Our Values
The guiding principles for the project
ENGAGE 
Engaging current, former, and prospective members of the church with enhanced worship experiences.
CREATE
Creating outreach opportunities for faith formation as an expression of God’s Love.
EXPAND
Expanding the capabilities of the music ministry as a fundamental centerpiece of church life.
OFFER
Offering our building and campus as an extension of community involvement.
ACT
Acting as a beacon of continued mission leadership within the SW Washington Faith Community.

Honoring our sacred space of sanctuary

Our past, present, and future

During times when questions about faith and purpose abound, Vancouver First United Methodist Church is focusing on its campus, worship experience and engaged membership as a central beacon to build community and grow.  In order to accommodate that growth, a Campaign Leadership Committee in coordination with the Church Council to infuse opportunity through offering an expanded footprint for how the campus and Sanctuary can be used as a key gathering place.
The Allegro! Campaign was developed to answer the call of ministry and faith formation to fortify the opportunity for Vancouver First to be at the forefront of ministry throughout the region for decades to come.  By creating a space which can be utilized in a number of formats, the Church’s vision is to introduce its diverse programming to additional audiences as a central hub of communicating Christ’s love and hope while acting as a catalyst for positive change that supports a vibrant Congregation and ever-changing community landscape.
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Key Elements of the Allegro! Project
ORGAN: A vibrant new centerpiece of the worship experience that doubles as a musical gift to the region as a functional instrument used in performance.  Breathing new life into a legacy 70-year old instrument where many components have reached near end-of-life.
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CHANCEL: Augmenting the visual aesthetic of the front of the Sanctuary as a space to offer engaging worship opportunities.
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ACCESSIBILITY: Visual and hearing challenges addressed through enhancements to the screen and sound system.
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A/V + LIGHTING: Overall upgrades to the technical systems of the Sanctuary.
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FUNCTIONALITY: In combination, the newly-configured Sanctuary space will offer flexibility for use by both the church and community.  By setting the stage for the ability of the Chancel to function in numerous ways, Vancouver First positions itself as a viable option for a needed mid-range performance space while also paying respect to the building’s notable history as a honored place for milestone life events.
From our Senior Pastor
Allegro —a  joyful, lively tempo—captures this moment in the life of our church. We are invited not just to maintain what is, but to move forward with energy and hope into what will be. Our chancel has long been the heart of our worship—the place where Word, Table, Music, and Community meet. It is where we tell the story of God’s love, liberation, and life. Now, we have the opportunity to renew that space so it more fully reflects who we are becoming as a Spirit-filled community.
At the same time, we turn our care to the organ whose voice has carried our prayers, our grief, and our joy across generations. The work to repair the instrument is sustaining a living tradition of music that calls us forward in faith.
This capital campaign is an act of faith. It is a declaration that beauty matters, that accessibility matters, that worship matters—and that the future of this community is worth investing in.
Together, we can create a space that moves with the Spirit—alive with Allegro joy, resonant with hope, and welcoming to all.
With hope and gratitude,
Rev. Eilidh Lowery
From the Campaign Chairs
When we first met as a group in mid-2025, we had  a very narrow focus relating to our 70-year old pipe organ in need of an upgrade as one of the centerpieces of the ministry at Vancouver First.  The more that the Campaign Committee looked at the project, it was very apparent that our scope needed to embrace the broader mission of our ministry.
The Allegro! Campaign is the result of numeous hours of research, discernment, and recognizing that Vancouver First is a powerful beacon for faith formation.  Bold and uncommon plans often help inform the future, and we are honored to help move our Congregation forward with this moment of faith. 
Dean Lookingbill & Tom Musser

Questions about The Allegro! Project:

The current Chancel offers no storage, little flexibility for events, and permanent riser installations that cannot accommodate a variety of performance styles important to Church life and the community.  The new Chancel provides optimal flexibility that supports most formats needed in Church life.

The current pipe organ is a 70-year old instrument that includes both pipes and digital sound.  It runs on software that is currently not supported.  The new instrument will be a musical centerpiece of the community with the ability to interpret numerous types of music for worship, performance, and milestone events.

With a total budget of $2.4 million (with appropriate contingency for historic building construction), The Allegro! Campaign will be funded though a number of channels including large donations (leadership gifts), pledges from the congregation, funds earmarked for growth, and the sale of one residential property in the church's real estate portfolio.  A portion of the sale will be devoted to reserves for future use.  The church will keep its two other residential properties (corner lot and parsonage) that align with its strategic vision.

While the concept of a capital campaign had been approved in Winter 2025 by the Church Council, a work group was formed in May 2025 to assess the feasibility of how to complete a new vision for the Chancel space.  A Leadership Committee was formed in October 2025 upon recommendation of the Work Group.  All components of the project have been vetted and approved through Church Council and Trustee channels.

In order to retain, attract, and promote Vancouver First United Methodist as a relevant and unique space in the community framework, additional community engagement is required.  By utilizing the Chancel and Sanctuary as outreach tools, the church is maximizing use of its assets for evangelism and faith formation.  As additional members join the First Church family, additional long-term projects (in conjunction with current dedicated reserve funds for capital needs) will be possible as we grow together.

Campaign Leadership Team
Glenn Kuhn; Steve Rasmussen; Marty Kuhn; Larry Irish; Tom Musser; Dean Lookingbill, Anita Jinks; Pastor Eilidh Lowery. 
Call or email the Co-Chairs to discuss options for ways to contribute to the Allegro! Campaign:
Dean Lookingbill
Tom Musser
360-607-3472   tom-musser@comcast.net