"St. Anne's Church celebrates the wonder of diversity in God's creation. We are no longer the straight, white, middle and upper-middle class congregation of the past," said Prudence Brighton, clerk of the Vestry. "We come from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Very often, English is not our first language. We are straight and gay, young and old, male and female, black, brown, and white joined in the Body of Christ, remembering that in Christ we are freed from all such distinctions. We offer our varied gifts in witness to the power of God's reconciling love."

St. Anne's offers a Sunday worship service in Spanish to welcome Latinos looking for a new church community, and it participates in the community celebration of Latino Heritage Month. St. Anne's is active with the Lowell Anti-racism Task Force, the Lowell Anti-Gang Violence Task Force and the annual Martin Luther King Jr. event. The church was the site of last summer's African Assistance Center program to teach young people about African culture and customs, and it hosts part of the annual Lowell Folk Festival. St. Anne's hosts the most active Integrity Circle in the Diocese. St. Anne's hosted the Rev. Mario Ribas, Brazilian missioner, who will return to celebrate the Eucharist and address the congregation on ways to reach out to the local Brazilian community.

St. Anne's works to promote affordable housing and immigration issues, advocating before the city council and to state legislators. The church raised more than $10,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims through a community-wide concert/service, and it helps support four evacuees who settled in the Merrimack Valley.

St. Anne's supports its community by providing space for high school computer training, for the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership, for the Merrimack Valley Project and for Acre Family Daycare, a training center for daycare providers.

Parishioners meet for the Eucharist, for Bible study, in prayer groups, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. St. Anne's is part of a joint Lenten Program with St. John's Church and enjoys partnership with St. James' Church in Groveland - involving mutual projects (including a joint vestry retreat), pulpit exchange and resource sharing. Looking forward, St. Anne's is exploring the opening of a community "cyberbar" and will begin a monthly mailing to new homeowners in its surrounding zip codes.

- From Mission Strategy News, March 2006