We are deeply saddened at news of the passing of Curtis L. Sparks III, who died at his home May 16, 2019. Curtis was a talented forum convener and moderator and his work and his inspiring and caring ways will be greatly missed. The following is just one story about the important work that Curtis was doing in his community.

Veteran National Issues Forums moderator and convener, Margaret Holt led a pre-conference session on moderating forums for members of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC). The session was held on May 8, 2019 at the National Archives in Washington, DC.

The 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. session was titled Convening and Moderating a Deliberative Forum and was described as follows in the conference materials:

The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at the Lexington Theological Seminary has received a grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion for her project Dialogue in the "Purple Zone": Pedagogies for Civil Discourse in Online and On-site Settings.

The starter video to accompany the issue guide titled Keeping America Safe: What is Our Greatest Threat? How Should We Respond? is now available. A free (1:21) preview is available to watch online, and the full length (4:34) version is available to purchase ($6.00) for unlimited streaming or download.