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First, you can use any module (such as those suggested by Shine) for your homepage. You could even make the forum your homepage.
Sytem Admin>>>Preferences>>>General Setting>>>Module for your start page
Second,the forum modules have blocks that you can show on your home page (hot topics, latest topics, that sort of thing). You can control which pages these blocks show up on. The forum related blocks and their options may give you even more power and flexibility than you are looking for. Learn how to use and setup blocks
here.Third, it's pretty easy to add a link at the end of a news item, blog post or article that would take you to the related topic in the forum. There may even be an automated way to do this (I recall that there is but couldn't find it with a quick search).
Now that everyone has a blog--I've noticed (on many websites) that some of the more lively and thoughtful discussion seems to take place in the comments attached to an article rather than in the forums.