WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

come forward
    v 1: make oneself visible; take action; "Young people should
         step to the fore and help their peers" [syn: come to the
         fore, step forward, come forward, step up, step to
         the fore, come out]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

60 Moby Thesaurus words for "come forward":
   accost, advance, appear, approach, appropinquate, approximate,
   arise, attract attention, bear down on, bear down upon, bear up,
   become manifest, become visible, close, close in, close with, come,
   come closer, come forth, come in sight, come near, come on,
   come out, come to hand, come to light, come up, confront, crop out,
   draw near, draw nigh, emerge, encounter, enter, fade in, gain upon,
   heave in sight, issue, issue forth, look forth, loom, materialize,
   narrow the gap, near, need no prodding, outcrop, peep out,
   proximate, rear its head, rise, see the light, show, show up,
   sidle up to, step forward, step up, stream forth, strike the eye,
   take center stage, turn up, volunteer