schools are responsible for our children, Grace Covenant hosted Forum V on the topic Helping Children of Poverty Succeed. Led by Jo Bruce, Director of the Oak Ridge Schools Family Resource Center, and Mardee Miller, Principal of Willow Brook Elementary School, the forum addressed challenges children of poverty confront and hopeful strategies for addressing them.
June 7, 2009:In keeping with our covenant commitment to "care for God's creation," Forum VI, led by Robert G. Kennedy, addressed Hopeful Developments in Energy Conservation and Alternative Energy Sources.
